U.S. Type Set Major Coins- Help

goyankeez

As a side project, I decided to put together a U.S. Type Set from 1800 using Dansco #7070.

I'm looking for advice from anybody who's ever completed or started one of these. I'm thinking about finding the best quality (unc. if possible) coins for each type that I can afford. All the common dates. But, I'm also considering either the first year or last year of issue for each particular coin type. I haven't checked all the prices for these coins in the red book yet. Just want to hear any thoughts or experiences. Also, any good dealers you can recommend on ebay who sell a large variety of coins.

Thanks to all.

LanLord

That should be a really fun project.

I don't really have any information for you, but alot of encouragement.

I started one when I was about 10 or 11. My parents gave me the album for Christmas one year. I added slowly at first but eventually got to within one coin of finished (I even added the gold page). The last coin that I just never added was the type 1 $1 gold piece. I just never got around to it. I eventually pulled everything out as the album caused everything to tone badly (in my opinion). I could probably put together a much nicer set today, but the album toning still worries me.

Best of luck.

oreville

goyankeez: If you stick with EF and lower graded coins then the Dansco albums are fine. If higher graded then stay away from such albums. Also if the copper coins have any red in them at all STAY AWAY FROM THE DANSCO ALBUMS!!!!!!!!

The Dansco albums will not be kind to the copper coins.

abmluce

My first love is my type set. I had to pull mine out of my dansco album also. I'm still looking for an inert album for type coins. Also a high grade xf-au set is just as beautiful !

KlectorKid

Am almost finished with mine in vf but the last few r pretty hard to find without spening way more than i can afford... draped bust really emptied out my wallet espeacial since i dont have much money.

goyankeez

I'm rereading some old threads about albums and toning. What drew me to the Dansco album was the look of it. Although I know very little about many types of old coins, I'm hoping this project will introduce me to these series, and serve as a history lesson. I need a nice album to present them. I plan to look at these coins often and not just put it away for safe keeping. From an old post, intercept albums are supposed to prevent the toning that is associated with Danscos and Whitmans. Not sure about what they look like; I'll have to do some checking. I'm sure XF coins will suit me. I don't want to bite off more than I can chew, so to speak, so XF and AU coins will do just fine. I'll probably start with 19th century coins, so those grades will fit my budget.

goyankeez

KlectorKid- where are you getting your coins from- ebay, online dealer, actual store. I'm looking at some of these coins, and I'm not sure if they're cleaned or AT, or what. I would like a name of a good reliable and honest dealer, if you know of one.

KlectorKid

found a coin shop that only has coins from 1800's they have some realy nice coins. but most r to pricey for me. i dont really know the dealer he has more than 1 shop so he is not always there most of the time his wife is though. Most old coins are cleaned but if they have dark toning and few hairlines it probably hasn't been. You probably know all this though oh and if u dont, check the legend and date to see if there is super dark toning in them like in the a's e's or 8's.

BillJones

I've been a type collector for over 30 years, and I've got every major type of copper, nickel and silver type coin except the the 1796-7 half dollar. At a minimum of $20,000 wholesale for a decent VF, that one is out of my reach. My collection ranges from Fine-VF for the Chain Cent to Gem Proof for the modern issues. My gold types still lack quite a few of the early issues, which are scarce and expensive. My last major addition was a 1907 High Relief $20 gold.

My advice is buy the best coin you can find and forget the first year of issue idea unless you are very wealthy. Go for the best coins you can afford, but don't expect the buy the early coins in Mint State unless you've got more than you know what to do with it. I'd say buy the most attractive common date coins you can afford and don't worry about the dates.

Type collecting is great because it allows you sample just about everything. Along the way you will probably find some other series that you would like to collect by date and mint.

lordmarcovan

I loved the old Dansco 7070, and you have spurred me off on a trip down memory lane. It is a fun project, indeed. Like you, I was initially drawn to the Dansco by its looks, as well as the fact that the only Whitman Classic album available for a type set was 20th century only. Type collecting is so much more interesting than date set collecting.

