The whole FS FB FH FBL thing...........

DIMEMAN

I just wanted to start a new thread because the other one got so big.

First I just want to say I am not putting anybody or their coins down period!

I have to agree with sonnywood and TDN. I go by eye appeal and detail. I would much rather have nice hair detail on a Merc dime than have the line between the bands on the rev. My WHOLE Merc set, which was # 1 in 2002 and 2004 cost less that the difference between a 19-D in 65 no bands and 65FB. THAT'S INSANE!! I would put that set up against anybodys in eye appeal!! I bought many beautiful Mercs that just weren't quite there in bands at a fraction of the price. Like TDN said, buying the coins that just missed.

As far as the 60-D FS, if I read correctly that coin is worth more than a complete V nickel set in 64. AGAIN INSANE. I know which one I would rather have. On a coin like the 60-D in the Merc set (19-D) I just went with a real nice 64 no band that looked like a 65 for about 500 bucks instead of the 40K or so that a 65FB would cost. Even if I had deep pockets I don't think I could pay the money that some of the modern coins are bringing. I have a hard time buying clad Roosies for my complete dime date set. I buy them all in 66 67 and some 68 as long as they don't pass my limit of 20 bucks a coin. But that's me.

What are some other opinoins?

Again this was not a modern bash. I just like the classics and respect those who like the moderns.

Jon

Strat

I like the concept of buying the just miss strike designation coins. If you carefully buy attractive coins, you can't go wrong.

mercurydimeguy

Jon, I posted this in another thread, but my comment is the same: when scarcity doesn't exist it is invented by those who want to profit by it.

That's what TPG grading did. When you take a pile of 500 mercury dimes and you look at the pile you say, "they aren't so scarce". Then when you separate the pile in to 25 piles of 20, each pile (on it's own) is scarcer then when they were all together. When FB was "invented", it was not to fill a numismatic "need", it was created to break up the piles of 20's in to a pile of 2 and a pile of 18. Suddenly when the pile of 2 was compared to a pile of 500, the pile of 2 looked down right rare, let alone scarce.

I had this discussion over dinner while at FUN, and it left a lasting impression on me.

LindeDad

I will add that for many of us budget collectors. That getting the coin just below the price jump is going to be a fact of life. I collect the Washington quarters. The Silver early key dates have to be the lower grade for me to make the set. But in my 1944 date set I have streched the budget for some of the FS and FB coins. But trying to find the quarters and half's in MS67 is getting to the point of selling the other collections to get them.
But in my search I have found like you the many of the coins that just did not make the grade, do have the same eye appeal and the detail is there.

badger

I'm caught up in both sides of the fence. Paying up for top pops for the proofs. Then, just looking for colorful Franklins and Jeffs for a color collection. I have fun with both but more action on the colors.

Badger

fcloud

Some of the insane prices on the top coins with Full Whatever, is like tulip bulbs.

Mistercoinman

I don't have moon money, but the debate about what coin is better is pure preception. If you believe that the full band, or steps don't matter than why are people paying the premium for them? If you like a nice strike, toned, milk spots, ag coins verses bands or steps its' your money. All coins were modern at some point so that debate doesn't hold water I see many so called collectors by junk or the slab just to stroke there own egos. The rules have not changed since I was a kid by what you like not what you are told to like. If you decide on something yourself than you will less likely to second guess it.

morgannut2

Most of the stupid premium on FS Jeffs could be easily solved if PCGS wasn't so lazy and would just list the number of steps--taking the rest of strike into consideration of coarse in the overall grade. On the others I don't really care--except for the Full Head SLQ's when there are weak elements on FH coins and people occasionally get less than the best just to finish the Registry Competition.

roadrunner

Dimeman, you are certainly not nuts. And to cloud the matters, most rarer date FB coins today would NEVER have made FB back in 1989 and certainly not in the early 80's when it first became popular. Back then you needed the full split loaf type of split band, not the kind where the separation nearly disappears in the centers.
The requirements were lessened to add more product to the mix.
No different than if you only called bust halves UNC if they had no rubbing on them. Only about 2-5% of what's out there today would qualify.

Now if you have a 19d with FSB separation equal to the best you see on a 1940's s mint, then maybe that is a $40k coin to me. But the ones with 75-90% separation being labeled FB? Hogwash.
But if people want to pay that to get REG points, it's their money.

I've never bought a FB merc that didn't have an equal split from end to end. The others are just pretenders.

roadrunner