I've Completed my Type Set

I finally finished my Type set!!!

For those that do not know me, my name is Tanner and I am a 25 year old Senior at FSU majoring in history. I’ve been an avid coin collector since the age of 13 when my dad and I took a trip to Colorado and while there we visited the Denver Mint. At the mint I picked up a copy of Photograde 18th edition by James F. Ruddy. During the remainder of the trip I poured over its pages learning everything from basic grading, to the minting process, coin definitions such as device and field, and cleaning and handling. By the time the trip was over the pages started to separate from the spin lol. I still have that book stored with my collection.

I continued to collect on and off throughout high school and as life permitted. For the first two years of college I did not collect much as academics became my focus. After getting a college job I picked the hobby back up as something to not only spend my money on but to focus my energy on outside of the classroom. That is were coin talk came into play as I found the site while reintroducing myself to the hobby. The first set I completed during my beginning coin talk days was a BU set of war time mercury dimes, as mercury dimes are my favorite coin. I finished that set and started to look around for my next project, that’s when I came across type sets which are now my passion.



Type sets offer two things to me that speak to my nature. First their ability to show the variety and history of u.s. coinage which being a historian speaks to me. Secondly, they offer a quality over quantity aspect that I’ve always lived by. I personally don’t need 50 of the same thing (in this case coins with the only thing distinguishing them being dates and mint marks). Instead I’d much rather have one nice example instead of fifty mediocre ones. So after determining type sets as my focus, I was off.

I started this project with the Half Dollar series as after looking over my options it offered me the variety I was looking for. In July of 2012 I bought my first half dollar, a 1964 Kennedy Half Dollar. I then worked my way back buying each consecutive coin until I ended with a 1834 Capped Bust Half Dollar. From their I looked over a list of all type coins and decided on this goal: I would buy one example of each major design type. To consolidate the collection I’d only buy one example of each type so instead of buying a seated dime, quarter, half, ect….I’d only buy the Seated Half and scratch the seated series off my list. This left me with a nice round number of 20 coins which conveniently fit into a single TPG box. Likewise I decided on PCGS as my TPG of choice as I’ve always preferred their clear slabs. I then decided on a grade range and chose mostly MS state with XF/AU for when things got difficult. This is what I ended up with.

1857 Flying Eagle VF30
1903 Indian Head MS62BN
1954-S Wheat MS65RD
1883 Shield Nickel AU55
1883 NC Liberty MS64 OGH
1937 Buffalo MS65
1941 Mercury MS65
1930 Standing Liberty AU58
2007-S Kennedy PR69DCAM
1964 Kennedy MS64
1963 Franklin MS64
1942 Walking Liberty MS64
1914-S Barber Half F12
1859-O Seated Half XF45
1834 Bust Half XF40 CAC
2000-S Sacagawea PR69DCAM
1978-S Eisenhower PR69DCAM
1922 Peace MS64
1883-CC Morgan MS64
1878-S Trade Dollar AU50

Now a couple of things have come to light during this endeavor. While their were a few moments where I felt like I was just throwing money out there and buying coins just because and not learning much, there are coins in this set such as my Seated Half, Liberty Nickel, and Trade Dollar that are stand outs and show me my maturity within the hobby. While things like patients, dealers, and paying up for the coin you want were all present, the biggest lesson for me was eye appeal. I read once that you should not learn to grade, sure you can learn to a point but don’t really waste the time. They likened it to if one gets cancer, they don’t go about becoming a doctor they just go to the best they can. Instead it said to focus more on eye appeal and being able to pick out coins that are just good examples for their grade. If anything it’s this focus on quality and eye appeal that has been the biggest lesson for me. Eye appeal ultimately trumps the grade.


It'd be nice to get a professional photo of this coin.

Just like a house cannot be built without a solid foundation, this box of 20 will become the foundation for my coin collecting over the next 60 years. While I may have other sets and goals my ultimate focus is to build this foundational set to all gem ms state coins or all proof quality coins. Which, is still undetermined. If this set ends up being the only thing I ever build/update and if I only ever have 20 coins I want them to be the best specimens possible. If nothing else I’m only 26 so I have plenty of time to do this.

