United States coinage type set is a visual collection of each of the types of coins produced by the US Mints. A "Type set" collection is enjoyed by some collectors of coins who try to collect one example of as many types of coins as they can.
Due to various reasons (including prohibitive cost), collectors will sometimes group several different coins together as one "type." For example, one could collect a Liberty Seated dime, quarter, and half dollar, and call that their example of a Liberty Seated coin for each denomination. Or, they could choose to collect an example of sub-types within the Liberty Seated design, including the with and without arrows at date, and with and without mottos.
Additionally, delineating sub-types within a particular design is not always consistent. For example, almost all type collectors consider the 1909 "V.D.B." Lincoln cent to be different from the 1909 no-"V.D.B." Lincoln cent (where the designer's initials, V.D.B., were displayed on the bottom of the reverse and removed about a month later). However, the "V.D.B." initials were returned to the Lincoln cent in 1918 on the bottom of the bust on the obverse, and almost no type collector considers this a separate type. Likewise in the Lincoln cent series, the composition change in 1943 to steel and the composition change in 1982 from bronze to copper-plated zinc are considered separate types by almost all, but the brass composition used in 1944-1946 is not considered a separate type from the 1947 return to bronze. (The Lincoln cent series is full of other examples, including modifications to the size of Lincoln's bust during the early 1970s).
Consequently, each collector will need to decide for themselves how specific they wish to be when putting together a U.S. coin type set, though the decision is often made for them if they choose specific albums, such as the very popular Dansco 7070.
US Copper Type Coins
Half Cents: Photo Liberty Cap (Left), 1793 Liberty Cap (Right), 1794-1797 Draped Bust, 1800-1808 Classic Head, 1809-1835 Coronet, 1849-1857
Large Cents: Photo Flowing Hair silver centered cent, 1792 Flowing Hair Chain Cents, 1793 Flowing Hair Strawberry Wreath Cents, 1793 Flowing Hair Wreath Cents, 1793 Liberty Cap cents, 1793-1796 Draped Bust, 1796-1807 Classic Head, 1808-1814 Coronet, 1816-1839 Coronet (braided hair), 1840-1857
Small Cents: Photo Flying Eagle, 1856-1858 Indian Head, laurel wreath, 1859 Indian Head, oak leaf wreath, copper nickel, 1860-1864
Indian Head, oak leaf wreath, bronze, 1864-1909 Lincoln Head, VDB, 1909 Lincoln Head, wheat reverse, 1909-1958 Lincoln Head, steel, 1943 Lincoln Head, Memorial reverse,
(bronze) 1959-1982,
(copper plated zinc) 1982-2008 Lincoln Head, Bicentennial,
(copper plated zinc) 2009 Lincoln Head, Union shield,
(copper plated zinc) 2010-
2 Cent piece: Photo 2 Cent Piece, Bronze, 1864-1872
US Nickel Type Coins
Nickel 3 Cent pieces: Photo Nickel, 1865-1889
5 cent Nickels: Photo Shield (with rays), 1866-1867 Shield (no rays), 1867-1883 Liberty Head (no cents), 1883 Liberty Head (with cents), 1883-1912 Buffalo (Variety 1), 1913 Buffalo (Variety 2), 1913-1938 Jefferson 1938-2003 Jefferson, 35% silver, 1942-1945 Jefferson, Westward Journey, 2004-2006 Jefferson, facing forward, 2006-
US Silver Type Coins
Silver 3 Cent pieces: Photo Silver, 1851-1873
