Hello CTers....I recently came across some unfamiliar grading terms and I need to know their exact definitions... First one is FSB (Fully Split Bands) for Mercury and Roosevelt Dimes. Second is FBL (Full Bell Lines) for Franklin Half Dollars. Third one is FH (Full Head) for Standing Liberty Quarters. 4th is 5 and 6 step Jefferson Nickels. Also for proof coins Cameo, Deep Cameo, Ultra Cameo. What is their impact on coin's value? Thanks
The names are just as they sound. FSB on Dimes has to do with the bands on the reverse. On the reverse of the Mercury Dime, there is a rod that has 3 sets of horizontal bands on them. On well strike coins, there will be a horizontal line (2 lines on the top band) down the middle of each band. Here is a picture, notice the horizontal lines: http://www.numismaticnews.net/flipside/content/binary/cm1916b.jpg The Roosevelt Dime has similar bands on the reverse on the torch. Sometimes Roosevelt's Use FT for Full Torch rather than FSB FBL on Franklin's is the same sort of the thing. The bell on the back has horizontal lines and they tend to fade out on weakly struck examples. Only examples with really nice strikes have lines running through the whole belling earning the FBL names. Full Head simply indicates a really nicely struck obverse on the Standing Liberty Quarter in which Liberty's head is shown in full detail. Finally, a nicely struck Jefferson nickel will have the steps on the reverse on Monticello fully struck. On most nickels, the horizontal lines that make up the steps run together and fade out...only and the best strikes do they appear full. Depending on the year of the nickel, there are different reverses. Some have 5 steps while others have 6. In all cases, the notation (FBL, FH, ect...) all indicate a superb strike. These do carry a premium but it all depends on the coin. Some years, specific coins are known to have especially poor strikes...so a fully struck example will be much more rare and carry a large premium. Some years, they don't. As far as the cameo effect on proofs. That is due to the die being very highly polished creating a frost white appearance to all raised surfaces. Depending on the degree and strength of the white, the term cameo or deep cameo may apply. Plus, deep cameo vs ultra cameo is the same thing...one is a PCGS term and the other a NGC term. In this image, notice how the head of Jefferson is white while the rest of the surface is mirror. All the raised areas are white...that's the cameo effect. Cameo proofs are common on American proof sets since 1970, any of the modern proofs is expected to be cameo. Before that, only really nice examples have the cameo effect. http://www.carlwohlforth.com/1978-S-Jeff-Pr69DCam-Obv.jpg
While most think that to be true, it isn't. Quite often a coin with a special designation such as FS or FBL is not really fully struck - just the area in question is.
If you want to understand alittle more about the FS on Jefferson Nickels ou might want to read this: http://varietynickels.com/pages/jefferson-nickel/grading/understanding-full-steps.php Speedy
