Full Bell Line designation for Franklin Half Dollars
Gilbert
Posts: 1,533 ✭✭✭
in Q & A Forum
Mr. Hall,
Can you please offer your opinion, and PCGS policy, if they differ, on the following?
I collect Franklin halves, preferably, those that exhibit full strike characteristics. Of course, my education regarding "full strike characteristics" are primarily derived from "The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars," by Rick Tomaska, and the "PCGS Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection."
In my search and subsequent acquisitions, I have been plagued with the issue of whether all services, and particularly PCGS and NGC, evaluated this designation by the same criteria. On numerous occasions, I've come to understand that they do not and therein lies my dilemma, for I had assumed that one was as good as the other.
I emailed this question to PCGS customer service and got "essentially" this reply. I discarded the actual emails, as I didn't want to quote the respondent; frankly, the repsonse wasn't as positive as I had hoped. "I have been told, and after reviewing the PCGS guide, and concluded that PCGS evaluates Franklin halves for the FBL designation by the bottom three lines only, and that NGC's evaluate and subsequent designation is more stringent, and thus, more indicative of a fuller and better struck coin. Is the PCGS evaluation thus limited?"
The email was forwared to exactly whom I do not currently recall, but the answer was essentially, "Yes. The bottom three lines are the high point, and if the lines are present there, then the others will also be there."
Now, we numismatist are aware that coin striking is not always so black & white. One well struck area doesn't always guarantee the total specimen is well struck, and frankly, other factors can have an impact. Without dragging this out any further, I would like to provide a excerpt from R. Tomaska's Nov 02 mid-monthly newsletter, which takes on this issue again, and I solicit your comment.
Q: Why are the NGC FBL Franklin populations so much lowere that the PCGS FBL Franklin populations?
A: The lower NGC populations are due to that service's very stringent standards for the "Full Bell Line". At NGC, in order to earn an FBL designation, the lines must be bold in virtually all areas, with only the most minute bagmark interruptions allowable. The PCGS standard, while strict, is not quite as stringent as the NGC standard." It goes on to address the greatest differences in populations, but, this directly addresses my primary concern.
I have built a 90% complete set of Franklin halves, all PCGS designated FBLs. In most cases, I limited my search to PCGS inventory, under the impression that, as just about every other designation, I've found PCGS to be at least as stringent, if not more. I have turned down numerous so designated specimens, because I didn't feel they exhibited the qualities of a FBL coin. I even have gone so far as to submit a few to PCGS under the submission review. Unfortunately, the 3 coins I submitted, in September 2001, were "lost" in the mail, and being rather disappointed, I don't think I'll be packing up my "collection" to be mailed in, although, I would like a "scrutinous" eye to look at some of these PCGS designated FBL coins and say this is a standard to be proud of. In all honesty, I am not necessarily proud of some of these coins being designated FBL, and of course will eventually upgrade them to my satisfaction.
I don't want to start all over, nor do I absolutely want to collect a NGC set of FBL Franklins, merely to contrast them against my PCGS set, but I would like your opinion on what has turned out to be a "dissertation," (which I apologize for as I had no intention on this being so long) on the difference between PCGS and NGC FBL standard. Any recommendation(s) are also welcome, and if you would like for me to pack them up and send them for your review, I will consider doing that too.
Bottom line: Is the PCGS standard for FBL designation "inferior" to the NGC standard, in as much that one can expect a "bolder looking bell line," which I find to be more desirable OR does PCGS assert that it's standard for the FBL designation is equal to NGC's?
If this is too involved for posting in the Q&A forum, can you please respond to me individually, via PM of email (in my profile). I do think it is a concern that collectors and PCGS membership should know, but, presently, I am more concerned with the status of my collection, and the future of my collecting PCGS Franklin half dollars.
Respectfully submitted,
Can you please offer your opinion, and PCGS policy, if they differ, on the following?
I collect Franklin halves, preferably, those that exhibit full strike characteristics. Of course, my education regarding "full strike characteristics" are primarily derived from "The Complete Guide to Franklin Half Dollars," by Rick Tomaska, and the "PCGS Official Guide to Coin Grading and Counterfeit Detection."
In my search and subsequent acquisitions, I have been plagued with the issue of whether all services, and particularly PCGS and NGC, evaluated this designation by the same criteria. On numerous occasions, I've come to understand that they do not and therein lies my dilemma, for I had assumed that one was as good as the other.
I emailed this question to PCGS customer service and got "essentially" this reply. I discarded the actual emails, as I didn't want to quote the respondent; frankly, the repsonse wasn't as positive as I had hoped. "I have been told, and after reviewing the PCGS guide, and concluded that PCGS evaluates Franklin halves for the FBL designation by the bottom three lines only, and that NGC's evaluate and subsequent designation is more stringent, and thus, more indicative of a fuller and better struck coin. Is the PCGS evaluation thus limited?"
The email was forwared to exactly whom I do not currently recall, but the answer was essentially, "Yes. The bottom three lines are the high point, and if the lines are present there, then the others will also be there."
Now, we numismatist are aware that coin striking is not always so black & white. One well struck area doesn't always guarantee the total specimen is well struck, and frankly, other factors can have an impact. Without dragging this out any further, I would like to provide a excerpt from R. Tomaska's Nov 02 mid-monthly newsletter, which takes on this issue again, and I solicit your comment.
Q: Why are the NGC FBL Franklin populations so much lowere that the PCGS FBL Franklin populations?
A: The lower NGC populations are due to that service's very stringent standards for the "Full Bell Line". At NGC, in order to earn an FBL designation, the lines must be bold in virtually all areas, with only the most minute bagmark interruptions allowable. The PCGS standard, while strict, is not quite as stringent as the NGC standard." It goes on to address the greatest differences in populations, but, this directly addresses my primary concern.
I have built a 90% complete set of Franklin halves, all PCGS designated FBLs. In most cases, I limited my search to PCGS inventory, under the impression that, as just about every other designation, I've found PCGS to be at least as stringent, if not more. I have turned down numerous so designated specimens, because I didn't feel they exhibited the qualities of a FBL coin. I even have gone so far as to submit a few to PCGS under the submission review. Unfortunately, the 3 coins I submitted, in September 2001, were "lost" in the mail, and being rather disappointed, I don't think I'll be packing up my "collection" to be mailed in, although, I would like a "scrutinous" eye to look at some of these PCGS designated FBL coins and say this is a standard to be proud of. In all honesty, I am not necessarily proud of some of these coins being designated FBL, and of course will eventually upgrade them to my satisfaction.
I don't want to start all over, nor do I absolutely want to collect a NGC set of FBL Franklins, merely to contrast them against my PCGS set, but I would like your opinion on what has turned out to be a "dissertation," (which I apologize for as I had no intention on this being so long) on the difference between PCGS and NGC FBL standard. Any recommendation(s) are also welcome, and if you would like for me to pack them up and send them for your review, I will consider doing that too.
Bottom line: Is the PCGS standard for FBL designation "inferior" to the NGC standard, in as much that one can expect a "bolder looking bell line," which I find to be more desirable OR does PCGS assert that it's standard for the FBL designation is equal to NGC's?
If this is too involved for posting in the Q&A forum, can you please respond to me individually, via PM of email (in my profile). I do think it is a concern that collectors and PCGS membership should know, but, presently, I am more concerned with the status of my collection, and the future of my collecting PCGS Franklin half dollars.
Respectfully submitted,
Gilbert
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