GrBrit Type set by Spink ref number or your own definition?

StubbyMcNumbthumbs

I've been putting together a date set of British Farthings for 2 or 3 years now, including some of the more common varieties, and have included all cooper/bronze milled farthings as the set limits. (This conveniently leaves out the tin farthings which would leave a bit of a gap that I may never fill, without winning the lottery.)

After reading a recent post about a Penny type set, I starting wondering about a type set of farthings.

How do most people define the different "types" of British coins?

I'm guessing by Spink reference numbers, since that is basically how the are categorised, but does anyone here do it differently?

By my count, using Spink, and not including tin farthings, I come up with 30 different coins in the type set. This does, however, include the Cromwell Commonwealth farthing, which is another rather tough one, but I thought it fit (they were machine stamped, not hammered) and I like having it on my wish list. Hey, if Queen Anne is on the list, what the heck? Right?

So far, I only need those two and the 1717 Dump issue to complete my "type" set.

I must say, collecting these little coppers is the most fun I've had in coin collecting sice I first started in the early '70's!

JCMhouston

I think there are many different ways to define type sets, and a lot of it depends on how many and how minor the varieties you want to include. For example in the pennies I really think a 1806-1807 should be included (but the one I show is based an what NGC defined), that's defining it as modern strike bronze/copper type set. In the halfpennies I go back to Charles II as there were relatively modern looking halfpennies from that date even though the Geo. I dump issue is very different. Shillings are another problem area, I start at Edward VI, but if you go by all the varieties listed in Spink there are a huge number of relatively small variations through out the years. This is a case where I define the type set myself, for the Anne and later pieces I include major varieties such as the Vigo/SSC/Lima pieces.

It's hard to go wrong starting with Spink, then just decide to add or subtract from some of the varieties depending on your tastes.

7Jaguars

I have taken the basic approach and just gotten one of each type, or date if that be the goal, and let all the minor varietals take a hike.
So Victorian Penny type collection would be:

large copper 1839-1860
young head bun 1860-1873 (the latter coincindes with the last Freeman Obv. 6) or even 1894 and skip the next subtype
young head but 1874-1894
widow head 1895-1901

Finito...

Buns have huge number of varieties and types but to my eye and thoughts, there is a breakpoint about 1873 because Vick started looking a lot older generally after that.

RobP

Every collection should be as you want to define it. After all you will be paying for it, so select criteria which fit your budget. As you have noted, tin farthings are not going to be included presumably on the grounds of cost, so just do something you are happy with. And if you can't bear to choose between one or another, bend the rules a bit and keep both.