A type set is a coin collection based on coin design or type. Traditional collections consist of all dates within a series such as state quarters or Lincoln cent.
Type sets are more popular for practicality and therefore are more common among younger or less wealthy coin collectors. Date sets are more common with more experienced and wealthy collectors, who focus on getting every year and mint for a series of coins.
A Type Set may contain the designs of only one denomination. For example, the dime has had 12 - 14 distinct designs. The definition of what constitutes a design is subjective but collectors generally follow those listed in the authoritative Red Book (A Guide Book of United States Coins), which says: "A series of coins defined by a shared distinguishing design, composition, denomination, and other elements. For example, Barber dimes or Franklin half dollars.". Professional numismatic associations such as PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Corporation) list around 140 entries in a complete set that includes copper, nickel, silver and gold.
A complete Type Set consists of every design of every denomination authorized by Congress that was struck for public usage. This excludes such items as pattern coins or coins struck for particular occasions. It includes denominations that are no longer in existence - half cent, the two-cent piece, three-cent piece, twenty-cent piece and all gold coins. Designs were changed for a variety of reasons - historical, political, cultural, and as a reaction to public opinion. The Standing Liberty Quarter first minted in 1916 was immediately redesigned when it was noted that Liberty's breast was visible. This change created a separate design. The Indian Head nickel (Buffalo) appeared in 1913 but the FIVE CENTS began wearing away. The coin was immediately changed to lower the buffalo mound. In 1837, the dime was minted without stars drawing outrage and the offending stars were immediately returned. The denomination "FIVE CENTS" was initially omitted on the V Nickel (the reverse carried a large V). Before the words could be added, enterprising tricksters gold-plated the coin and declared it a $5.00 gold piece. The Indian head cent has 3 varieties: (1) No shield (1859), (2) Copper and nickel (1860–1863) and (3) Bronze (1864–1909). A list of all members of a Type Set are listed below.
A complete type set of paper currency within a given scope of collecting [nb 1] includes a representative sample of each major design and change, but excludes lesser variations (e.g., signature combinations, Treasury seal, overprints, etc.).
Collectors build variations of the ultimate set. For example, many do not include gold due to the prohibitive cost; other now omit designs before the year 1800. These are the most expensive due to several factors: Poor quality of material, primitive machinery and working conditions, minuscule production numbers and general wear and loss after 200 years. Most designs cover decades but some were minted for only one or two years making these the rarest of the entire set. It is not a coincidence that many of these were also struck prior to 1800 when the Mint altered designs in response to unfavorable public opinion. The most famous of these short-lived designs are the half cent (1793), quarter (1796), Draped Bust, Small Eagle half dollar (1796–1797) and the three large cent designs minted in 1793 - Wreath cent, Chain cent and Liberty Cap Cent. The Haig Koshkarian Type Set , one of the finest ever assembled, was auctioned in 2004.
Half Cent | ||||
Liberty Cap - Head Facing Left | Liberty Cap - Head Facing Right | Draped Bust | Classic Head | Braided Hair |
1793 | 1794–1797 | 1800–1808 | 1809–1836 | 1840–1857 |
Large Cent | |||||||
Flowing Hair - Chain Reverse | Flowing Hair - Wreath Reverse | Liberty Cap | Draped Bust | Classic Head | Liberty Head - Matron Head | Liberty Head - Matron Head Modified | Braided Hair |
