What type set should I do?

faceglider · September 10, 2018 11:29PM

I’m wanting to do a full U.S. Type set.
As much as I want to include gold - especially now - I see that I cannot afford anything that includes it.

I wanted to do a 1911 set at first but was overwhelmed by the gold issues.

Then I thought 1933. Yeah right.

I know commemoratives are not necessarily popular but I like the designs. And throughout the 30s, there are state commemoratives.

My favorite one, that is not a state commemorative is the Oregon trail one.

But that year is a tough one, if trying a type set.

I’m looking at an off year. 1923?

faceglider · September 10, 2018 11:30PM

No 1952. I’m losing my mind.

DCW · September 11, 2018 4:09AM

Why not start a type set devoid of any specific date? Just go by design

david3142 · September 11, 2018 5:40AM

I agree with that. You could start a 20th century type set and then include 19th century dates as your budget allows. And yes, skip the gold if it’s too expensive.

BillJones · September 11, 2018 6:19AM

I have a complete type set, including the gold, as defined by the NGC registry. My advice is to concentrate on the designs and not get hung up on specific dates. I would buy as many common dates as possible to fill the slots. There are enough rare coins to get without making it harder by buying expensive coins when you don't have to do it.

Be prepared for this to take years. I have been a collector for over 55 years, and I was filling the two "Library of Coins" type albums back in the mid 1960s. I got the last coin to finish my set in 2012.

You can set midway goals. For example you could assemble a 20th century type set without the gold. Believe me, that is harder than it sounds. You don't need to get all of the "old" commemoratives. Most type collectors don't include them. They might have a representative piece or two, but not all of them. The "Dansco" type coin album takes that approach.

Don't worry about all of the modern stuff that the mint is issuing. I've given up on it because it would cost me a fortune to keep up with it, and almost all of those coins don't have any historical significance. They are just stuff that is made to get your money.

Here a link to one part of my registry type set which covers the half cents through non gold dollars.

https://coins.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=3081&Ranking=all

BillJones · September 11, 2018 6:21AM

I wanted to do a 1911 set at first but was overwhelmed by the gold issues.

I think that you might be confusing the concept of a year set with a type set. A year set covers each of the coins that were issued for a calendar year. A type set covers all of the designs that have been used on U.S. coinage.

3stars · September 11, 2018 8:07AM

Gold sovereigns by obverse. There are 13 main ruler images to collect, and only the first three and the QEII third head will cost you more than melt. If you go by variations and mint marks, I think there are over 200 diffent coins.

Smudge · September 11, 2018 8:19AM

I hope you are young.

SiriusBlack · September 11, 2018 8:21AM

There’s a discussion going on in this forum right now about the Dansco 7070 Type set album that someone is doin. Take a look at that and see what you think. You can do it raw, placing coins in the album, or you can do it slabbed. PCGS has a Modified 7070 type set. Slabbed will cost more money of course. The actual dansco album doesn’t include a gold page, but one was made that you can find on eBay now and again if you someday decide to do gold too.

I’m new to coins, so I have 2 sets going, a Lincoln album, and a 7070. The 7070 was what I first started with and I love it! I’m only about 2/3 complete.

Catbert · September 11, 2018 9:57AM

If you're on a limited budget, I think a full U.S. typeset will frustrate you, especially with early type and in the condition that you will appreciate. I suggest you focus on the designs and the condition that appeals to you. That way, each coin will stay longer in your collection and reduce costly turnover. There is nothing wrong with a big goal, but cost considerations will force you to rethink the plan. I like the idea of 20th century designs - lots of great coins and will provide you with budget flexibility. Let the gold go.

ricko · September 11, 2018 10:26AM

Just start with a few coins until you get focused... Doing sets such as you are looking at, are a long term project. Do a few short one's first.. like the short Walker set...and see how you like it. This is not a project that will provide instant gratification.... Cheers, RickO

faceglider · September 19, 2018 4:36AM

@BillJones said:
I have a complete type set, including the gold, as defined by the NGC registry. My advice is to concentrate on the designs and not get hung up on specific dates. I would buy as many common dates as possible to fill the slots. There are enough rare coins to get without making it harder by buying expensive coins when you don't have to do it.

