Confused About Coins For Type Set

I concur with the dime, 1996 W. Or you could wait until later this year and pop a reverse proof in there!

Also, your Shield nickel is backwards.

Start by purchasing a Red Book; that will give you all the info you need for a type set.
As for the nickels there are:
-- two different designs for the Liberty V nickels
-- two different designs for the Buffalo nickels
-- two different designs for the Jefferson nickels

As for the dimes there are:
-- three different designs in the 1796-1837 date range
-- six different designs for the Seated Liberty dimes

The nice thing about type sets are that they can be composed of anything you want.
A birthyear set is another example of a type set.

Ok. I'll say it:
Let the collector's wishes trump the tyranny of an album's dictates.
Nickels-rule, your choice should guide your selections.
You are doing just fine.

And I would not presume to say otherwise.
The Red Book is often used to determine a resolution to these questions, but if it is
a guide, it is ONLY a guide.

Going against the trend and selecting a three-legged Buffalo has my vote:
it shows you know your coins. And have a sense of humor/absurdity.

In my opinion, the 39D is the key to Jefferson series. But nothing beats the look of a MS+ War Nickel. 1996W is a good choice for a dime or a high end silver dime.

Really I would had choosen the 1939 s over the 1939 d as the key. I just put down 1950 d since it was the most famous.

If you don't mind leaving the cardboard limitations consider a War Nickel. A Buffalo nickel on the mound, and all the Half Dimes. Half Dimes seated with/ without arrows, bust Half Dimes and if this set of nickels and dimes were to go colonial you could go on beyond RedBook to add the quarter and half pistareens. Thomas Jefferson in devising the American monetary units of measure to conform to the French ideal of a decimal system set the federal dollar equal to the Spanish Colonial piece of eight. A tenth part needed for the dime was as Jefferson said, the half pistareen, a coin perfectly familiar to us all. With five pistareens to the dollar a half and quarter pistareen would be the exotic capstone of your set. As it turns out those familiar coins stopped circulating in America during Thomas Jefferson's presidency. Why not complete the set and go colonial?

My suggestion would be to not worry about the dates at all. Try to get the highest grade you can afford of each type. For example a Mercury dime about 1944 or 45 would cost very little in high MS grades. If all in MS grades, would just look better and who cares about the dates in a Type set.

Proof nickels and dimes can be found in bargain bins - At least a Jefferson and Roosevelt non-silver.
It may appeal to some type collectors. Good idea.