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Type set collectors


Dan769

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Are you collecting in any special way, as in all mint state or certain grade? I was trying to do a U.S. type set in Fine to Xfine with an AU sprinkled in on modern coins with all the coins being better dates. I soon realized how expensive that would be in Large cents and seated dollars, so I'm sticking to just the grade criteria. Any of the better date coins that I have in my set I already had.

 

I honestly think I may never complete this set, because of the copper coins. I've yet to see one the any grade that I would want in my type set, except for mint state $$$$ coin$, which I wont/cant shell out the bucks for. I don't want to settle for just "filling" the hole but I may.

 

How are you collecting your type set?

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For my US Typesets, I've completely ignored grade. Anything from AG to MS67. I have a long way to go to get a complete set. It's really more of a project than many people think. Lots of fun to work on.

 

I'm going to make a detailed list for a 21st Century Type Set. I think that will be more challenging than one would think, considering we're only 4 years into the century.

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If i was located in the US and i had access to the earlier coins (which sadly i don't) then the type set i would try would be;

 

US Silver coins 1801-1838 in VF/EF grades.

 

 

Although i tend to prefer date sets myself so i can tell you now if i was in the US i'd be collecting 1820-30s dimes by date. :ninja:

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In answer to your question Dan, I can't live with grades below VF in such modern coin. EF is my favourite but i'll take an VF grudgingly.

 

I did have an extensive run of British sixpences by date from 1674-1787 however due to the fact that the grades were all over the place i grew frustrated by the lack of high grade specimens to the point where i had to sell the whole lot off and give it up as a bad job.

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AEtheling- I've been thinking of an early run of half dimes, a cool little coin

 

Art- I've thought about a Mint State 20th century type set, but decided on the mid grade full type set, and yes this is quite a project. I hope to get a Trade & Seated Dollar at the FUN show.

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Half dimes would be a very good set, either date or type. With type sets i tend to pick and mix (being a natural date collector i find type sets very hard to stick to), so if i pick a denomination i'll do an overall type set on it but if there's one design i really like then i'll do that design as a date set.

 

So it's a date set within a type set! :ninja:

 

(I wouldn't suggest doing this with Seated half dimes though since it's a 40 year run, unless you have alot of time to kill, a few decades or so). ;)

 

 

Although a date set from 1829-37 would be very tempting i have to admit. Depending how deep into your pocket you're willing to go (or can go) then due to the lack of coins issued for the 10s and most of the 20s, you could take it for 1801-1837.

 

The 18th century stuff can be added as and when, if it's possible...

 

Next question; can you ignore varieties? ;)

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How are you collecting your type set?

 

I have been debating on this same topic too lately.

 

My 'goal' would be to have a set every single coin in the upper VF range...no higher, no lower. I really like that look on a coin. Enough circulation to give it tons of character and individual identity but enough detail to well represent the type.

 

Like you, though, some I will not be able to afford in that grade for a long time, if ever. Fortunately, I like circulated coins so much that I can easily live with lower grades into the G range for those that are expensive.

 

So, the way I am moving forward is to get the majority of the coins in a nice VF range and vary from that when I have to....go lower for the coins that are too expensive and go higher for the coins that are too tough to find lower than EF/AU/MS.

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.

 

Next question; can you ignore varieties?  :ninja:

Absolutely can ignore them, infact some of the modern doubling I see on the cover on Coin World and such makes me laugh. I mean if you need to blow up the photo 50 times and use red arrows to point it out, it's not something I want.

 

The 1955 double date is a nice because you can plainly see the doubleing, no magnification no arrows needed.

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I have been debating on this same topic too lately.

 

My 'goal' would be to have a set every single coin in the upper VF range...no higher, no lower. I really like that look on a coin. Enough circulation to give it tons of character and individual identity but enough detail to well represent the type.

 

Like you, though, some I will not be able to afford in that grade for a long time, if ever. Fortunately, I like circulated coins so much that I can easily live with lower grades into the G range for those that are expensive.

 

So, the way I am moving forward is to get the majority of the coins in a nice VF range and vary from that when I have to....go lower for the coins that are too expensive and go higher for the coins that are too tough to find lower than EF/AU/MS.

That should make a nice set Stu. Have you seen the prices on Seated Dollars, those will be in the G range for me? Do you have one already?

