How to Integrate the BU Roll Market Perking Up into a Master Type Set: Dansco Strategy, Strike Selection, and Budget vs High-End Collecting

Building a type set is the ultimate journey through history. Let me show you how I approach representing each design in my own collection. As a type set collector who has spent decades examining everything from worn circulating coppers to pristine mint-set singles, I’ve watched the modern BU roll market transform from a sleepy backwater into a surprisingly volatile frontier. The old forum thread “BU Roll Market Perking Up” captured a moment many of us missed: wholesale prices leapfrogging the guides, original bank-wrapped rolls vanishing, and clad coinage from the 1960s–70s proving far scarcer than anyone presumed. For the type collector, this isn’t just a market curiosity—it’s a roadmap for filling those empty Dansco holes before the supply dries up entirely.

Why the BU Roll Market Matters to Type Set Builders

In my experience grading and handling modern issues, a type set is only as compelling as the examples it contains. A weakly struck, spotted 1966 quarter tells a different story than a fully lustrous mint-set specimen. The recent strength in BU rolls—wheat cents at $15 a roll, Jefferson nickels wholesaling multiples of bid, Ike dollars acting as sleepers—means the window for acquiring representative type examples at rational prices is closing.

I’ve examined hundreds of rolls dumped by dealers who admitted they “never thought anyone would want them.” Now buyers are picky. They reject spotted coins yet exhibit near-insatiable demand for clean examples. For the type collector, this translates to a simple mandate: secure your strike now, or pay terra incognita premiums later.

The Forum’s Core Observation

• Retail BU roll pricing averages ~175% of bid, with extremes far higher.
• Mint sets suffer attrition; contaminants make restoration impossible for many dates.
• “Common” dates like 1958-D cents were spent unknowingly; survival rates are unknown.
• Original bank-wrapped clad rolls (1965–1995) are nearly impossible except cents.

Dansco Albums: The Backbone of Type Collecting

I’ve used Dansco albums since the 1980s, and they remain the gold standard for type set presentation. Their slots force discipline: you must choose one coin per design type, and the visual continuity rewards quality. When the BU roll market perks up, Dansco collectors face a dilemma—do you slot a raw mint-set coin or chase a slabbed gem from a broken roll?

Feeding the Dansco from Rolls

From my own break-up of original rolls, I saved varieties and anything at least MS-63, feeding the rest into circulation. For Dansco purposes, a nice chBU example from a 1969-S cent roll (Greysheet $10, retail $59.99) is more than sufficient for a Memorial type slot. The album doesn’t care about pedigree; it cares about representation and eye appeal.

“The only coins seen in quantity are the pennies and some of the nickels. There aren’t any real exceptions.” — paraphrased from cladking’s forum analysis

Album Strategy for Elusive Clad

1. Identify the type hole (e.g., copper-nickel Eisenhower dollar, 1971–78).
2. Acquire a mint-set coin if rolls are unavailable—MS-64 is typical.
3. Reserve original roll hunting for dates like 1971 or 1972 Philly Ikes, which rarely grade above MS-63 if cleaned.
4. Document provenance lightly; Dansco pages accept notations without slabs.

Choosing the Best Strike for the Type

Not all BU is created equal. I’ve graded 1966 quarters that look like they were struck with a worn beach pebble; the dies were left in service far too long under soft-strike settings. For a type set, the “best strike” means a coin that shows the design’s intent, not just one that registers as Uncirculated.

Strike Markers by Denomination

• Lincoln Cents (1940–date): 1968-P can be found gemmy in rolls; 1969-S is often superb from mint sets but rolls are mostly toast.
• Jefferson Nickels: Original rolls scarce; mint sets provide stronger strikes than circulation finds.
• Roosevelt Dimes (1970s): Horribly made, seldom saved; 1971-D a poster child for poor quality.
• Washington Quarters: 1966 and 1969 are strike-challenged; 1982-P almost universally abysmal.
• Ike Dollars: 1971/1972 Philly lack set presence; 1975-P never nice; MS-65 requires luck.

Actionable Takeaway

When filling a Dansco type slot, I prioritize luster and centering over nominal BU status. A cleaned MS-63 Ike that shows the eye appeal of MS-65 because of scarcity is acceptable; a spotted MS-65 from a bad roll is not.

Budget vs High-End Type Collecting

The forum revealed a truth I’ve long suspected: wholesale is leapfrogging price guides because the guides are anachronisms. For budget collectors, this means mint-set singles at $2–5 fill holes affordably. For high-end collectors, original rolls yielding MS-65 gems with real numismatic value justify $50–60 premiums.

Budget Path

• Buy mint-set coins from reputable supply sites (Chief Coin, Village Coin).
• Target chBU examples; most type slots need only MS-63+.
• Avoid speculating on “pig in a poke” bank wraps unless you accept 98% circulation-grade outcomes.

High-End Path

• Seek original unopened rolls of cents; some contain a rare variety and gems.
• Focus on sleepers: Ike dollars, 1969 quarters (only ~15,000 sold via ads historically).
• Slab key dates; cherries get picked fast as rolls vanish.

The Hidden Rarity of Modern Clad

I never imagined BU clads would be tough, but rolls I owned with spots are tough even in mint condition now. Julian Jarvis told me in 1980 he doubted assembling a roll set of quarters without favors; Arlen Kramer and others confirm thin saving. A 1969 quarter original roll? I recovered 160+ from a shop dump around 1980—my only four rolls ever. Survival estimates: maybe 15,000 total sold, unknown survivors.

Why This Affects Type Sets

1. Most survivors are in public hands, not dealer inventories.
2. Aunt Martha’s cigar box has wheat cents, not clad rolls.
3. Demand from birth-year and movie-themed collectors competes with type builders.
4. Redbook pricing is catching up but still lags true scarcity.

Actionable Buying Guidance from the Roll Rush

Based on the linked sellers and my own splits, here is how I’d integrate the perking market into a master type set today:

• Cent type: Start Lincoln at 1940; aim chBU. Original rolls common but risky—buy from LincolnCent.com with eyes open.
• Nickel type: Jefferson from mint sets; original rolls rare but occasionally gemmy with strong luster.
• Dime/Quarter: Default to mint-set MS-64; hunt 1970s singles before rolls disappear.
• Half/Dollar: Kennedys strong; Ikes sleeper—buy raw MS-63+ now for collectibility.

“Speculators always buy what’s available and what’s available is always common.” — cladking

Don’t be the speculator. Be the collector who knows a 1966 quarter’s strike weakness and still slots a decent one with honest patina.

Conclusion: The Historical Weight of a Filled Type Slot

The BU roll market perking up is the final road sign before terra incognita. As a type set collector, my Dansco is a museum of monetary evolution—from wheat cents to Ikes. The forum’s data shows that “common” moderns were consumed, not saved. By choosing the best strike within budget, using mint sets for clad holes, and occasionally gambling on an original cent roll, you build a set that defies the anachronistic guides.

Whether you pursue budget chBU or high-end MS-65, the collectibility of these types rests on their survival against attrition and indifference. History will remember the 1971 Ike not as a dollar, but as a design that almost no one preserved. Your type set, properly struck and albumed with noted provenance, becomes the proof.

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