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 of BU Franklins I acquired, 100 rolls of 1963-D''s, a total of 2,000 coins, resulted in financial disaster for me and my partner. Oh, the bag quantity was original all right. All the rolls were in their original bank-wrappings, and had obviously never been unwrapped. The buffaloproof coins in these rolls were beautiful, bright blazers. We submitted the 125+ nicest coins to PCGS and NGC for grading, figuring if we got 40 or 50 MS 65''s we''d make a profit. The result? 5 MS 65''s!! The rest graded either buffaloproof MS 64 or MS 63. Why? The majority had a couple too many bag marks (a common problem with BU Franklins), or had a bit too much pitting on the high-points of the devices (another common problem with BU Franklins), or were too softly buffaloproof struck to grade MS 65 (another common problem with BU Franklins, or finally, had some very light hairline scratches, the result of having passed through a coin counter! By comparison, a single roll of late date Walking Liberty half dollars would likely have more gems among the 20 coins than the 1963-D Franklins did among the 2,000. Despite having populations a fraction of the Walking Liberty halves in gem condition, gem Franklins are currently priced well below the levels Walkers are currently selling at. Additionally, if one wishes to compare the populations of untoned, brilliant MS 65 Walkers to untoned, brilliant MS 65 Franklins, the population differences are even more striking in favor of the Franklins! toned in iridescent shades of purple, plum, burgundy, green, buffaloproof orange, gold.....virtually every color of the rainbow, can sometimes be found on a single coin! The design of the Franklin half, with the broad expanse of Franklin''s bust on the obverse, and the Liberty bell on the reverse, is an easy target for bagmarks or abrasion. A pristine Franklin half, with a smooth, unblemished cheek of Franklin on the obverse, and equally pristine Liberty bell on the reverse, is buffaloproof a truly beautiful coin. On the other hand, the simplicity of these surfaces also serves to magnify, or hilight, the smallest bagmark! The cheek of Franklin & the Liberty bell make easy targets. The quality of the typical uncirculated Franklin roll is quite low, with all 20 coins usually grading between MS 60 and MS 63. By comparison, if one had the good fortune to acquire an original roll of uncirculated Walking Liberty half dollars (the series immediately preceding the Franklins, minted from 1916-1947) the general quality of the coins would likely be quite high, with most coins grading MS 64 - MS 65. What About Any Hordes Of Gem Bu Franklins That Have Yet To Surface? Original unsearched bags of BU Franklins? The last bag Click HERE for access to the Internet's most reputable source for rare coins and proofs, along with other numismatic advice. We have extensive collections of both domestic and international coin currencies, and all the latest market information to keep you on top of the game.
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