not sure of grade range I'm shooting for

As much as I enjoy the freedom I get with a signature set, I still love albums and building a registry set. I am still one coin shy of completing my Walking Liberty Half short set. The 1941-S, as I've mentioned before, is a bit pricey in the quality I want so that it matches the strike and luster of the other coins in the set. I get an annual residual payment/check every November which I've decided to earmark for my 41-S ( plus I'm hoping that I might get a good price during the slow period prior to Christmas).

Well there is no way a numismaniac can wait 5 to 6 months without working on some kind of set. So I have decided to start a Mercury dime short set. The simple 15/16 coin set doesn't really have a "key date" that will cost me a bundle, but there still are some hard decisions.

Full Bands or not to Full Bands is the question.

The price difference is quite significant between the FB designation and those without. I am having a hard time convincing myself that a small nick on the fasces/bands can be the difference in 3 times or even 10 times the price. I'd like to build a nice set with some resale value--matching in whiteness, luster and cleaness....but I think I'm gonna pass on the FB's. This will mean that my set won't be very competetive points wise--but I believe ownership of a complete NGC MS67 Mercury Dime short set would be a super addition to my collection. Who knows, maybe I'll be picky and just pick the MS67's that have 99% full bands and get them for a fraction of the cost of those with the FB label.

I do foresee myself getting stuck trying to find an MS67 1945 micro-s...oh well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it...until I write again, happy hunting to all of my fellow collectors...

This coin I got for a very good price..it is the 1892 Columbian Expo and a strike of this boldness ( especially the lines on the sails) usually gets a nice MS65/66...however with my luck it will end up as the nicest AU58 in existence...