Hey, intermediate-budget type set people (and PCGS!), what would you think of...

lordmarcovan

...a 19th century nongold type set?

There's a 20th century nongold set, why not one for the 19th century? Currently, if one wants to collect classic, 19th century coins, it's all or nothing- you have to either pick one series to collect by date, or you have to go for the big, Complete Type Set (or the big Copper/Nickel/Silver set, which has no gold but still includes the tough 18th century coins). For someone of moderate means, a lot of the 18th century pieces and the pre-1834 gold are practically untouchable.

I don't know about you, but the odds are very high that I will never own any Draped Bust/Small Eagle coins like the 1796 quarter, or the 1796-1797 half, or an 1808 quarter eagle; not in this lifetime, anyway!

And yet, there is a neatly-subdivided set that would be attainable, at least in the circulated grades, if one were to make the Gobrecht dollar optional or consider it a pattern for purposes of the set. The rest of the 19th century nongold types can be had under $1,000 in the circulated grades, and under $500 for most.

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Here is the 19th century nongold type set I humbly propose:

01. Draped Bust Half Cent (1800-1808)
02. Classic Head Half Cent (1809-1835)
03. Coronet Head Half Cent (1840-1857)
04. Draped Bust Large Cent (1796-1807)
05. Classic Head Large Cent (1808-1814)
06. Coronet Head Large Cent (1816-1839)
07. Braided Hair Large Cent (1840-1857)
08. Flying Eagle Small Cent (1856-1857)
09. Indian Head Small Cent, Copper-Nickel, Laurel Wreath, No Shield (1859)
10. Indian Head Small Cent, Copper-Nickel, Oak Wreath, With Shield (1860-1864)
11. Indian Head Small Cent, Bronze (1864-1909)
12. Two Cent Piece (1864-1873)
13. Three Cent Piece, Silver, Type 1 (1851-1853)
14. Three Cent Piece, Silver, Type 2 (1854-1858)
15. Three Cent Piece, Silver, Type 3 (1859-1873)
16. Three Cent Piece, Copper-Nickel (1865-1889)
17. Draped Bust Half Dime, Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1800-1805)
18. Capped Bust Half Dime (1829-1837)
19. Seated Liberty Half Dime, No Stars (1837-1838)
20. Seated Liberty Half Dime, Stars On Obverse (1838-1859)
21. Seated Liberty Half Dime, Arrows At Date (1853-1855)
22. Seated Liberty Half Dime, Legend Obverse (1860-1873)
23. Shield Nickel, Rays On Reverse (1866-1867)
24. Shield Nickel, No Rays On Reverse (1867-1883)
25. Liberty Nickel, No "CENTS" On Reverse (1883)
26. Liberty Nickel, With "CENTS" On Reverse (1883-1913)
27. Draped Bust Dime, Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1798-1807)
28. Capped Bust Dime, Large Size (1809-1828)
29. Capped Bust Dime, Small Size (1828-1837)
30. Seated Liberty Dime, No Stars (1837-1838)
31. Seated Liberty Dime, Stars On Obverse (1838-1860)
32. Seated Liberty Dime, Arrows At Date (1853-1855)
33. Seated Liberty Dime, Legend Obverse (1860-1891)
34. Seated Liberty Dime, Arrows At Date (1873-1874)
35. Barber Dime (1892-1916)
36. Twenty Cent Piece (1875-1878)
37. Draped Bust Quarter, Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1804-1807)
38. Capped Bust Quarter, Large Size (1815-1828)
39. Capped Bust Quarter, Small Size (1831-1838)
40. Seated Liberty Quarter, No Motto On Reverse (1838-1865)
41. Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows At Date, Rays On Reverse (1853)
42. Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows At Date, No Rays On Reverse (1854-1855)
43. Seated Liberty Quarter, Motto On Reverse (1866-1891)
44. Seated Liberty Quarter, Arrows At Date (1873-1874)
45. Barber Quarter (1892-1916)
46. Draped Bust Half, Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1801-1807)
47. Capped Bust Half, Lettered Edge (1807-1836)
48. Capped Bust Half, Reeded Edge, "50 CENTS" On Reverse (1836-1837)
49. Capped Bust Half, Reeded Edge, "HALF DOL." On Reverse (1838-1839)
50. Seated Liberty Half, No Motto On Reverse (1839-1866)
51. Seated Liberty Half, Arrows At Date, Rays On Reverse (1853)
52. Seated Liberty Half, Arrows At Date, No Rays On Reverse (1854-1855)
53. Seated Liberty Half, Motto On Reverse (1866-1891)
54. Seated Liberty Half, Arrows At Date (1873-1874)
55. Barber Half (1892-1915)
56. Draped Bust Dollar, Heraldic Eagle Reverse (1798-1804)
57. Seated Liberty Dollar, No Motto On Reverse (1840-1866)
58. Seated Liberty Dollar, With Motto On Reverse (1866-1873)
59. Trade Dollar (1873-1885)
60. Morgan Dollar (1878-1921)

