George F. asks:Â What is meant by the letters FBL or FSB after the grade of a coin?
FBL stands for “Full Bell Lines” and is usually listed after the Mint State Grade (MS60 and up). It is a statement of the quality of strike on an United States Franklin half dollar (1948-1963). The Mint had a hard time striking the fine horizontal lines on the Liberty Bell motif on the reverse of the Franklin half. Mint state examples with these lines complete bring a premium over Franklin halves in the same grade but not showing FBL.
This kind of strike problem also plagued the Winged Liberty dime (1916-1945) and you will also hear collectors and dealers discussing “Full Split Bands” (FSB), the horizontal cords tying the rods together on the reverse of this dime.