I need to update my Flying Eagle to XF as at the time I neither felt like spending that amount of money on a cent nor could I find an example I liked. So when the VF30 popped up and met my eye appeal criteria I pounced. Likewise, I’ve never been a fan of the Barber series so I settled for F12 instead of my XF goal.

I do have a few more specimens I desire such as the last two halves, draped and flowing….and three gold pieces: Liberty, Indian, and St. Gaudens. But again, this box of 20 is my foundation and the one thing I’ll build on with Gem MS or Proof quality being the ultimately goal and desired end to this collecting endeavor.



Everyone has things that inspire them and as a result set them on a particular course in life. With my faith, that was Keith Chancey. With my academics and future job pursuits that was the United States Holocaust Museum. Finally with my coin collection that was Kirkuleez who, when he posted his proof type set unknowingly gave me my inspiration and chosen direction in the hobby. Someday I hope my box of 20 will be of such quality. So Kirkuleez, thank you and I hope I haven’t become a bother as you’ve inspired me.

Finally I want to give a shout out to a few people and organizations that helped me complete this set.

Northeast Numismatics
Coin Talk
Glenn at Holsonbake Numismatics
And again, Kirkuleez.

Thanks.

 

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awesome set! congrats!

 

That's awesome. I love type sets and am working on a 7070 type set. I love type sets for the same reason, the history of the coin and all the different kinds.

What I love is how history ties into the practicality of lots of coins. I love the 2,3 and 20 cent pieces along with 1/2 cents, 1/2 dimes and large cents just because they are unusual to most people.

Look up the history of the 3 cent silver and how it was related to the California gold rush and also the price of the stamp in the day. Very interesting stuff. All note that the 2 cent piece was the first coin to actually bear "In God We Trust". Most think it's been around forever and fewer know that Teddy Roosevelt tried to get rid of it as I recall.

And finally the wartime money. The change in metals of the penny and nickel as they were needed for wartime production so steel and silver were used. All of that makes type sets the best collection in my opinion.

Congrats on your set and keep up the good work.

 

What, no gold? J/K.

Congrats on the completion, I did mine back in 2010 and now I have slowly pieced some of it out to get semi-expensive ancients that I would rather have. Its fun to complete something then eventually move on to something else.

 

I wanted a proof example of the Kennedy. Also if you see all my moderns were dcam aside the 64 Kennedy so I felt I was missing if I didn't have the proof to round out my modern dcams. The 2007 is for the year I graduated highschool.

 

A most notable discourse dear Christy (Tdog90)

 

Terrific thread and should be required reading!

 

Thank you green, as one of the first people I met when I joined I appreciate it. And if you haven't guessed Christy is my last name.

 

Wonderful last name my friend........

 

Thank you Tom, like green you've always been a bright spot on the forums.

 

Congrats Tdog! It is always impressive when someone finishes a set! What set are you moving on to next?

 

Congrats. That's a great accomplishment.
And I personally think barber halves look much better in fine than XF.

 

Well I'll be purchasing the 50th anniversary Kennedy set, I need to update my flying eagle, need two more halves, three golds, I'd like a proof merc...then just update the box itself getting better examples. So I have options. Lol.

 

Not to high jack dear Christy's thread, but can March Madness be just around the corner? PM me old friend.....

 

Message sent!

Good luck on the upgrades! I want to own more proofs too. One day!

 

Nice set!

 

congrats on your type set. eye appeal is a good thing but, you should learn some basics about grading coins so you do not over pay for coins. you should take the next 10-20 years upgrading your coins. you could do a 8 coin gold type set money willing of course lol. the coin I liked best in your set is the seated half. envy is the word because I do not have 1 of those. lol good luck on your upgrades.

 

Oh I know basic grading, wear, f,xf,au, ect. I was more talking about grading to the point that you know a ms63 from a ms62. As dad used to say you know just enough to be dangerous lol. And yes, it will be a long journey but that's half the fun, the hunt. Like I said I'm only 25 so even if I only buy a single coin a year that's ok. The seated half is probably my favorite (until my liberty nickel arrives from the mail) so I understand the envy

 

A Seated Liberty Half is most enjoyable indeed......