Be prepared for this to take years. I have been a collector for over 55 years, and I was filling the two "Library of Coins" type albums back in the mid 1960s. I got the last coin to finish my set in 2012.

You can set midway goals. For example you could assemble a 20th century type set without the gold. Believe me, that is harder than it sounds. You don't need to get all of the "old" commemoratives. Most type collectors don't include them. They might have a representative piece or two, but not all of them. The "Dansco" type coin album takes that approach.

Don't worry about all of the modern stuff that the mint is issuing. I've given up on it because it would cost me a fortune to keep up with it, and almost all of those coins don't have any historical significance. They are just stuff that is made to get your money.

Here a link to one part of my registry type set which covers the half cents through non gold dollars.

https://coins.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=3081&Ranking=all

Wow! That is an INCREDIBLE SET!
I appreciate your wisdom.

I am not really new to collecting. I sold my set several years ago. The entire thing. I was acquiring a lot of low grade coins. Different types. But also working on sets that I was close to completing, bar a few key dates. And I sold it all. got all depressed about it. I got the itch again. I bought the 1911 half eagle just to satisfy my wanting a gold coin for so many years. I couldn't afford gold, EVER, back then. I do not plan on getting more of it. I have always liked silver and 19th century silver is my favorite.

But I definitely heed your advice and it is much appreciated.

faceglider · September 19, 2018 4:40AM

@Catbert said:
If you're on a limited budget, I think a full U.S. typeset will frustrate you, especially with early type and in the condition that you will appreciate. I suggest you focus on the designs and the condition that appeals to you. That way, each coin will stay longer in your collection and reduce costly turnover. There is nothing wrong with a big goal, but cost considerations will force you to rethink the plan. I like the idea of 20th century designs - lots of great coins and will provide you with budget flexibility. Let the gold go.

Yes. Thank you. And I really like the designs of the early 20th c. Especially 1910s-1940s. Thanks for keeping me from going Tazmanian devil.

faceglider · September 19, 2018 4:42AM

@SiriusBlack said:
There’s a discussion going on in this forum right now about the Dansco 7070 Type set album that someone is doin. Take a look at that and see what you think. You can do it raw, placing coins in the album, or you can do it slabbed. PCGS has a Modified 7070 type set. Slabbed will cost more money of course. The actual dansco album doesn’t include a gold page, but one was made that you can find on eBay now and again if you someday decide to do gold too.

I’m new to coins, so I have 2 sets going, a Lincoln album, and a 7070. The 7070 was what I first started with and I love it! I’m only about 2/3 complete.

I appreciate your advice. Part of me wants to stay away from slabs and just get really good at grading. I want to be in the XF range at the very least. It'll take me longer for sure.

faceglider · September 19, 2018 4:44AM

@BillJones said:

I wanted to do a 1911 set at first but was overwhelmed by the gold issues.

I think that you might be confusing the concept of a year set with a type set. A year set covers each of the coins that were issued for a calendar year. A type set covers all of the designs that have been used on U.S. coinage.

I was. Thanks for clarifying.

BillJones · September 19, 2018 6:25AM

One way that I assembled my type set for a while was to concentrate on one denomination. For example, at one point I concentrated on the quarters until I had all of the types.

To be honest I had the 1796 Quarter and the Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle type before I purchased many of the Seated Liberty types. As I middle aged collector, I concentrated on the early coins first because they really grabbed my interest. That meant that I could only buy two or three coins per year, but I was happy with that.

I remember that the last cent I needed was the Flying Eagle. I bought an 1858 over the counter at Stacks’ and commented to the sales person at the time that that was the last type I needed. He seemed a bit surprised at that given the rarity of the Chain, Wreath and Classic Head Cents.

faceglider · September 21, 2018 10:16PM

That's cool. I don't know what I am doing now. I feel I want to concentrate on anything silver. But, I really like types. The types I like are not silver. I like designs in the 19th century. But I don't know enough about them. So I am scared about it. I want to know what it is like to be living in the 19th century.

At the same time, I think about the 20th century. I don't know.

I start looking up 19th century silver just to get me out of my contemporary frame of mind.

Arghh.

I love all coins, so where do I go? It is overwhelming.

I am trying to just let it happen.

