What Are the Most Important Types/Varieties?

astrostu · May 27, 2009 1:43PM

Hi All -

What do you consider to be the most important types/varieties of US coinage? What I mean by this would be the secondary types/varieties, as in Lincoln Memorial vs. Lincoln Wheat as opposed to Lincoln vs. Indian Head. I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out what's important to show in my Timeline of US Coinage. I show a few of them such as the before-mentioned Memorial vs. Wheat, but I don't show some others like the composition changes in 1943 (cents), 1942-45 (nickels), 1965 (dimes, quarters, halves); bicentennial, high reliefs vs. low reliefs, and other "small" design modifications like Type 1 vs. 2 buffalo nickels.

So, hence my question: In the interest of making the chart as clutterless as possible, what do YOU consider to be the most important types/varieties that should be on a chart/poster like this?

Thanks!

Cam40 · May 27, 2009 2:03PM

doubled dies are pretty popular varieties in any series i think and
may fall into the catagory of `important`

ProofArtworkonCircs · May 27, 2009 3:21PM

I find it noteworthy that the US mint sneakly and secretly made a separate higher relief proof hub for the reverse of proof quarters (Type

and used it concurrently with the production artwork for 36 years (1937-1972). Whether it should be on your chart or not - I don't know.

PerryHall · May 27, 2009 9:16PM

Your best bet is to buy a Red Book which lists all the major varieties.

astrostu · May 27, 2009 11:26PM

<< <i>Your best bet is to buy a Red Book which lists all the major varieties. >>

I have several red books. Along with the Red Book's Guide to Type Sets. My point is that there's not enough room on the chart to list everything and it still be readable, so I want to know what you all think are the most important ones to list.

PerryHall · May 28, 2009 12:23AM

<< <i>

<< <i>Your best bet is to buy a Red Book which lists all the major varieties. >>

I have several red books. Along with the Red Book's Guide to Type Sets. My point is that there's not enough room on the chart to list everything and it still be readable, so I want to know what you all think are the most important ones to list. >>

My point was that the Red Book only lists the major varieties and if you leave any off your list, your list will be incomplete and deficient.

golfer72 · May 28, 2009 9:22AM

"My point was that the Red Book only lists the major varieties and if you leave any off your list, your list will be incomplete and deficient". I think his point was that he could not include all of them due to chart size etc so he had to pick the most important.

astrostu · May 28, 2009 9:41AM

<< <i>"My point was that the Red Book only lists the major varieties and if you leave any off your list, your list will be incomplete and deficient". I think his point was that he could not include all of them due to chart size etc so he had to pick the most important. >>

Thank you, golfer. That was my point. I know that it would be nice to include every type/variety, but that's not the purpose of a broad overview. There's simply not room unless you want to use a µscope to view it.

JRocco · May 28, 2009 9:45AM

Over strikes are also very cool.
OD's/OM's/OL's etc
Restruck dates are really nice also.

DieClash · May 28, 2009 9:46AM

I think if you stick with the major design changes that will solve your dilemma between too many varieties to fit the limited chart space. I doesn't really matter what we think, but you think.

Using your Lincoln obverse example by using only two coins for the series, one representing Wheat reverse vs. Memorial reverse, I think you may be able to accomplish the goal by displaying on the major changes. Coins with and without Rays and coins with and without Arrows come to mind.

But then this model gets flawed when you get to Quarters (All 50 states' Reverses) and Dollars (Presidential and now Native American various Reverses).

Good Luck!

DieClash · May 28, 2009 9:48AM

Kewl Chart! From what I see, I think you're on the right track.

Cam40 · May 28, 2009 11:25AM

maybe `key dates` ie; 1916 D 10c would be the number one key for mercury dimes.
maybe just check for highest valued dates in each series?

ProofArtworkonCircs · May 28, 2009 11:33AM

I especially like your inflation line at the bottom. Now that you whetted my appetite, I would like to see a graph of the net inflation over time. I guess that would be a chart of the purchasing power of a dollar. Due to its nature I don't think you should squeeze it onto the present chart. Oh well, there is a whole new project for you.

What Are the Most Important Types/Varieties?

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