New PMG Registry Categories Highlight Ways to Collect

New Competitive Set definitions are continually added to the Registry based on requests from users. Recently, PMG expanded the Large Size Federal Reserve Notes category. The types of sets included cover everything from type sets to district sets to complete sets. This wide variety of options is meant to mirror the many ways these notes are collected, and they also illustrate the variety available in the PMG Registry.

To better understand exactly what is available in the PMG Registry, it is worth exploring the various set options in the Large Size Federal Reserve Notes category:

TYPE SETS include one of each major design variety in the series. Large Size Federal Reserve Notes (FRN) were issued in denominations from $5 to $10,000. Only eight examples are known of the $5,000 and five of the $10,000. Because of their rarity, these two denominations are not included in the Type Sets, but all seven other denominations are.

The major design change in the FRN series concerns seal color. First issued in red seal, the seal was later changed to blue for the duration of the series. Both seal colors are available for the $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes, and both seal types are included in the Type Set. This brings the total number of notes required for completion to 12.

In addition to this Complete Type Set, the PMG Registry also includes a five-note Red Seal Type Set and five-note Blue Seal Type Set, each consisting of all five denominations issued. These abbreviated sets are a popular way to collect this series.

DISTRICT SETS include one example of each of the 12 Federal Reserve Districts for which these notes were issued. The sets themselves are split by denomination and major type. For both seal types of the $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 district sets are offered. Thus, there are 10 different district sets available for Large Size Federal Reserve Notes. The $500 and $1,000 sets have not been included; not all districts are known for these denominations and the exceptional values of these notes limit their collectibility in this fashion. If there is demand for these sets, they can be added at a future date.

COMPLETE SETS provide an option for collectors who focus on one particular denomination and want an example of every variety and available signature combination. All Friedberg numbers for a particular note are included, including replacement notes (for Small Size, the option of complete sets with and without star notes is usually offered). These are big and challenging sets. For $5 Blue Seal FRN alone, this amounts to more than 100 different notes.

Even with all these options, there is one downside to the competitive set definitions. They conform a rigid collecting path. Usually the most popular options are available or can be requested, but if one of the 25 different Large Size Federal Reserve Notes sets doesn’t conform to the way a particular collector is constructing his or her set, the Registry offers another option: Signature Sets. Signature Sets allow collectors to design their own sets and include the notes they want, no matter how they collect. These, too, are judged annually for awards. This would be the perfect place to start that District Set of $500 or $1,000 Large Size Federal Reserve Notes!