I have one coin now. A 1911 quarter half.

After selling all I had.

I'm taking it very slow now.

BillJones · September 22, 2018 6:52AM

I want to know what it was like living in the 19th century

Here is a short list:

No TV
No radio
No telephones before 1876
Anything of any substance ran on steam power
If you caught an illness of any consequence, you died if you body could not fight it off
Some of the medicines they gave you are now know to be poisons
Most people spent their lives within a 10 mile radius of home
No movies until the 1890s
No electric lights until 1879
Everything moved much more slowly
Life expectancy was somewhere in the mid 40s
Infant mortality rates were high
Most people lived and worked on farms
Child labor was legal
The Democrats controlled the Whitehouse for all but three elections from 1800 to 1856
The Republicans controlled for all but two elections from 1860 to 1900
Paper currency was unreliable for most of century
Slavery existed until 1865
“Jim Crow” was in control in the South for the rest of the century, aside for a brief period in the 1860s
U.S. coins were generally in short supply until after the Civil War

And, of course the inventions I mentioned, like the electric light, took time to be spread out to the people after they were invented.

I didn’t mean to be totally negative, but most modern people would be bored out of their minds if they ever had a chance to go back there.

SiriusBlack · September 22, 2018 7:34AM

@BillJones All true, I will add that photography was also invented and many believe that the daguerreotype, the first practical photograph people could take home was never been equaled. I can’t even describe the brilliance of their image to anyone who’s never held one, you have to hold it in your hand and see its image come and go on the mirrored surface, much like the luster on proof coin.

SiriusBlack · September 22, 2018 7:40AM

@faceglider I know exactly how you feel. My desires of what to collect seem to change with each new book I buy to study the types more in depth. I’ve narrowed it down to Indian Head cents, Lincoln cents, and liberty seated coinage especially the quarters.

But then there are the coronet large cents and the silver three cent, and on and on...

So as you can see, you are definitely not alone! As I mentioned earlier, that’s why I’m doing a dansco 7070 type set that lets me explore and purchase example some of all of those plus much more, and a Lincoln album that allows me to still hunt for treasures each week even if it’s just going through a few rolls I picked up from the bank.

faceglider · September 29, 2018 12:13AM

@BillJones said:

I want to know what it was like living in the 19th century

Here is a short list:

No TV
No radio
No telephones before 1876
Anything of any substance ran on steam power
If you caught an illness of any consequence, you died if you body could not fight it off
Some of the medicines they gave you are now know to be poisons
Most people spent their lives within a 10 mile radius of home
No movies until the 1890s
No electric lights until 1879
Everything moved much more slowly
Life expectancy was somewhere in the mid 40s
Infant mortality rates were high
Most people lived and worked on farms
Child labor was legal
The Democrats controlled the Whitehouse for all but three elections from 1800 to 1856
The Republicans controlled for all but two elections from 1860 to 1900
Paper currency was unreliable for most of century
Slavery existed until 1865
“Jim Crow” was in control in the South for the rest of the century, aside for a brief period in the 1860s
U.S. coins were generally in short supply until after the Civil War

And, of course the inventions I mentioned, like the electric light, took time to be spread out to the people after they were invented.

I didn’t mean to be totally negative, but most modern people would be bored out of their minds if they ever had a chance to go back there.

And whale oil. I am 1 class shy of a history degree. I'm about to do my research on the Spanish influenza of 1918-19. Fun times. I might change it. I'd rather do it on something that involves coins.

faceglider · September 29, 2018 12:17AM

@SiriusBlack said:
@BillJones All true, I will add that photography was also invented and many believe that the daguerreotype, the first practical photograph people could take home was never been equaled. I can’t even describe the brilliance of their image to anyone who’s never held one, you have to hold it in your hand and see its image come and go on the mirrored surface, much like the luster on proof coin.

I can only imagine. I love the old daguerreotypes; the images are way more interesting than modern ones. The subject had to wait forever. Is that why they are not smiling?

BillJones · September 29, 2018 4:08AM

@faceglider said:

@SiriusBlack said:
@BillJones All true, I will add that photography was also invented and many believe that the daguerreotype, the first practical photograph people could take home was never been equaled. I can’t even describe the brilliance of their image to anyone who’s never held one, you have to hold it in your hand and see its image come and go on the mirrored surface, much like the luster on proof coin.

