http://www.ebay.com/itm/1945-Mercur...be7c116&pid=100034&rk=3&rkt=8&sd=191543616417 Apparently this 1945 Merc is advertised as having full bands, but taking a close look at the bands makes me think it isn't. Is it? I'm not bidding.
Unfortunately, too many sellers of coins on EBay try to pull that trick with their listing: Full bands????? DMPL???? etc.
Wow, you're sitting on a hundred grand according to this seller. I would say that this is about as well struck as the 45s come. The few actual full band coins that exist go for a small fortune.
It's better than the average 45-P, but this isn't a case where better really matters. This is a would-be coin, especially if pulled as a common unc late Merc, that absolutely would need to be submitted to have any real chance of achieving it's potential. The upside is so great that there's zero reason not to, so 99% of the time a supposed "FB" of this date/mint is raw for a very good reason. As an aside, when determining if any Mercury is FB or not, you need to ask yourself what standards you wish to use; NGC and PCGS use different, and is another example of why/how getting the right coin into the right holder can be so important.
Honestly, if the seller really believes that is an FB Merc, he or she should send it in to PCGS or NGC. Sure, it's a nice example, and it's better struck than most 45 Mercs, but there are some connection lines between the two center bands. About 400 FB's exist in all grades and they bring thousands.
I agree on the no full bands. Oddly enough up until last week or so I thought "full bands" referred to the vertical bands and not the horizontal pairs. You learn something new everyday I suppose!
== I agree no FSB; close but no cigar. One would think the seller of a true FSB that would bring high $$ would want all doubt removed.
I have a friend who submitted two that both he and I 'thought' surely are FSB; Wrong !! both came back MS65 but no FSB. So he sold them as they were and all the while we both shook our heads and wondered "What does it take?" Unfortunately the one I have is only MS63 and of course no FSB.
