The Red Book defines TYPE as "A series of coins defined by a shared distinguishing design, composition, denomination, and other elements", and TYPE SET as "a collection consisting of one representative coin of each TYPE, of a particular series or period".

While there is general agreement about these definitions there is often a lack of consensus in the numismatic community regarding which coins represent distinct TYPES, and what slots to include in a particular TYPE SET.

For example if you examine USA/Philippines Type Sets in the NGC and PCGS Registries you will see considerable variation in how each company structures this Type Set.

PCGS actually has three different USA/Philippines Type Sets. There is an eleven slot Philippines Type Set, Proof ; a sixteen slot Philippines Basic Type Set, Circulation Strikes; and a Twenty-two slot Philippines Type Set, Circulation Strikes.

The NGC Type Set is a twenty slot set which may include either Business Strike or Proof examples of a coin.

I prefer the structure of the NGC Type Set since I do not think that it makes any sense to have a Basic Type Set that leaves out so many major types that it fails to adequately represent U.S. Philippine coins. I also do not see the rational for having separate Type Sets for Proof and Business Strikes.

While I prefer the NGC Type Set over the three PCGS Type Sets my ideal U.S./Philippine Type Set would include two additional slots. In my opinion the wartime composition (wartime alloy) One Centavo and Five Centavo coins are distinct types that should be included in a USA/Philippines type Set.

While I am quite proud of my competitive USA/Philippines Type Set I have decided to build a custom Type Set using my twenty-two slot criteria. My custom set adds slots for the wartime composition One Centavo and Five Centavos. In addition since Registry Points are irrelevant in a custom set I have upgraded 25% of the slots to display coins with a higher technical grade and better eye appeal than their counterpart in my competitive Type Set.

Take a slide show tour of my Competitive and expanded Custom Type Sets and see which one you prefer. One of the interesting differences between the two slide show presentations is that the Registry software allows you to display a coins Composition and Catalog Number in the Custom slide show but not in the Competitive slide show.

My Competitive USA/Philippines Type Set:

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/registry/coins/SetListing.aspx?PeopleSetID=51257

This Set was awarded a 2011 Best Presenrted Set Award. The average technical grade for the (20) coins in this set is MS/PF 64.90.

My Custom (Expanded Edition) USA/Philippines Type Set:

http://coins.www.collectors-society.com/WCM/CoinCustomSetView.aspx?s=9238

This Custom Set is an expanded version of my Competive USA/Philippines Type Set. The primary difference between the two sets is that this set includes two additional slots to accommodate the Wartime Alloy One Centavo and Five Centavos coins. Another difference between the two sets is that several slots in this set have been upgraded to display coins with a higher technical grade and better eye appeal than their counterpart in my Competive Type Set. The upgraded coins include; One Centavo 1932-M (MS66 Red), Five Centavos 1932-M (MS65), Ten Centavos 1907 (MS66), Ten Centavos 1941-M (MS66), and Fifty Centavos 1920 (MS63). The average technical grade for the (22) coins in this set is MS/PF 65.32

Pictured is a 1932-M Five Centavos graded PCGS MS65. This rare TOP POP coin was not included in my Competitive Type Set because it has less Registry points than my (NGC MS64) 1935-M Five Centavos.

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