Can someone please assist me.

mids1999

Can someone please post some well detailed pictures
showing the difference between a Franklin with Full Bell Lines and without them
and also describe what I should be looking for in the pics.
I am still kind of confused as to what the specification for FBL is.

Thanks
Mike

FC57Coins

Mike:

If I did this right here is a link to a thread on the same subject recently.

Frank

Link

mids1999

Thank you very much
Mike

mids1999

Just to verify
Is this a FBL
FBL?

Geoman

mids,

I would have to say no to the picture being a FBL. On the upper set of bell lines, just left of the crack, the lines seem to fade, and I would not call it FBL's. However, I have just started collecting Franklins in FBL, and am not an expert by any means.

LucyBop

NCG grades all 7 lines for FBL, PCGs grades just the bottom lines, that half looks better then my53d which PCGs gave the fbl designation to.

coinguy1

Mike,

I do believe the image you posted does qualify as FBL, according to PCGS, at least. They look at the lower lines and not the upper ones.

FC57Coins

Coinguy and Lucille are correct. This would be an FBL according to PCGS. NOW - would a collector have hearburn over this piece? You betcha - those are some pretty nasty hits on the bell. Unfortunately all too typical for this series. So judging just from the reverse of this coin, I would say that it would not make MS65FBL. The coin does look like it's well preserved, so this is not to say that this coin is not worth collecting, just IMHO not gem status.

Frank

Gilbert

PCGs grades just the bottom lines

They look at the lower lines and not the upper ones


Well, then I must be fortunate, because, each of my PCGS FBL designated halves has 7 distinct lines; I wouldn't accept anything less.

From the Official Guide:

pg 48. There are two sets of lines across the bottom of the bell, and when these lines are complete, the coin is said to have "Full Bell Lines," ...

pg 67. When the bottom set of lines across the Liberty bell is complete and uninterrupted, a regular strike Mint State ....receives the designation Full Bell Lines.

pg 305. A condition in which the lower set of lines on the Liberty Bell .... are fully visible.

hmmmm. I have always interpreted these statements to refer to the seven lines at the bottom as opposed to inclusion of the lines above "Pass and Stow". I suppose I assumed that the designation was the result of collectors requests and would meet the criteria as laid out in "The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars."

I think this is a good question for Rick Montgomery in the Q&A forum.

Also, if it IS the case that NGC has a more stringent requirement, how is it that the pop figures (dates and grades) are almost identical, and PCGS FBL halves are as popular, if not more, than NGCs. It would seem that NGC FBLs would absolutely be the better struck more detailed and thus desireable coin. How about someone offering me a couple (for sale) NGC FBL designated halves for comparison?