I can only imagine. I love the old daguerreotypes; the images are way more interesting than modern ones. The subject had to wait forever. Is that why they are not smiling?

Yes, they didn’t smile because it was too hard to keep still in that pose. A mid 19th century photo with a smiling face is worth a premium.

Colonialcoin · September 29, 2018 4:44AM

@BillJones said:

I want to know what it was like living in the 19th century

Here is a short list:

No TV
No radio
No telephones before 1876
Anything of any substance ran on steam power
If you caught an illness of any consequence, you died if you body could not fight it off
Some of the medicines they gave you are now know to be poisons
Most people spent their lives within a 10 mile radius of home
No movies until the 1890s
No electric lights until 1879
Everything moved much more slowly
Life expectancy was somewhere in the mid 40s
Infant mortality rates were high
Most people lived and worked on farms
Child labor was legal
The Democrats controlled the Whitehouse for all but three elections from 1800 to 1856
The Republicans controlled for all but two elections from 1860 to 1900
Paper currency was unreliable for most of century
Slavery existed until 1865
“Jim Crow” was in control in the South for the rest of the century, aside for a brief period in the 1860s
U.S. coins were generally in short supply until after the Civil War

And, of course the inventions I mentioned, like the electric light, took time to be spread out to the people after they were invented.

I didn’t mean to be totally negative, but most modern people would be bored out of their minds if they ever had a chance to go back there.

Grading coins was a tad bit easier then too.

SiriusBlack · September 29, 2018 7:54AM

@faceglider said:

@SiriusBlack said:
@BillJones All true, I will add that photography was also invented and many believe that the daguerreotype, the first practical photograph people could take home was never been equaled. I can’t even describe the brilliance of their image to anyone who’s never held one, you have to hold it in your hand and see its image come and go on the mirrored surface, much like the luster on proof coin.

I can only imagine. I love the old daguerreotypes; the images are way more interesting than modern ones. The subject had to wait forever. Is that why they are not smiling?

Yep, they had stands that hold the head in place. I have a few photos where you can see the bottom of the stand because it wasn’t completely hidden by the person’s body. For children there’s a whole area of collecting called hidden mothers. The mom would sit in the chair with a black cloth over her, holding the child still so all you can see is the child on some black cloth. Sometimes you can still make out moms shape under the black.

They also took photos of dead people. Because photography was expensive, a lot of families couldn’t afford to go have their photos taken. They would make an exception when a loved one died, particularly if it was unexpected, like a child, and they would have them photographed because it would be the only thing they had to remember them by. Those are a bit creepy.

BillJones · September 29, 2018 8:16AM

Here a Civil Ambrotype I have had for a number of years. If I knew the name of the Union soldier it would be more valuable. This piece was a step up from the daguerrroetype because it was printed on galss.

In 1995 the U.S. Mint packaged some the Civil War commemorative coins in a reproduction of the Union Case that was used to house Civil War photos. The "grabber" was the reproduction of a $10 gold piece on the front. I looked for quite a while and finally purchased an original of that case in a Stacks' auction.

The reproduction of the case

An orignal Civil War era case

faceglider · October 1, 2018 8:52PM

@SiriusBlack said:

@faceglider said:

@SiriusBlack said:
@BillJones All true, I will add that photography was also invented and many believe that the daguerreotype, the first practical photograph people could take home was never been equaled. I can’t even describe the brilliance of their image to anyone who’s never held one, you have to hold it in your hand and see its image come and go on the mirrored surface, much like the luster on proof coin.

I can only imagine. I love the old daguerreotypes; the images are way more interesting than modern ones. The subject had to wait forever. Is that why they are not smiling?

Yep, they had stands that hold the head in place. I have a few photos where you can see the bottom of the stand because it wasn’t completely hidden by the person’s body. For children there’s a whole area of collecting called hidden mothers. The mom would sit in the chair with a black cloth over her, holding the child still so all you can see is the child on some black cloth. Sometimes you can still make out moms shape under the black.

They also took photos of dead people. Because photography was expensive, a lot of families couldn’t afford to go have their photos taken. They would make an exception when a loved one died, particularly if it was unexpected, like a child, and they would have them photographed because it would be the only thing they had to remember them by. Those are a bit creepy.

