FBL (full bell lines)
FBL means full bell lines: on a Franklin half dollar, the horizontal lines across the bottom of the Liberty Bell on the reverse are fully struck. PCGS, NGC and CAC Grading each word the requirement a little differently.
How to read it
The Franklin half dollar was struck from 1948 to 1963 and has the Liberty Bell on its reverse. NGC says the strike often leaves the lower bell lines incomplete, and the designation marks coins where it did not. PCGS gives FBL when the lower sets of bell lines are complete, and accepts very slight disturbance of several lines. NGC asks that all the horizontal lines on the bell be distinct. CAC Grading requires a fully split bottom set of bell lines, uninterrupted by weakness or marks, and does not count mint-made flaws such as die cracks across the lines against a coin. Proof Franklin halves do not get FBL. NGC says coins from San Francisco (S) consistently have trouble qualifying. The designation is the half dollar's counterpart to FB on Mercury dimes and FS on Jefferson nickels.
Also searched as: FBL Franklin, full bell lines.
The end of the Franklin half
NGC says the series was cut short after the assassination of President Kennedy, which led to a new half dollar, the Kennedy half dollar. The Franklin half is the only half dollar with a strike designation of its own.
Read next
- Next in Coin gradesCAM and DCAM (cameo and deep cameo)CAM (cameo) and DCAM (deep cameo) describe a proof coin whose frosted design stands out against its mirrored fields. DCAM is the stronger contrast, which collectors call black and white; NGC's names for the two are Cameo and Ultra Cameo.
- The Kennedy half replaced the Franklin half after 1963.Kennedy half dollarThe US half dollar with John F. Kennedy’s portrait, first issued in 1964 after his assassination. 1964 halves are 90% silver, 1965 to 1970 are 40% silver, and from 1971 there is no silver.
More coin grades
The same shape elsewhere
Browse symbols drawn with circles, letters and numbers or squares and rectangles.
Sources
- PCGS Lingo: full listing, PCGS Lingo, full listing (pcgs.com/lingo/ALL; Internet Archive copy of 5 February 2025), Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), archived by the Internet Archive, Full Bell Lines; FBL
- Learn Grading: What Are Full Bell Lines?, NGC, Learn Grading series (13 November 2018), Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC), article text
- CAC Grading Standards, CAC Grading Standards (cacgrading.com), CAC Grading, Designations: Strike, Full Bell Lines (FBL)
Researched, edited and approved by Rory Hansen before publishing. Last reviewed September 29, 2026. How we research
Added .