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That should make a nice set Stu. Have you seen the prices on Seated Dollars, those will be in the G range for me? Do you have one already?

 

 

No, unfortunately, I don't have any of the Seated dollars or the Trade either. :ninja: Those are going to be painful!

 

I might be able to stretch to something like this (which is in that grade range I like):

 

62412.jpg

 

for the latter one but something like that is almost 300 bucks and that requires some real planning. And then I would have to shell out about the same for something like an 1843 or 1847 or comparale date in the same grade range. And then the Treade Dollar...

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That does not surprise me! ;) Our tastes and approaches seem to coincide quite often.

It really does. Since I'm slightly older, maybe your my illigitimate brother! :ninja:

 

More silliness: Did you know our ebay accounts were started 3 days apart 6 years ago?

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When i said varities Dan i was thinking more like overdates, error spellings etc. Quite obvious stuff.

 

I can never ignore an overdate. Spellings i try to. Doubling i don't even think about let alone ignore.

 

Large date/small dates i also have to have.

Those are somewhat interesting, but not at huge premiums, which then make me very uninterested. :ninja:

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I think I've patterned my type set like my Saint set, that being a set I will not likely complete in my lifetime. That said, I have set a lower limit on type pieces of AU-50, and I intend to add all major types, so I will not include things such as double dies, or small/large dates. Basically, I am just going by Red Book type, so I haven't set myself a completely impossible task. That said, I am a long way from completion!

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For my US Typesets, I've completely ignored grade. Anything from AG to MS67.

 

Pretty much the same here. My set has everything from FA-2 to PR/MS-70. My only criteria is that coins must be attractive and problem-free i.e. not cleaned or damaged in any way. I pretty much stick to NGC graded coins, with a sprinkling of PCGS and ANACS.

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Here is my two cents to add to a lot of really good comments on the topic.

 

On condition: I like my type coins around F-VF because, in general, all the design elements are clearly present. More expensive coins may mean that I settle for a VG. For very expensive ones, I will settle for whatever is in my comfort range. On the opposite end of the continuum are very inexpensive coins and modern commemoratives (not necessarily mutually exclusive). Modern commemoratives, of course, are only going to be available in UNC or proof for the most part. For inexpensive coins, I will try for an EF-AU, or an MS. But everyone has his or her idea of “expensive”. For me, expensive coins are near the edge of my comfort zone.

 

For the most part, I don’t much care if the coin is slabbed or not. I have a few slabbed coins but the great majority of my collection is raw. I will say that for grades around F-VF, there are a lot of really ‘clean’ examples in top-tier slabs – and their price reflects as much. Cracking a coin out of a slab is of no consequence for me as I am not particularly concerned with resale (if I were, it would be different).

 

On variety: Wow, this is where type sets offer so much freedom. In general, I want all the major design varieties. Overdates, errors and minor changes are usually not a requirement. On the otherhand, if I like one, then I will add it.

 

For example, I am currently working on a small cent type set. Some of them are so inexpensive that I can use MS / proof examples. Here is what I am assembling:

 

Flying eagle

Indian Head, copper-nickel, no shield

Indian Head, copper-nickel, shield

Indian Head, bronze

Lincoln, VDB on reverse

Lincoln, no VDB

Lincoln, VDB on shoulder

Lincoln, zinc-coated steel

Lincoln, copper, memorial

Lincoln, copper, memorial, smaller head

Lincoln, copper-plated zinc

 

I might add an 1864-L, but I will probably not add any small date / large date varieties.

Errors, like DD, are not part of the set – just my preference. And if I change my mind – so what? The goal right now is to have a good representation of the entire 150-year reign of the humble small cent.

 

Finally, for me, types sets are not always completed but they have logical stopping, or slowing, points. For example, I have a fairly extensive US half dollar type set that I am really happy with. As far as major varieties, I need two: a flowing hair and a small eagle reverse. The flowing hair will be about four times as expensive as any other coin in the set at present. After that, the small eagle will be many times more expensive than the entire set! So, I don’t know if I will finish it completely, but I knew that when I started and it doesn’t stop me in the least.

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I'm going to make a detailed list for a 21st Century Type Set. I think that will be more challenging than one would think, considering we're only 4 years into the century.

 

Ha! Completing a 21st century typeset will sho'nuff be a challenge unless you live another hundred years. You don't happen to be one of them Highlander immortals, do you? ;-)

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