Mercury Dime 1942/1 : Looks to be in AU condition but i'm no expert on the FB designation

Reverse looks better than the obverse but all and all it's not bad.

Can anyone shed some light (better than what i found on youtube) on what equals FB or not. I'm still not even clear if it is in reference to the vertical lines on the 'sticks' or if it's in reference to the the 3 horizontal bands on the top, bottom and middle of the vertical sticks.

Any help would be appreciated. I'll add some pics of the Obverse as well as i'm debating getting it graded i'm i'm looking for some general assumptions i should have for when i get it back.

thanks again.

 

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From the photo, not even close. It is the horizontal bands and must be no connections for most graders. Most MS coins do not even have them in certain years.

 

Don’t think fsb but I’ll hold onto it if you don’t want it lol

 

That’s a spanking sweet 42/41..... To my understanding the full bands designation applies to the three horizontal bands that are top-bottom and middle of the dime. In other words, the high points that are first to be worn. Since your dime is a circulated example those bands are too worn to apply the FB designation to. Still is a spanking nice dime though.

 

Not Full Bands but a great coin! Nice find

 

Ditto the FB definition but with this : Each of the bands should have a line through the center, sort of dividing the top and bottom of each band, thus making each band appear to be 2 bands, side by side.

Very nice coin.

 

One thing, the FSB designation is not primarily a function of wear, it is a function of the strike. I have seen MS67 mercs in slabs that aren't FSB.

 

Yes, Kaintuck, you are correct !

FSB stands for Full Split Bands, thus the center line dividing each band in half is the split, and just as Kentucky says, it is the strike that makes it, and also as Kentucky says, there are many really good looking dimes out there that are not FSB.

Personally, in a way, this dime could be said to be FB simply because each band is all there from left to right and top to bottom, even with the wear, but this dime is absolutely not FSB because the splits are not there. There is some small vestige of a split on each one, but none of the splits are complete.

It's too bad that the TPGs and most collectors don't differentiate between FB and FSB. To me, those are two different terms, but to most, they mean the same thing.

As desertgem above says, there "...must be no connections for most graders. ".

Oh well, it's a good looking dime none the less.

 

Thanks for the insight all. I have a new appreciation for FSB as i have been searching examples and they are # 1 rare, # 2 $$$

 

Nice coin, I'd say in the VF range.