When I started buying US banknotes a few years ago, I soon realized that acquiring a full typeset of any denomination would require heavy funds. Even the small-sized $1 bill set contains the 1928 Red Seal. But the $2 small notes stuck out as very feasible. For clarity, this is only a type set, not a set of all of the year varieties (A,B,C, etc). A $2 small-sized type set could include the following: a 1928, a 1953, a 1964, and a 1976. The next level type set would include all of the letter variations (1928 A-G, 1953 A-C, 1963 A, 1976 A-L, 1995 A-L, 2003 A-L, 2003-A A-L, 2009 A-L, 2013 A-L, 2017A). Whether to include star notes remains a question. That's a bit more than I wanted to take on, so I'm contenting myself with an arguable full USA banknote typeset with these 4 notes: 1928D, 1953, 1963, 1976. I also tried to get the best examples of each one I could find. Could this maybe serve as the best US banknote "starter set?" Someone wants to get into banknotes, but they don't know where to start, perhaps recommend the $2 small-sized bill type set? I've been putting this one together on and off over the past few years as I've visited various coin shows. I just obtained a decent 1953 recently. Whether I'll take this any further, I don't know yet.
Those are all some very nice notes. I am personally doing one just for the Declaration of Independence back, all signatures and FRBs. So, it isn't very costly. But, a type set of only four doesn't seem to be too bad. I think it would also depend on how well preserved someone wants their notes to be in as well. You said you were off and on it. Did you find quality notes to be readily available at affordable pricing? Or did you have a lot of searching involved?
Thank you! It was a fun small side collection to put together. Strangely, I had the hardest time finding a nice, uncreased 1953 example. Otherwise, nice examples of the other types weren't incredibly hard to find. I don't remember what I paid for the 1928, but it was by far the most expensive of the lot. The 1963 and 1976 were both in a pile of bills inherited from a deceased relative. So I didn't have too far to go. Maybe I will continue on with the signatures, similar to what you're doing. I do have sub-optimal examples of 1953 B & C, and a 2017A.
