Mercury Dimes Full Bands
Mercury dimes with Full Bands (or FB) details exhibit complete horizontal lines in the crossbands of the fasces, part of the central device on the reverse of the Mercury dime. Many collectors prefer buying Mercury dimes with the crossbands fully struck, generally because this important detail was intended to be seen by the coin?s designer, Adolph A. Weinman.
The Mercury dime, produced from 1916 through 1945, boasts several issues for which complete, strong strikes are the norm rather than the exception, but this wasn't always the case. Several issues, particularly many branch-mint pieces from the teens and ?20s, were not struck very well and thus often do not show the full lines of the crossbands. Essentially all of the major grading authorities agree that a Mercury dime can be granted the FB designation only when all of the lines are complete from side to side of the bands, without any interruption.
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