GTG 1959 Franklin Half Dollar PCGS

Discussion in 'US Coins Forum' started by Lehigh96, Jul 29, 2020.

?

Guess the Assigned Grade!

  1. MS63

  2. MS64

  3. MS65

  4. MS66

  5. MS67

  6. Other (Please explain in comments)

  7. FBL (Full Bell Lines)

  8. NO FBL

  9. + Designation

Multiple votes are allowed.
Results are only viewable after voting.
  1. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    Please guess the grade of the 1959 Franklin Half Dollar shown below. I have attached a poll for you to cast your vote and you may select up to 3 different things: the numerical grade, Full Bell Lines, and the "+" grade


    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Please remember to vote in the poll and choose either FBL or NO FBL. As always, comments welcome!
     
    Skyman likes this.
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  3. green18

    green18 Unknown member Sweet on Commemorative Coins Supporter

    No 'full bell lines'.......'64

    While the coin appears, lustrous, lovely, and well struck, I think there are a few hits precluding it from a '65 or better.
     
  4. ddddd

    ddddd Member

    MS 65 FBL
    ....FBL by PCGS standards...very lustrous but the reverse would make me think it didn't make 66
     
  5. tmoneyeagles

    tmoneyeagles Indian Buffalo Gatherer

    MS65, great luster. Went back and forth on FBL, but I think the left side on that last line precludes it from the designation.
     
  6. Beefer518

    Beefer518 Well-Known Member

    64 NoFBL ^what he said
     
  7. LRC-Tom

    LRC-Tom Been around the block...

    The cuts across the bell lines make the FBL close, but not there. Overall 65, though.
     
  8. Collecting Nut

    Collecting Nut Borderline Hoarder

  9. Razz

    Razz Critical Thinker

    MS 66 no fbl
     
  10. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

  11. Springford CC

    Springford CC Member

  12. Rheingold

    Rheingold Well-Known Member

  13. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Wow, super clean obverse and sharp, crisp strike for the date.

    No questions asked FBL at PCGS, probably not at NGC.

    Luster appears off the charts.

    Obverse is a clear 66.

    Reverse, however, has that unfortunate mark under Unum, and a decent number of tickmarks. I'd call it a 64+.

    Overall, 65FBL at PCGS, I think.
     
  14. BuffaloHunter

    BuffaloHunter Short of a full herd Supporter

    65FBL, very nice Benji
     
  15. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    Now thats how you grade a Franklin Half Dollar.

    I threw you guys a "hanging" curveball, but unfortunately most of you still whiffed. This coin was in PCGS MS65 FBL plastic but @Springford CC thought it had a shot at an upgrade, and I agreed so we cracked it out and sent it back into PCGS, and voila, MS66 FBL.

    Before Photo: PCGS MS65 FBL

    [​IMG]


    After Photo (PCGS TruView): PCGS MS66 FBL

    [​IMG]


    Congrats to everyone who said MS65 FBL or MS66 FBL, you hit it out of the park.
     
  16. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    I think the angle of the lighting in the first shots over-emphasized some of the marks on the reverse. (To be fair, I'm guessing the PCGS "true view" de-emphasizes some of the marks).

    I very nearly said 65+, and given the two shots that's probably where I would like the coin best.
     
  17. Springford CC

    Springford CC Member

    I agree, 65+ is probably the most appropriate grade, but Lehigh and I have recently discussed the reluctance of the TPGs to give 65+ vs much more common 66+. The ratio is disproportionate for 66+. Wonder if it’s because 65/65+ just doesn’t carry the same weight. Thoughts?

    Regardless, I was thrilled to get the 66. And here is the back story to go with it.

    https://www.ngccoin.com/registry/competitive-sets/217986/coins/1753254/
     
    Lehigh96, ddddd and Beefer518 like this.
  18. physics-fan3.14

    physics-fan3.14 You got any more of them.... prooflikes?

    Haha, that was a great story. I love those sorts of stories about the thrill of the hunt, the circumstances, the people, the show. That's the sort of thing that makes a collection come alive.

    As for the 65+ vs 66+ - I think it probably more likely comes down to the price jump. 65FBL to 66FBL is a 10x jump, but is really only $150 to $1500.

    66FBL to 67FBL is also a 10x jump..... $1500 to $15,000.

    I'm not sure if its a conscious effort, I'm not sure if they're trained to hedge their bets, I'm not sure if its the intention of a TPG..... but depending on which conspiracy theory you listen to, the graders are instructed to limit pop-tops and limit liabilities.

    It might just be that professional graders, like CT members, tend to get more conservative the higher up the scale you go, and are less likely to give the high grades when warranted. Even in my teaching profession, we have a subjective grading scale for oral interviews. The scale goes from 0.0 to 4.0.... but the vast majority of interviews are in the 2.9 - 3.2 range. Even students who are exceptional rarely crack a 3.3. Is there a reason for this? Not really - the graders are just hesitant to give out a high grade, for some reason. I wonder if the situation is similar in the grading room?
     
    Lehigh96 and Beefer518 like this.
  19. ddddd

    ddddd Member

    That's a fun story and certainly adds to the appeal!
    I've experienced similar things with certain dealers. They seem like a great source to buy or sell from and then one day it's like everything changed and you barely recognize them.
     
  20. Razz

    Razz Critical Thinker

    On the before photo I see a break here but the true view clearly shows no break. Got the 66 though! Polish_20200730_193216176.jpg
     
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