Definition: The type is the general series of which the coin is a part. For example, for U.S. Quarter Dollars, the standing Liberty Quarter is a type. In ancient coins, the term type describes the general devices present, such as describing coins with the legend IOVI CONSERVATORI with a male figure standing on the reverse, as a "Jupiter type."
Examples:
The coin was extremely worn, but I could make out that the type was the Flying Eagle Cent.