1793 | 1793 | 1793–1796 | 1796–1807 | 1808–1814 | 1816–1835 | 1835 - 1839 | 1839 - 1857 |
Small Cent | |||||||||
Flying Eagle | Indian Head - Laurel Wreath | Indian Head - Oak Wreath / Shield Copper/Nickel | Indian Head - Oak Wreath / Shield Bronze | Lincoln - Wheat Bronze | Lincoln - Wheat Steel | Lincoln - Memorial Copper Alloy | Lincoln - Memorial Copper-Plated Zinc | Lincoln - Bicentennial Series (4 Designs) | Lincoln - Shield |
1856 -1858 | 1859 | 1860 - 1864 | 1864 - 1909 | 1909 - 1942; 1944 - 1958 | 1943 | 1959 - 1982 | 1982 - 2008 | 2009 | 2010 - Date |
Two Cents |
1864 - 1873 |
Three Cents | |||
Silver Type 1 | Silver Type 2 | Silver Type 3 | Nickel |
1851–1853 | 1854–1858 | 1859–1873 | 1865–1889 |
Nickel | ||||||||||
Shield - Rays | Shield - No Rays | Liberty Head - Type 1 Without "CENTS" | Liberty Head - Type 2 With "CENTS" | Buffalo - Type 1 Raised Ground | Buffalo - Type 2 Recessed Ground | Jefferson - Without Initials | Jefferson - Wartime Silver Alloy | Jefferson - With Initials | Jefferson - Westward Journey (4 Designs) | Jefferson - Forward Facing |
1866–1867 | 1867–1883 | 1883 | 1883–1913 | 1913 | 1913–1938 | 1938 - 1942; 1946 - 1965 | 1942–1945 | 1966 - 2003 | 2004 - 2005 | 2006 - DATE |
Half Dime | |||||||
Flowing Hair | Draped Bust - Small Eagle | Draped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Capped Bust | Seated Liberty - No Stars | Seated Liberty - Stars | Seated Liberty - Arrows at Date | Seated Liberty - Legend On Obverse |
1794–1795 | 1796–1797 | 1800–1805 | 1829–1837 | 1837 - 1838 | 1838 - 1853; 1856 - 1859 | 1853 - 1855 | 1860 - 1873 |
Dime | |||||||||
Draped Bust - Small Eagle | Draped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Capped Bust - Wide Border | Capped Bust - Modified Design | Seated Liberty - No Stars | Seated Liberty - Stars / No Drapery | Seated Liberty - Stars / Drapery | Seated Liberty - Arrows At Date | Seated Liberty - Legend On Obverse | Seated Liberty - Arrows At Date #2 |
1796–1797 | 1798–1807 | 1808–1828 | 1828–1837 | 1837 - 1838 | 1838 - 1840 | 1840 - 1853; 1856 - 1860 | 1853 - 1855 | 1860 - 1873; 1875 - 1891 | 1873 - 1874 |
Barber | Mercury | Roosevelt - Silver | Roosevelt - Copper-Nickel Clad | ||||||
1892–1916 | 1916–1945 | 1946 - 1964 | 1965 - DATE | ||||||
Twenty Cents |
1875–1878 |
Quarter | ||||||||
Draped Bust - Small Eagle | Draped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Capped Bust - Large Diameter | Capped Bust - Reduced Diameter | Seated Liberty - Type 1: No Motto - No Drapery | Seated Liberty - Type 1: No Motto w/Drapery | Seated Liberty - Type 2: Arrows / Rays | Seated Liberty - Type 3: Arrows / No Rays | Seated Liberty - Type 4: Motto |
1796 | 1804–1807 | 1815–1828 | 1831–1838 | 1838 - 1840; 1856 - 1866 | 1840 - 1853 | 1853 | 1854–1855 | 1866 - 1873; 1875 - 1891 |
Seated Liberty - Type 5: Arrows | Barber | Standing Liberty - Type 1 No Stars | Standing Liberty - Type 2 Stars / Pedestal Date | Standing Liberty - Type 2 Stars / Recessed Date | Washington - Silver | Washington - Copper/Nickel Clad | Washington - Bicentennial | Washington - States (50 Designs) |
1873–1874 | 1892–1916 | 1916–1917 | 1917–1924 | 1925 - 1930 | 1932 - 1964 | 1965 - 1974; 1977 - 1998 | 1976 | 1999 - 2008 |
Washington - Territories (6 Designs) | Washington - America The Beautiful (56 Designs) | Washington - Crossing The Delaware | ||||||
2009 | 2010 - 2021 | 2021 - Date | ||||||
Half Dollar | ||||||
Flowing Hair | Draped Bust - Small Eagle | Draped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Capped Bust - Lettered Edge First Style | Capped Bust - Lettered Edge Remodeled Portrait & Eagle | Capped Bust - Reeded Edge "50 Cents" On Reverse | Capped Bust - Reeded Edge "Half Dol" On Reverse |
1794–1795 | 1796–1797 | 1801–1807 | 1807 - 1808 | 1809 - 1836 | 1836–1837 | 1838–1839 |
Seated Liberty - Type 1: No Motto | Seated Liberty - Type 2: Arrows / Rays | Seated Liberty - Type 3: Arrows / No Rays | Seated Liberty - Type 4: Motto | Seated Liberty - Type 5: Motto / Arrows | ||
