Questions on Franklin Halves

eddye

I have some Franklin Halves and I have some questions about pricing them. What do they mean when they say it has the full bell? I have a 1960-D BU with that milky white color that my father bought in 1960. Also have 1961 Gem Proof, 1961 Proof, 1962 Proof and a 1963 Proof. Are any of these halves worth sending away to be graded? Appreciate any help that you can provide me. Thank you.

Ed

ksteelheader

Welcome to the boards. I collect Franklins, but I'll let this question for Lucy or Frank to answer...Ken

drsvenghali

Look at the reverse of the coin on the bell. You should see parrallel lines across the bell (near but not the very bottom). These have the crack running down vertically through them. If the lines are fully struck and visible at the crack it is called "Full Bell Lines" or "FBL". These fully struck coins carry a premium over overs of the same date/mintmark.

LucyBop

Its hard to say if they should be graded or not without atleast a image to try and make an assessment... The mint state half would atleast have to be a fbl for it to be worth it. check out this slamdunk fbl:



On the proofs its a different ballgame.... if they have Cameo contrast in them then they maybe worth sending in. However, Frankies are notorious for hairlines (very fine scratches) which is a grade killer.... Here is a DCAM proof:



Notice the frost snow white devices and you can get a idea of the depth of the mirrors as you can see several reflections of Franklin...

eddye

Thank you for the info. The 63 Proof is a definite FBL. The milky 60D has the shadows. If you think these coins are decent, I can send you a pic tomorrow when I go to my son's place. Thank you so much for your info. As I said before, I can help you or anybody else with saxophones and German Shepherds, but these coins can drive you nuts.

Ed

eddye

And that was a Slam Dunk!!!!

Blackhawk

If the 60-D is very nice and has a shot at MS65, it's still worth sending in. In MS65 the 60-D is not that common.

eddye

Thanks Blackhawk. Who would you send the coin to and how much would they charge? This coin looks super nice. When I go to my son's home, I'm going to have him shoot a pic and put it in the forum and maybe you guys could decide. Thanks for all your help.
Ed

eddye

I will submit pics tomorrow and maybe I can get an idea if I should have any of these Halves graded.
Thanks. Ed