A number of years ago (10 years?) I decided to start a small-size US $1 paper money collection. At that time in my ignorance I intended to include all small-size $1 notes from 1928 through now. I quickly found that that would be a monster job both in quantity and expense. So I pared the coverage down to "all small-size $1 notes from 1928 through the 1969-D Series". That's still large but not totally out of hand. First I needed references and I settled on two (which I recommend if you can find them): -- Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money 1928 to Date, 10th Edition, 2011 by John Schwartz and Scott Lindquist -- Collector's Guide to Modern Federal Reserve Notes/Series 1963-2009, 2011 by Robert Azpiazu There may be newer editions of the Schwartz/Lindquist guide. I'm quite sure there isn't a newer edition of the Azpiazu guide, and it's out of print. So where am I now? I have an example of every series from the Series 1928 (red seal) Legal Tender Note through the Series 1957-B (blue seal) Silver Certificates. That includes also the 1935-A Hawaii notes (brown seal) and the 1935-A North Africa notes (yellow seal). And I also have an example of all of the experimental paper notes from Series 1935 and 1935-A (I think). Missing in my collection are many of the star notes (very expensive) and all of the "mules" (which are specialty items). As for the Series 1963 through 1963-B I was closing in on complete until I found that I may have missed a whole group of (ugh!) "mules". Finally for the Series 1969 through 1969-D I'm well along (>70%) unless I find another gap I missed ("mules" again?). Oh, and the Series 1963 includes another paper test. The BEP was trying to find an additional paper supplier and tested Gilbert Security Paper. Very difficult to locate those test notes.
Thanks for sharing @kanga, interesting story. I did something similar. I decided I wanted an example of every small-size $1 FRN replacement note for every series and every district from 1963 through current in uncirculated condition. It took me eight years to get all of them.
I too, struck out on the path to collect an example (not every variation) of one dollar U.S. notes. While I have many, I'm a long way from being done. Might not get all of them before my time expires.
Oh wow I missed the $1 part somehow. This set seems much more doable now! I completed a set of $1 small note major and minor types, but the only ones of consequence were really the $1 USN, the 1928E SC, Hawaii note, and the R and S notes. My set was not nearly as exhaustive as what you're working on. I'm working on a large $1 type set now in VF or better, and that's going fairly well but will take some time to complete.
