What constitutes a "complete set"?

In general when I collect a set I include the popular varieties.
For instance my War Nickel set includes a 1943-P 3/2.
But not the 1943-P Doubled Eye nor the 1945-P DDR.

Actually in a number of cases a variety wasn't found until AFTER I had "completed" the set and moved on to something new.
I've just never gone back to re-evaluate and rethink those sets.

A "complete" set is still whatever you decide it is.

 

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Basically already said. A complete set is what you think it should be. The big problem with sets in Albums is the manufacturer tells you what it takes to complete a set. For example Whitman with thier Lincoln Cent Albums. Why is a 22 without a Mint mark part of a set? Why is the 55 Double Die part of a completed set? Why must some kid that can only afford coins from change be forced to purchase a proof coin due to the slots for them? Is it really necessary to have to find a small and large 70S? One of my Whitman Albums has a slot for the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel. Not an easy coin to find to complete that set. Almost all Albums have slots for coins that should not be there to complete a set, yet to leave it empty makes one feel it is not complete.

 

I agree.
And I can see two reasonable solutions for the low-budget collector.

1. Put your coins in 2x2's or PVC-free flips.
Get 3-ring, notebook-sized plastic pocket pages that will fit the 2x2's or flips.
Get a 3-ring binder.
Make your own album.

2. Some of the album makers produce unlabeled albums for various sized coins.
If you collect Lincolns, get a blank small cent album.
Fill it according to your preferences.

The nice thing about these two solutions is that you can revise your album as time goes by.

 

Government mints and contract mints that issue the tons of NCLT that clog up the catalogs LOVE collectors like you.

 

NCLT?

If I didn't have a particular interest in Antarctica I would not consider contracted private mint coins, plus, the cost of all these coins is less than I paid for one coin. I had also decided that if the coin was considered legal tender, somewhere, I'd put it in the collection. Hey we all need to do our part to keep the world economy ticking

 

NCLT = Non-Circulating Legal Tender Coins with legal tender status but which are issued with no intention that they will ever be used in circulation, but whose primary function is to separate collectors from their money. Sometimes they will be made of precious metal , but more an more frequently they are being made of base metal with high face values.

As to the contract mints, there are many countries that do not have their own mint facilities but which have their coins, both NCLT and circulation issues, made by other mints under contract. Sometimes the mints are government mints and sometimes they are private mints. One of the largest private mints is the Pobjoy Mint. They produce commems and other NCLT coins for a great many countries around the world.

 

Unfortunately, I doubt 90%+ of these coins are meant for circulation. Even the coins minted by government mints are commemorative type issues. Let's face it, any coin minted as a commemorative is not meant for circulation, which includes alot of US coinage, as most are silver or gold. Almost all of these coins are low mintage, even the Pobjoy coins are probably the highest mintage coins in the set but won't see circulation due to location.