I came across an article on the ANA web site while searching for information on the SBA souvenir sets. The article discusses what potentially could become a new variety for the SBAs, similar to the Franklin "FBL" designation. The authors (Robert Ezerman and David Golan) describe how the eagle on the reverse of the SBA has varying degrees of details for the talons where they grip the branch. The article describes that it appears this is more prevalent in the business and Unc strikes and that the proofs are almost universally complete. The article can be found at this link: http://www.money.org/AM/Template.cf...ate=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=1390 Has anyone else seen this? What is the opinion here on a possible new variety designation for SBAs?
talons I read an artical, in the numismatist I believe, that showed different varieties in the talons. I would have to dig out the magazine, but if I remember right there were three or four varieties.
If you click on that link it will take you to their site and the article I was referencing. The article actually refers to possibly six various varieties. It was arguing that these six would be the definitive break outs, or whether it would be like the Franklins and the "FBL" designation (essentially all or nothing). The article does not mention the Franklin halves as a reference, this is my extrapolation from the article.
Some dates of SBA's are extremely easy with FT but none are especially tough. Collectors of all moderns would be well advised to pay a lot of attention to strike and die condition since this is what keeps so many coins out of the higher grades. Not only will future collectors weight strike more highly in this area but many cur- rent collectors will probably care more about it in the future. Some of the moderns have less detail right off the dies than a VG.
