I am helping an accountant with a coin collection he is in charge of. My question is there are 21 (20 coin) tubes of Franklin Proof half dollars. Each tube a different year and looks like they are from the mint. Beautiful mirror finish on all. With some of the prices paid for a highly grade one should I send them and have them graded? Bulk grading costs with shipping would be around $3000 for all 220 come. Thanks for your thoughts.
Odds are if they are proofs and in tubes they are all hairlined to hell and would grade like crap. Hairlines are a grade killer and a issue with Franklins even those handled with extreme care. I find it doubtful any high grade coins are to be had in these tubes but you never know I suppose. I recommend you learn about grading proof Franklins in regards to hairlines (a surefire ticket to a pr64 grade) Cameo and Deep Cameo and you can then maybe determine what might be worth submitting, you don't send them in simply because you have them, you submit coins that have a chance at a decent grade.
Only the 1950, 51 and 52 would be worth sending them in for grading unless they are in pretty spectacular shape. Grading proof coins is pretty challenging. I've collected proofs for over thirty years and am just decent at grading them.
I agree with those years but might include the '55 too . I'd look for any with a deep Cameo effect and ones with no hairlines . The late '50s and '60s just aren't worth grading unless super cameoed .
Thanks Also I did read up on the hairline issue. David Lawrance has an excellent article about each year and the problems that each year had.
He has a lot of interesting reading at his site on various subjects , a lot of it should be must reading .
