Can Your Type Set Intersect Your Date Set(S)?

I'd use the same coin for both sets, but I'd also buy another coin. It would depend on my mood at the time of doing it(and the price of the coin). I would buy another coin if the coin was cheap, but not if it cost me a lot.

I've done it a few times, but I've mostly bought another coin. It's your call.

It's not a set without the coin, I always buy a coin for each set.

I don't have high grade coins for most of my date sets but I do want higher grade coins for my type set so I took the best of my date coins to put in the type set and replaced it with lower grade coins. I will never have the funds for a high grade date set but I can squeeze out enough cash for a single high grade coin of each type.

Your collection, your rules.

But I am with the majority here. There are several coins in my 7070 type set that are duplicates of a coin in the corresponding date set. I try to keep the grades the same so that there is no jealousy between them.

i too buy a coin for each set. even if two of my sets require the same coin. I just dish out the money for the duplicate I need.

Bryan: I'm sorry -- by "date set" I meant a standard set of all different dates/mintmarks for a series. For instance, Lincoln Memorials 1959-2008, PDS, with proofs. What do you call this?

To solve your dilemma, two important and related questions must be answered.

1. Do you collect "coins", or do you collect "sets of coins"?

2. How do you store your collection?

If you answer to question 1 is "coins", then no, you don't need to buy separate coins for each set. If the answer is "sets", then yes, to be complete and separable sets, you will need duplicate coins.

The storage question is related, because method of storage will probably reflect on which of those two kinds of coin collector you really are. If you're using Dansco / Whitman / some other brand albums or folders, the kind with little holes for each coin you need to "complete a set", then you're most likely a "sets" collector and it's probably going to drive you crazy looking at a set with "missing" coins that aren't really missing - so you'll need two coins, one for each set.

If, however, you're putting the coins in 2x2s or in "blank" albums, or some other easily rearrange-able setup, then you're probably a "coin" collector; you can rearrange the coins however you wish. Such a collector will only need one coin.

Speaking for myself, I'm definitely a "coin" guy rather than a "sets" guy. I have no duplicates in my collection at all if I can help it.

Sap: That's a very thoughtful and accurate answer. I suppose questions (1) and (2) are really in fact what I was struggling with.

Probably the main point I can state about my collection is that I don't use albums. So there's no such thing as a "hole" for me.

On the other hand, it might be nice to "display" a type set all in one place. Then all the various designs can be compared, seen at a glance. Also, generally, type sets can be very high grade for the same budget as a low-grade set. There's no point IMO in displaying a low-grade date/mm/variety set, since all the coins look the same (from a distance).

So -- with everyone's help -- I believe I've reached a solution: It sounds like I should withdraw nice high-grade examples from my sets into my type set. Then, I can include a little slip of paper in my set which tells me that coin got "promoted" to the type set!

(And obviously, for cheap coins like clad Washington quarters, I can afford 2 of one date.)

PS: Strangely, I had envisioned it the other way around, where my type-set was incomplete and had pointers to my various sets. I don't know why I thought of it this way. Maybe it's because I was scared to break up a nice set.