How about some Ben Franklin silver this evening?
Alright, here is a 1959 US half dollar coin. I got this a while back from one of the online bullion dealers. I usually don't buy coins like this online so I thought I'd try it out.
I guess there are still rolls of these or bags of these that have not been circulated.
It's in good condition, though it does not have the full bell lines on the bell. From what I understand that part of the die wore out real fast when the coins were being minted so coins with full bell lines are rarer and expensive.
This one does have the cartwheel effect:
A type of mint luster on a struck piece in which the flow marks appear as "spokes" from the center out to the rim; when the piece is tilted slightly the "spokes" appear to rotate as a wagon wheel, hence the name. Not all mint luster creates this effect, only that with strong striations (created by metal flow ) where the flow marks from the center outwards on the surface of the struck piece towards the rim.
This guy has a good youtube video describing and showing cartwheel luster.
I just noticed something on this coin and it's the flexing eagle...
Usually when I look at these coins I am looking at the bell lines and I have never really paid attention to the eagle. Does it look like it has ripped legs and it's flexing it's wings to you?
I don't know what to think xD
Well, I sure hope you had a decent weekend.
