Because I'm getting old (81) and my memory is starting to fail me, I'm going to make a serious effort to image/document my collection. First, since a Type Set is not strictly defined, it can be composed of whatever a collector chooses. Here's my personal guidelines: 1. The coins were produced by the US Mint for use in daily commerce. EXCEPTION: 1787 Fugio cents which were produced for the US Government under a contract (the US Mint didn't yet exist). 2. Colonial and Post-Colonial coins are not included. 3. Commemorative coins are not included (not intended for use in daily commerce). 4. 1964 is my personal ending date (no 90% circulating coins struck after that). 5. Proof-only coins not included (that saves me from having to get a Stella; couldn't afford it anyway). 6. Gobrecht dollars are not included. 7. Gold coins designed before 1834 are not included (another cop-out by me since couldn't afford them either). 8. 1964 is my ending date (no 90% silver circulating coins struck after that). My guideline for what to include is the Red Book. I get whatever date/mintmark is the least expensive for the issue. Since that's only one coin per type, it allows me to get a better grade. Based on the above I am two coins from being complete. I don't anticipate ever getting those two coins. Don't know if I covered all my rules, but you get the idea.
I should start at the lower denominations (half cents) but for now I'll start at the oldest in my type set. 1787 Fugio Cent, Newman 4-E, PCGS VF-30. And I have no source for the descriptions of Fugio Cents so I don't know the details about what a Newman 4-E are.
Which two coins are you lacking? I am guessing that it is the 1796-7 half dollar and maybe a Chain Cent. If you only go up to 1964, I have everything that is called for in the NGC registry from the 1792 half disme to the gold type coins. I also have all of the "old commemoratives." The Gobrecht Dollar is now considered to be part of the set. At least the 1836 signed on the base is considered to be a regular issue. The Gobrecht Dollar is sort of like the 1792 half disme. Some people think it's a pattern, but the mintage to too high to really be a pattern. George Washington also called it "a small beginning" in coinage in one of his annual reports to Congress.
The two I'm missing are the 1796 quarter and the 1796 or 1797 half. My Chain cent is a PCGS VG-10. I still think of the Gobrecht dollars as patterns although they seem to be considered as circulation issues. But I don't consider them for my type set. That's what's nice about type sets; I can make my own rules. On the other hand I still think the 1856 FE is not proof-only. Snow labeled the S-3 as a circulation variety.
It really is a circulation coin. The records in Thomas Jefferson's daybook confirm he delivered 75 Spanish (Mexican most likely) silver dollars (8 reales) to the mint, had them coined as half dismes, picked up the 1,500 coins, and spent them during his trip to Monticello and over the summer. By the time he returned to Philadelphia in the fall, he was back spending only fractional Spanish dollars.
While there was a small production of half dismes in October 1792, those were at least in part presentation pieces and survive disproportionately in uncirculated state. PCGS' survival estimate is 275 in all grades (actually not bad for between 1,700 and 2,000 struck) and 35 uncirculated. The ones that really circulated came from the hands of Thomas Jefferson. Founding Father and future president! https://blog.money.org/coin-collecting/history-of-the-1792-disme
My guess is over 300, but a lot of them are damaged. I have seen quite a few that were bent, and several that were holed. A coin dealer I knew in Boston had a holed one. He wouldn't sell it to me and then he said he somehow lost it in the woods somewhere. I don't know which woods, so it's useless to ask me about where to look for it with a metal detector. I have owned this one for about 30 years. It's one of the earlier die state pieces, so Thomas Jefferson probably had it. Maybe he even handled it.
Here is my pair. I wish that the 1796 half dollar was a VF-25 like the quarter, but it's been the best I could find and afford. 1796 Quarter. This one came off a Boston, Massachusetts bid wall. Before you laugh at the bid wall, there was another 1796 quarter in the same sale. It was an EF and too much for my budget at the time. This was not your average bid wall. 1796 Half Dollar. This is graded Fine-15.
If it's an early die state, he DEFINITELY handled it. All 1,500 pieces were paid back out to him personally.
Old is a state of mind. You have much to offer kanga, we will continue to watch for your valued input for years to come. Thanks for all you present and represent to Coin Talk.