Half dimes: Photo Bust Half Dime, 1792 Flowing Hair Half Dime, 1794-1795 Draped Bust Half Dime, 1796-1805 Capped Bust, 1829-1837 Liberty Seated, 1837-1859
Liberty Seated (with arrows), 1853-1855 Liberty Seated (with legend, new reverse), 1860-1873
Dimes: Photo Draped Bust, 1796-1807 Capped Bust, 1809-1837 Liberty Seated (no stars), 1837-1838
Liberty Seated (with stars), 1838-1860
Liberty Seated (arrows at date), 1853-1855
Liberty Seated (with legend), 1860-1891 Liberty Head ("Barber"), 1892-1916 Mercury, 1916-1945 Roosevelt, silver, 1946-1964
Roosevelt, clad, 1965-Present
20 cent piece: Photo Liberty Seated, 1875-1878
Quarters: Photo Draped Bust, Small Eagle 1796 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle 1804–1807 Capped Bust 1815-1838 Liberty Seated (No motto), 1838-1865
Liberty Seated (arrows at date), 1853-1855
Liberty Seated (with legend), 1856-1891 Liberty Head ("Barber"), 1892-1916 Standing Liberty (type 1), 1916-1917 Standing Liberty (type 2), 1917-1930 Washington, silver, 1932-1964
Washington, clad, 1965-1974, 1977-1998 Washington, clad, bicentennial, 1975-1976 Washington, Statehood, 1999-2008 Washington, District of Columbia and US Territories, 2009 Washington, America the Beautiful, 2010-2021 Washington, Washington crossing the Delaware, 2021Washington, American Women Quarters, 2022-2025
Half Dollars: Photo Flowing Hair: 1794-1795 Draped Bust: 1796-1807 Capped Bust:
(lettered edge), 1807-1836
(reeded edge), 1836-1839 Liberty Seated:
(no motto), 1839-1865
(with arrows), 1853-1855
(with motto), 1866-1891 Liberty Head ("Barber"), 1892-1915 Walking Liberty, 1916-1947 Franklin Half, 1948-1963 Kennedy Half:
(90% silver) 1964
(40% silver) 1965-1970
(Cu/Ni Clad) 1971-1974, 1977- Kennedy Half, clad, bicentennial, 1975-1976
Silver, clad, and "golden" Dollars: Photo Flowing Hair, 1794-1795 Draped Bust, 1795-1804 Liberty Seated, 1840-1873 "Trade Dollar" 1873-1878 (circulation), 1873-1885 (proofs) Morgan Dollar, 1878-1921 Peace Dollar, 1921-1935 Eisenhower Dollar, 1971-1974, 1977-1978 Eisenhower Dollar, bicentennial, 1975-1976 Susan B. Anthony Dollar, 1979-1981, 1999 Sacagawea "Golden" Dollar, 2000-2008 Presidential Dollar, 2007-2016, 2020-present Sacagawea "Native American" Dollar, 2009-
US Gold type coins
Gold 1 dollar coins: Photo Liberty head, 1849-1854 Indian Princess gold dollar, 1854-1889
Gold "Quarter Eagle" $2.50 coins: Photo Draped Bust, 1796-1807 Capped Bust, 1808-1834Classic Head, 1834-1839Liberty Head, 1840-1907Indian, 1908-1929
Gold "Three-dollar" $3.00 coins: Photo Indian Princess, 1854-1889
Gold "Half Eagle" $5 coins: Photo Draped Bust, 1795-1807 Capped Bust, 1807-1834Classic Head, 1834-1838Liberty Head, 1839-1908Indian, 1908-1929
Gold "Eagle" $10 coins: Photo Draped Bust, 1795-1804 Liberty Head, 1838-1907Indian, 1907-1933
Gold "Double Eagle" $20 coins: Photo Liberty Head, 1849-1907 St. Gaudens, 1907-1933
Bullion coins
Silver Eagle, .999 fine Silver bullion coins: Photo 1 Troy Ounce Type 1, 1986-2021 1 Troy Ounce Type 2, 2021-date
Gold Eagle, 22 karat Gold bullion coins: Photo Tenth-Ounce, 1986-date Quarter-Ounce, 1986-date
Half-Ounce, 1986-date
One-Ounce, 1986-date
Gold Buffalo, .9999 fine Gold bullion coins: Photo Tenth-Ounce, 2008 Quarter-Ounce, 2008
Half-Ounce, 2008
One-Ounce, 2008-date
Platinum Eagle, .9995 fine Platinum bullion coins: Photo Type, date range
References
External links United States Mint