This is a very special coin - can anyone besides jacerevone tell me why? I'll be doing a very complete write-up about this coin when its twin arrives, hopefully in the next day or two. Until then, guess the grade - and its not what you think it is The grade on the slab is only part of it.
I am an extreme novice at this but I'll risk having my chops busted. As far as what makes this coin special I have no idea. As for the grade with the wear at the hair and the 1 on the obverse and some wear and scratching on the bell I would go with an AU 58.
The blurry 1 is an artifact of a scratch on the slab. I'll just say this Bazz - you are way off. Care to try again?
OK, with that in consideration, are their hidden scratches under the toning on the obverse? The reverse is beautiful.
There are die polish lines scattered lightly across both faces of the coin. The surfaces have some light speckly toning (you can see it best on Franklin's scalp), but there is more going on here. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures....
Okay Mr. Pie this is actually a good learning experience for me. Not only do I get to bash my head against a wall trying to figure this coin out but I actually have an uncirculated 1959 Franklin to compare that was bought for me as a present many years ago. Let me list some differences; 1. Yours is quite a bit more grimy or dirty, if you will. My coin is cleaner which for grading purposes probably doesnt mean much except that mine has sat in a US Mint case from the outset. 2. The crack in the bell is more clear in my coin than yours, although they both seem to be full bell line coins. 3. The writing on the bell is visible on your coin and not mine. 4. My coin is Denver minted and yours is Philadelphia. Now that I have a comparison and I know that my coin is unc I will up the grade. How about 67?
LOL! I was about to jump all over this coin and spill the beans, but then I read your message! Whewwww that was a close one! Nice Frankie! :bow:
I'll give y'all one more hint: Here is my other 1959 - graded NGC MS-65FBL. Notice two particular differences: First, notice the differences in luster between this coin and the original coin. I'm guessing most of you have no experience with a coin like the original coin, just because it is so rare. Notice how the first coin appears to have less luster? This is a trick both of the images, and of the condition of the surfaces! Notice also the eagle Give me some more guesses, and I'll post the answer, and a short teaser description of this coin tomorrow. Full details will be forthcoming in a new thread when the original coin's sister arrives. My 1959 NGC MS-65FBL for comparison
I haven't studied Franklins that much, but I am going to guess it is the 1959 type 2 reverse due to the fact there are only three wing tips showing to the left of the eagles perch. I would even go as far as saying that it is the doubled die version based on the eagle kind of looking like the type 1. Grade wise I would venture MS-64 with the qualifying statement I have never tried to grade by picture before and I am definately the novice at this. Kie
Eagles are defintely different. I just googled the PCGS site and they only list type 1 & 2 coins for the 1956 coin so I am going to make a real fool of myself and say what is so special about your coin is that it's a special counterfeit.
The reverse fields look like they have a starburst effect and neither side is showing luster in the fields. You have basically stated that the coin is MS65FBL even though I think that mark on the forehead along with the less significant abrasions on the cheek and coat should limit it to MS64. Since you stated the coin is very rare, mint state, and lack luster yet gem grade, my guess is that the coin is prooflike. I don't even know if prooflike Franklins exist, but that is my guess and I am sticking to it.
Alright, good guesses guys! This coin is graded MS-65 by ANACS, without full bell lines. This grade is very accurate in my opinion. The lines in hand look almost exactly like the picture - there is a bit of weakness in the top left, and a couple of marks disturb the bottom set. It is indeed a Type 2 eagle, but it is not the DDR. And yes, the coin has prooflike qualities. I don't think its fully there, but this is what we call semi-prooflike. Prooflike Franklins are incredibly rare, but they do exist. They are most common on the 1949S and the 1959, for reasons I will explain when I do the full write-up.
This is part of the fun on learning to grade from pictures. And besides Frankie's are hard to grade period.
