Can FT/FB Designations be Applied to AU Dimes?

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

You can pull AU dimes out of your pocket change that have all of their torch lines full and uninterrupted. But I've never seen an AU Merc or Roosie with a FT or FB designation from NGC or PCGS. Does the FT/FB designations only apply to MS coins?

[AHFreak]

Good question, I want to say that I have seen an early Merc that was AU58 with FT/FB... May have been a Frnaklin that was AU58 w/FBL though...

[Mr. Smith Guesser]

Actually, I just answered my own question. I didn't think to look in the population report. Yeah, there's a lot of AU coins with FB and FT in the NGC population. Here's a PCGS one:

I guess I've never looked to specifically buy an TPG slabbed AU coin, since I mainly collect Roosevelt dimes. But yeah, thar she blows.

[RWB]

Yes. The attribute is not part of the grade.

[coinman_23885]

This is interesting. I primarily collect Mercury Dimes in mint state grades, but it is my understanding that the TPGs didn't always allow the designation for circulated coins. I wonder when this might have changed or if I might be mistaken.

[Conder101]

Why wouldn't they give the attribution to circulated coins? As long as it isn't worn enough to lose the ability to see the full split under today's definition of what constitutes full split bands it should still get the designation. (Originally to be FULL Split Bands the bands had to be not only completely split but the bands had to be fully struck and rounded. Any wear would put a flat spot on the bands and they wouldn't be "full" and just called Split Bands. Today the word "full" is just a synonym for "completely".)

[coinman_23885]

Why wouldn't they give the attribution to circulated coins? As long as it isn't worn enough to lose the ability to see the full split under today's definition of what constitutes full split bands it should still get the designation. (Originally to be FULL Split Bands the bands had to be not only completely split but the bands had to be fully struck and rounded. Any wear would put a flat spot on the bands and they wouldn't be "full" and just called Split Bands. Today the word "full" is just a synonym for "completely".)

 

There are a lot of TPG policies that don't make sense to me. For instance, denying color designations to higher graded circulated copper coins would fall within this class as would PCGS's policy of only designating cameo proof Indian Head Cents for supposedly "full red" coins even when legitimate cameo contrasts can be seen on RB and perhaps even some BN specimens for instance.

[RWB]

As noted above: grade and attributes should be assessed individually. If your favorite authentication and grading company is not doing that, talk to them. Complain and explain.

[coinman_23885]

As noted above: grade and attributes should be assessed individually. If your favorite authentication and grading company is not doing that, talk to them. Complain and explain.

 

I don't disagree with you and Condor on what you are saying, and logically speaking, I agree with both of you. My comments were meant to suggest what I believe the TPG policy has been in the past, not necessarily what it should be. And making suggestions to PCGS, at least, has been a waste of time in my experience. My suggestions (for which there was apparently support for based on subsequent threads not authored by me) were ignored and Don blew a gasket when I posted in later suggestion threads that the (identical) policy suggestions were ignored and that PCGS seemed uninterested in changing the policies. I think PCGS deleted my old posts or I would link them.

[brg5658]

Why wouldn't they give the attribution to circulated coins? As long as it isn't worn enough to lose the ability to see the full split under today's definition of what constitutes full split bands it should still get the designation. (Originally to be FULL Split Bands the bands had to be not only completely split but the bands had to be fully struck and rounded. Any wear would put a flat spot on the bands and they wouldn't be "full" and just called Split Bands. Today the word "full" is just a synonym for "completely".)

 

There are a lot of TPG policies that don't make sense to me. For instance, denying color designations to higher graded circulated copper coins would fall within this class as would PCGS's policy of only designating cameo proof Indian Head Cents for supposedly "full red" coins even when legitimate cameo contrasts can be seen on RB and perhaps even some BN specimens for instance.

 

I have never understood why PCGS doesn't still put the BN, RB, and RD descriptors of color on copper coins in AU58 and below. Yes, most should/would be BN, but not all. In AU grades, there are many coins that would make RB designation.

[dimefreak]

I could be wrong but I do believe that 1916D 1942/1 and 1942/1D are the only dates they do that for

[brg5658]

I could be wrong but I do believe that 1916D 1942/1 and 1942/1D are the only dates they do that for

 

Are you meaning "PCGS" when you say "they"?

 

There is a 1925 NGC graded AU55FB coin on eBay right now. Don't seem to be any PCGS AU FB coins on eBay presently.

[RWB]

TPG "policy" can be changed. Speak up.