Isn't this essentially the problem discussed at
http://www.stetson.edu/%7Eefriedma/mathmagic/0403.html?
The table says that N(16, 2) = 104, that is, with a certain 16 denominations,
at most 2 stamps (coins) can produce every value up to 104.  I think the
sequence you suggest can be constructed from the s = 2 column of the table.
 
The rows d = 2,3,4,5,6 are A014616, A001208, A01209, A01210, and A01211.
The columns s = 2,3,4,5,6 are A001212, A01213, A001214, A001215, A001216.
This provides an explanation of these sequences, and in several cases
extensions, and in the case of A001214 possibly a correction (a(8) = 220 in
the OEIS and 228 in the table).
 
----- Original Message -----
From: N. J. A. Sloane
To: math-fun@mailman.xmission.com
Cc: njas@research.att.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 12:57 AM
Subject: [math-fun] A sequence from Gardner's 6th book

Since there has been some discussion of this book,
here is a sequence suggested by a problem in Chapter 4.

Let S be a list of positive integers (with repeats allowed)
such that every number from 1 to n can be obtained
as a sum of 1 or 2 elements from S.

(The minimal number of coins so that every amount
from 1 through n can made using 1 or 2 coins)

What are the values of a(n) = min size of any such S , for n = 1, 2, ...?
(I don't know the answer.)

M. G. says that a(100) <= 16, using S =
{ 1 3 4 5 8 14 20 26 32 38 44 47 48 49 51 52}
found by Peter Wegner.

NJAS

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