Note that I did not include No Drapery Seated Liberty coinage- these could be added as well. And furthermore, since I can only think of three commemoratives struck in the 19th century, those could be added, too (the Isabella quarter, Columbian half dollar, and Lafayette dollar). Or, alternately, a simplified set could be be made by eliminating some of the subtypes above.

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What you see above is a very challenging set that will take most people several years to complete, and yet, if one collects coins in the circulated grades (Fine or Very Fine and up for the tough stuff, higher grades on the others), then it is certainly completable. This is what I want. A type set that is challenging yet completable.

I would like the set to be able to include proof or business strike coins- almost nobody could do all proofs, but it is nice to be able to have a few in there.

Have any suggestions? Did I overlook any types? I'd love to hear some input on this, and would love to see PCGS offer something like it. It would get me back into the Registry, and I think it would draw a few other collectors of classic coins, as well. The big Complete Type set is too daunting for some of us to even consider.

PCGS: how about a classic type set for the intermediate collector?

lordmarcovan

I think I'll post this on the US coin forum, too, with a poll, just for kicks.

Poll added

Typetone

Lord:

Even better, I think PCGS is still considering our original basic type set idea. That set would be all types through 1964, but only one example of each major type. So you would only need 1 seated half, 1 bust quarter (drapped or capped), 1 half-cent etc. Here is the list the Board came up with about two years ago. If we want, perhaps we could also add four moderns: a statehood quarter, an IKE, an SBA, and a SAC. We didn't include gold, because there is already a basic gold type set.

Greg

Half Cent (1793 - 1857)
Large Cent (1793 - 1857)
Flying Eagle Cent (1856 - 1858)
Indian Head Cent (1859 - 1909)
Lincoln Cent - Wheat Ears (1909 - 1958)
Lincoln Cent - Memorial (1959 - 1964)
Two Cent Piece (1864 - 1873)
Three Cent Silver (1851 - 1873)
Three Cent Nickel Pieces (1865 - 1889)
Shield Nickel (1866 - 1883)
Liberty Head Nickel (1883 - 1913)
Buffalo Nickel (1913 - 1938)
Jefferson Nickel (1938 - 1964)
Early Bust Half Dime (1792 - 1837)
Liberty Seated Half Dime (1837 - 1873)
Early Bust Dime (1796 - 1837)
Liberty Seated Dime (1837 - 1891)
Barber Dime (1892 - 1916)
Mercury Dime (1916 - 1945)
Roosevelt Dime (1946 - 1964)
Twenty Cent Piece (1875 - 1878)
Early Bust Quarter (1796 - 1838)
Liberty Seated Quarter (1838 - 1891)
Barber Quarter (1892 - 1916)
Standing Liberty Quarter (1916 - 1930)
Washington Quarter (1932 - 1964)
Early Bust Half (1794 - 1839)
Liberty Seated Half (1839 - 1891)
Barber Half (1892 - 1915)
Walking Liberty Half (1916 - 1947)
Franklin Half (1948 - 1963)
Kennedy Half (1964)
Early Bust Dollar (1794 - 1804)
Liberty Seated Dollar (1840 - 1873)
Trade Dollar (1873 - 1885)
Morgan Dollar (1878 - 1921)
Peace Dollar (1921 - 1935)

lordmarcovan

While not as challenging as my proposed set, I do like the basic type set idea, and I would stand behind that 100%. Thanks. I thought that idea had sort of died. Post it on my other (US Coin) thread with the poll, too, if you haven't already.

Currin

Both are excellent sets. I think we may be seeing something like this in the future. It does not appear PCGS has much time to spend on the type guys at the present. There is a down side for both proposed sets. For a intermediate-budget type guy as myself, it would be very difficult to acquire the pre-1840 issues in high quality. Therefor some he coins for either of theses sets would be worn. A very nice 1840-1964 high quality set could be acquired for the intermediate-budget type guy. It could also contain gold issues too. It will be challenging, but is doable.