However, you need to heed the warnings about red copper toning on you. I never had this happen, but I can certainly believe it. My nightmare was in using proof coins for the modern issues (so much flashier and prettier than MS!). Not only were the proofs very vulnerable to slide marks, they rapidly developed haze and milk spots. I could have just shifted to MS coins instead and been OK, but instead I submitted all the best of the collection to be slabbed. That took care of most of my environmental worries.

I say best of luck to you and have fun with it- that's a great album. If you are serious about it, you can use that as a stepping stone to a certified set, like I did. Just heed the warnings about red copper, put your coins into the slots with gloves or a piece of cloth, and be very careful when you move the clear slides in and out. Avoid proof coins.

Does that still give four slots for commemorative halves? When I did it the first time, I put two classic silver commems and two moderns in there. The second time around I went with all classics, and actually busted out a PCGS MS63 San Diego just so I could put it in the album. And I dipped it. Guess I'll be shot at dawn for that, but I made it look a lot better. Before, it was rather spotty.

I am collecting the complete run of Irish pre-decimal coinage from 1928 to 1968. This is both a type set and a date set. It is everything they struck in that time period. I was enticed to starting this collection by the fact that the whole thing fits into three Dansco albums: the farthings/halfpennies/pennies (#7371), the threepence/sixpence/florins (#7372), and the florins/halfcrowns plus the Easter uprising commemorative (#7373). The albums are terrific for that purpose. And a lot of my farthings, halfpennies, and large pennies are red BU, with no problems to speak of so far. Sometimes "album toning" is actually attractive, too. Like you mentioned the US Type being a sideline for you, so it is with me and the Irish coins- a semi-serious yet high quality collection.

If you ever want to talk type coins from the standpoint of the old Dansco 7070, I'm your man. Like I said, I did it twice; it was that much fun. I might even do it a third time one day (but without proofs or really high-end stuff). The first time I did it, when I was in my poverty-stricken first marriage, my set was all G4 and up. The second time around it was the best I could afford in everything (nothing below Fine). Shoot for quality stuff in the middle to high circulated grades and be strict about no-problem coins. Some coins, like the Draped Bust cent, are really tough to find in problem-free Fine. It seems like everything out there is either corroded AG junk, or beautiful MS stuff that costs the same as a new car (and is not something you'd wanna put in an album like that, anyway).

lordmarcovan

PS- just to drive home the point about slide marks a little more, I say again:

You should be very, very careful when you slide them in and out of the album across the surfaces of your coins.

One tiny, near-microscopic speck of dust might not seem like much, but if it lands on the surface of one of your lovely brown large cents, and you then trap it between the coin and the slide, you are gonna get a nasty little bright orange hairline on the coin, not quite as serious but very similar to a staple scratch.

goyankeez

LordMarcovan- I'm glad you responded. I looked at some old threads and some currents, and know you have a lot of knowledge in this area.

I haven't gotten the album yet, just saw some pictures and emailed the seller on ebay. Said there were 75 slots on 5 pages. Gold type pages are also available.

I think as long as I get a good representation (for what I can afford) for each type, I'll be happy. I don't want a worn smooth coin with no design features. However, I may have to settle for whatever I can get on some of the rarer and expensive coins.

Some great responses. I've learned so much this morning.

lordmarcovan

My former mother-in-law started a collection for my ex-wife's younger brother, and bought Danscos for most of the popular series. She also had the 7070 and added the gold page to it, which I never did. By the time I got around to the gold, I was a "slabbie".

goose3

My son and I have been working on one for most of the year. We are down to a mere 14 holes! (coronet 1/2c, 1859 indian, FE cent, both seated dollars, and some gold)
It has been quite a venture and quite an expense.

I have stuck with common date coins so that I am able to put a nicer looking example in the album!

I just got a nice NGC VF35 bust quarter recently and cracked that baby out. Coins like this are tough. I couldn't see spending 30-50.00 for a worn out and barely legible one, so I paid a tad more than double for that and got a nice one.

I buy some of the stuff raw and some slabbed. If I buy it slabbed, I save the paper insert and attach it to a piece of cardboard which I keep with the book.

KlectorKid