Mercury dime addiction

I seem to be developing a nasty addiction to high grade mercs. Purchased these three in the past month. Think intervention is necessary?

 

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I dunno ask @MercuryBen. Oh wait, don't ask him

 

Just out of curiosity, I see the grade doesn't include Full Split Bands or FSB. Do they have FSB or not? Is it something that is mentioned only by demand? How common is a 67 coin without FSB?

 

FB or FSB is an automatic designation by the TPGs, you don't have to request or pay extra for that just like the FBL with Franklins and the full head for SLQs ect.

 

I do not collect the series but my prior review of the population reports showed that in higher MS grades, the counts were higher for FSB than without it. I don't know if this is the result of submitter choice or if the reports correctly reflect the relative distribution.

 

So, these aren't FSB?

 

You need to look at the proofs too.

 

In this case I think it is more a characteristic of the coins themselves. Coins are more likely to have that better strike in those grades.

 

Not in their opinion that time through the grading room. They usually don't miss things like that but sometimes they can be overly picky with it.

 

@johnmatt are they FSB?

 

You can find plenty of MS67 Mercury dimes without the split bands and even MS68 without the split bands.
Both of the two major TPGs are pretty strict about what they will label as FSB and many times it is such a minor flaw in strike that will limit the coin it seems unreasonable.
That being said, you can find some amazing high grade Mercury dimes that just miss the FSB at a fraction of the cost. I think the FBL and FSB designations may have started out as a good descriptor for a coin with a full strike, or very well struck, but it has turned into something else all together.

 

No, just buy more and feed your addiction.

 

The 45 in fb will set you back a truck full of cash (20k or so for a 66). The 45s and 45d are do-able in fb. I am not averse to fb coins, I own a few, but what seems to draw me to these is the beauty of them in the high grades. In most cases I sort of resist paying a strong premium for fb.

 

Yes MABY an intervention is appropriate, I'll tell ya what, being a RN TRUST ME, hand over all your mercs and also to start the purging process go out and buy all the Mercs you can find starting with a wish list or I mean a list of Mercs I have written down for just such occasion, as a Nurse I'm here to help. Next after you've exhausted all Avenues for getting any more the next step is time, when the time is right I will contact you, if you feel you have to purchase more Mercs well buy but buy 5x the amount and promptly turn them over to me. After the appropriate time when you have lost interest in Mercs you let me know, when you have no interest any longer you will be cured. As far as my fee, we'll just call it even. Kidding, thoughs are really nice, good for you, you are a collector, lifes short, enjoy.

 

Well Ericred, that sounds like a tough five step program. Oh for the good old days when my wife would say "if I catch you in that bar again!" instead of "if I catch you on E-Bay again!"... btw-is it a bad sign if I heard that 45d speak to me?

 

I am not sure your addiction is a bad thing because those dimes look great! I say keep buying them.

 

One of the reasons I ask is that I have found several mercs that are not slabbed, but very clearly have full-bands.

 

I hope you find a 45p! That's one tough coin. I've looked through several BU rolls of 45p and found some fairly close but not close enough. There was one I thought welll maybeeee. I would put it away and go back and look days later, trying to convince myself it was fb. Finally shared it with some friends who promptly KOed my dream. The problem with the 45p is the spread is sooo large between fb and not that you have to be pretty sure or you're wasting your grading $. In ms65 the non fb is about $20, but the fb around $12,000.

 

Keep going JohnMatt!! Those are beauties! I'm primarily a FB collector, but I make exceptions for well struck non-FBs with great toning. See my thoughts on FB here:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/is-this-1925-d-mercury-dime-fsb.279699/#post-2463859