1839 - 1853; 1856 - 1866 | 1853 | 1854–1855 | 1866–1873; 1875 - 1891 | 1873–1874 | ||
Barber | Walking Liberty | Franklin | Kennedy Silver - 90% | Kennedy Silver Clad - 40% | Kennedy Copper/Nickel Clad | Kennedy - Bicentennial |
1892–1915 | 1916–1947 | 1948–1963 | 1964 | 1965 - 1970 | 1971 - 1974; 1977 - DATE | 1976 |
Dollar | |||||||
Flowing Hair | Draped Bust - Small Eagle | Draped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Gobrecht | Seated - No Motto | Seated - With Motto | Trade Dollar | Morgan |
1794–1795 | 1795–1798 | 1798–1804 | 1836 - 1839 | 1840–1865 | 1866–1873 | 1873–1885 | 1878–1921 |
Peace | Eisenhower | Eisenhower - Bicentennial | Susan B. Anthony | Sacagawea / Native American | Presidential | American Innovation | |
1921–1935 | 1971 - 1974; 1977 - 1978 | 1977 | 1979 - 1981; 1999 | 2000 - 2008 / 2009 - Date | 2007 - 2016; 2020 | 2018 - DATE | |
Dollar (Gold) | |||
Liberty Head - Open Wreath | Liberty Head - Closed Wreath | Indian Princess - Small | Indian Princess - Large |
1849 | 1849 - 1854 | 1854 - 1856 | 1856 - 1889 |
Quarter Eagle ($2.50 - Gold) | |||||||
Capped Bust - Facing Right No Stars | Capped Bust - Facing Right With Stars | Cappted Bust - Facing Left | Capped Head - Facing Left Large Diameter | Capped Head - Facing Left Reduced Diameter | Classic Head | Liberty Head | Indian Head |
1796 | 1796–1807 | 1808 | 1821–1827 | 1829–1834 | 1834–1839 | 1840–1907 | 1908–1929 |
Indian Princess Head ($3.00 - Gold) |
1854–1889 |
Stella ($4.00 - Gold) |
1879–1880 |
Half Eagle ($5.00 - Gold) | ||||||||
Capped Bust - Facing Right Small Eagle | Capped Bust - Facing Right Heraldic Eagle | Draped Bust - Facing Left | Capped Head - Facing Left Large Diameter | Capped Head - Facing Left Reduced Diameter | Classic Head | Liberty Head - No Motto | Liberty Head - With Motto | Indian Head |
1795–1798 | 1795–1807 | 1807 - 1809 | 1813 - 1829 | 1829 - 1834 | 1834–1838 | 1839–1866 | 1866–1908 | 1908–1929 |
Eagle ($10.00 - Gold) | |||||
Capped Bust - Small Eagle | Capped Bust - Heraldic Eagle | Liberty Head - No Motto | Liberty Head - With Motto | Indian Head - No Motto | Indian Head - With Motto |
1795–1797 | 1797–1804 | 1838–1866 | 1866–1907 | 1907–1908 | 1908–1933 |
Double Eagle ($20.00 - Gold) | |||||
Liberty Head - No Motto | Liberty Head - With Motto / "Twenty D." | Liberty Head - With Motto / "TWENTY DOLLARS" | St. Gaudens - No Motto Roman Numerals | St. Gaudens - No Motto Arabic Numerals | St. Gaudens - With Motto |
1849–1866 | 1866–1876 | 1877–1907 | 1907 - 1908 | 1907–1908 | 1908–1933 |
Coins of the United States dollar were first minted in 1792. New coins have been produced annually and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States currency system. Today, circulating coins exist in denominations of 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, and $1.00. Also minted are bullion and commemorative coins. All of these are produced by the United States Mint. The coins are then sold to Federal Reserve Banks which in turn are responsible for putting coins into circulation and withdrawing them as demanded by the country's economy.
A nickel is a five-cent coin struck by the United States Mint. Composed of cupronickel, the piece has been issued since 1866. Its diameter is 0.835 inches (21.21 mm) and its thickness is 0.077 inches (1.95 mm).
The United States Mint is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury responsible for producing coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce, as well as controlling the movement of bullion. It does not produce paper money; that responsibility belongs to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The first United States Mint was created in Philadelphia in 1792, and soon joined by other centers, whose coins were identified by their own mint marks. There are currently four active coin-producing mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.