I had a book of pictures, with parents holding their dead babies. The saddest thing I have ever seen. I sold it. It was too sad.

faceglider · October 1, 2018 9:01PM

@BillJones said:
Here a Civil Ambrotype I have had for a number of years. If I knew the name of the Union soldier it would be more valuable. This piece was a step up from the daguerrroetype because it was printed on galss.

In 1995 the U.S. Mint packaged some the Civil War commemorative coins in a reproduction of the Union Case that was used to house Civil War photos. The "grabber" was the reproduction of a $10 gold piece on the front. I looked for quite a while and finally purchased an original of that case in a Stacks' auction.

The reproduction of the case

An orignal Civil War era case

Wow! No words now. Taking it in.

SiriusBlack · October 1, 2018 9:27PM

@BillJones The mat in that original is amazing! To bad there was no note behind the ambrotype. I have a case that lists the name and exact date the image was taken, naturally it’s a daguerreotype that had lost its front glass and the image is completely gone now,

I also have a terrible condition tintype of a guy with sword but not a traditional uniform.

faceglider · October 9, 2018 6:50PM

Great stuff. I don't know enough. But looking at them told me 1860s. But the date is 1855. I'm interested in that other number. 38818. What is that?

Musky1011 · October 9, 2018 7:03PM

Civil war set

faceglider · October 9, 2018 7:05PM

@Musky1011 said:
Civil war set

Thanks. Signed up. Look forward to learning.

brianc1959 · October 9, 2018 9:13PM

@faceglider said:

@BillJones said:

I wanted to do a 1911 set at first but was overwhelmed by the gold issues.

I think that you might be confusing the concept of a year set with a type set. A year set covers each of the coins that were issued for a calendar year. A type set covers all of the designs that have been used on U.S. coinage.

I was. Thanks for clarifying.

I like type sets, but I also really like mint sets (a.k.a. year sets). So I've picked out a handful of mint sets to collect as part of putting together a larger type set. So far I've completed 1795 and 1806 - sans gold unfortunately!

BillJones · October 10, 2018 3:46AM

The year set concept for early U.S. coins does produce some interesting results, but you will not end up with all the types from a single year, except 1796. That was the only year that the first U.S. mint made all 10 of the denominations. For example, your 1806 year set does not include a half dime and a dime. You will have to buy another date to cover those types.

brianc1959 · October 10, 2018 8:45PM

@BillJones said:
The year set concept for early U.S. coins does produce some interesting results, but you will not end up with all the types from a single year, except 1796. That was the only year that the first U.S. mint made all 10 of the denominations. For example, your 1806 year set does not include a half dime and a dime. You will have to buy another date to cover those types.

Trust me, I think about doing a 1796 set all the time! But even if you ignore the 1/2 cent, 25 cent, 50 cent, and pair of quarter eagles its still pretty difficult. Not going to win a lottery because I don't buy tickets, but maybe if my business ventures succeed beyond reasonable expectations . . .

On the other end of the spectrum is the 1816 mint set: the only single-coin set, and so unappreciated that it doesn't even make it onto the registry list! My wife was recently writing a story set in 1816, and wanted to include an 1816 U.S. gold coin as part of the plot. She was very disappointed that there were only cents.

thefinn · October 10, 2018 8:54PM

@BillJones said:
Here a Civil Ambrotype I have had for a number of years. If I knew the name of the Union soldier it would be more valuable. This piece was a step up from the daguerrroetype because it was printed on galss.

In 1995 the U.S. Mint packaged some the Civil War commemorative coins in a reproduction of the Union Case that was used to house Civil War photos. The "grabber" was the reproduction of a $10 gold piece on the front. I looked for quite a while and finally purchased an original of that case in a Stacks' auction.

The reproduction of the case

An orignal Civil War era case

Kind of looks like Edgar Allan Poe after a haircut and he's taken his Ritalin.

BillJones · October 11, 2018 4:09AM

Yes, he does look a bit like Poe. Poe went to West Point for a while, but dropped out.

Unfortunately Poe died in 1849 so that bit of speculation doesn’t work.

What type set should I do?

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