The dime, in United States usage, is a ten-cent coin, one tenth of a United States dollar, labeled formally as "one dime". The denomination was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792.
The United States three cent piece was a unit of currency equaling 3⁄100 of a United States dollar. The mint produced two different three-cent coins for circulation: the three-cent silver and the three-cent nickel. Additionally, a three-cent bronze coin was made as a pattern in 1863. During the period from 1865 to 1873, both coins were minted, albeit in very small quantities for the silver three-cent piece.
The half dime, or half disme, was a silver coin, valued at five cents, formerly minted in the United States.
The United States Bicentennial coinage is a set of circulating commemorative coins, consisting of a quarter, half dollar and dollar struck by the United States Mint in 1975 and 1976. Regardless of when struck, each coin bears the double date 1776–1976 on the normal obverses for the Washington quarter, Kennedy half dollar and Eisenhower dollar. No coins dated 1975 of any of the three denominations were minted.
Charles Edward Barber was an American coin engraver who served as the sixth chief engraver of the United States Mint from 1879 until his death in 1917. He had a long and fruitful career in coinage, designing most of the coins produced at the mint during his time as chief engraver. He did full coin designs, and he designed about 30 medals in his lifetime. The Barber coinage were named after him. In addition, Barber designed a number of commemorative coins, some in partnership with assistant engraver George T. Morgan. For the popular Columbian half dollar, and the Panama-Pacific half dollar and quarter eagle, Barber designed the obverse and Morgan the reverse. Barber also designed the 1883 coins for the Kingdom of Hawaii, and also Cuban coinage of 1915. Barber's design on the Cuba 5 centavo coin remained in use until 1961.
The American twenty-cent piece is a coin struck from 1875 to 1878, but only for collectors in the final two years. Proposed by Nevada Senator John P. Jones, it proved a failure due to confusion with the quarter, to which it was close in both size and value.
The Indian Head cent, also known as an Indian Head penny, was a one-cent coin ($0.01) produced by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1859 to 1909. It was designed by James Barton Longacre, the Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint.
This glossary of numismatics is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to numismatics and coin collecting, as well as sub-fields and related disciplines, with concise explanations for the beginner or professional.
The Flying Eagle cent is a one-cent piece struck by the Mint of the United States as a pattern coin in 1856 and for circulation in 1857 and 1858. The coin was designed by Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, with the eagle in flight based on the work of Longacre's predecessor, Christian Gobrecht.
The Shield nickel was the first United States five-cent piece to be made out of copper-nickel, the same alloy of which American nickels are struck today. Designed by James B. Longacre, the coin was issued from 1866 until 1883, when it was replaced by the Liberty Head nickel. The coin takes its name from the motif on its obverse, and was the first five-cent coin referred to as a "nickel"—silver pieces of that denomination had been known as half dimes.
The Barber coinage consists of a dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by United States Bureau of the Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. They were minted between 1892 and 1916, though no half dollars were struck in the final year of the series.
The coins of Canada are produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian dollars ($) and the subunit of dollars, cents (¢). An effigy of the reigning monarch always appears on the obverse of all coins. There are standard images which appear on the reverse, but there are also commemorative and numismatic issues with different images on the reverse.
"Draped Bust" was the name given to a design of United States coins. It appeared on much of the regular-issue copper and silver United States coinage, 1796–1807. It was designed by engraver Robert Scot.
The Washington quarter is the present quarter dollar or 25-cent piece issued by the United States Mint. The coin was first struck in 1932; the original version was designed by sculptor John Flanagan.
James Barton Longacre was an American portraitist and engraver, and the fourth Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1844 until his death. Longacre is best known for designing the Indian Head cent, which entered commerce in 1859, and for the designs of the Shield nickel, Flying Eagle cent and other coins of the mid-19th century.
The numismatic history of the United States began with Colonial coins such as the pine tree shilling and paper money; most notably the foreign but widely accepted Spanish piece of eight, ultimately descended from the Joachimsthaler and the direct ancestor of the U.S. Dollar.
The three-cent silver, also known as the three-cent piece in silver or trime, was struck by the Mint of the United States for circulation from 1851 to 1872, and as a proof coin in 1873. Designed by the Mint's chief engraver, James B. Longacre, it circulated well while other silver coinage was being hoarded and melted, but once that problem was addressed, became less used. It was abolished by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1873.