diff --git a/src/gen/lib/grampstype.py b/src/gen/lib/grampstype.py
index c1824341c..2f93786a1 100644
--- a/src/gen/lib/grampstype.py
+++ b/src/gen/lib/grampstype.py
@@ -31,12 +31,17 @@ Base type for all gramps types.
 #------------------------------------------------------------------------
 from gettext import gettext as _
 
-def _init_map(data, key_col, data_col):
+def _init_map(data, key_col, data_col, blacklist=None):
     """
     Initialize the map, building a new map from the specified columns.
     """
-    new_data = dict([ (item[key_col], item[data_col]) 
-                    for item in data ])
+    if blacklist:
+        new_data = dict([ (item[key_col], item[data_col]) 
+                        for item in data 
+                        if not item[0] in blacklist ])
+    else:
+        new_data = dict([ (item[key_col], item[data_col]) 
+                        for item in data ])
     return new_data
 
 class GrampsTypeMeta(type):
@@ -51,20 +56,28 @@ class GrampsTypeMeta(type):
         mcs.__class_init__(namespace)
         
 class GrampsType(object):
-    """Base class for all Gramps object types."""
+    """Base class for all Gramps object types.
+        
+    _DATAMAP is a 3-tuple like (index, localized_string, english_string)
+    _BLACKLIST is a list of indices to ignore (obsolete/retired entries)
+      (gramps policy is never to delete type values, 
+       or reuse the name (TOKEN) of any specific type value)
+
+    """
     
     _CUSTOM = 0
     _DEFAULT = 0
 
     _DATAMAP = []
+    _BLACKLIST = None
     
     __metaclass__ = GrampsTypeMeta
     
     def __class_init__(cls, namespace):
-        cls._I2SMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 0, 1)
-        cls._S2IMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 1, 0)
-        cls._I2EMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 0, 2)
-        cls._E2IMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 2, 0)
+        cls._I2SMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 0, 1, cls._BLACKLIST)
+        cls._S2IMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 1, 0, cls._BLACKLIST)
+        cls._I2EMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 0, 2, cls._BLACKLIST)
+        cls._E2IMAP = _init_map(cls._DATAMAP, 2, 0, cls._BLACKLIST)
     
     __class_init__ = classmethod(__class_init__)
     
diff --git a/src/gen/lib/test/grampstype_test.py b/src/gen/lib/test/grampstype_test.py
index 2b07c2f35..8db39024a 100644
--- a/src/gen/lib/test/grampstype_test.py
+++ b/src/gen/lib/test/grampstype_test.py
@@ -8,17 +8,28 @@ from gen.lib.grampstype import GrampsType, _init_map
 # some simple map items to test with
 vals = "zz ab cd ef".split()
 keys = range(len(vals))
-MAP = [ (k,v*2,v) for (k,v) in zip(keys, vals) ]
+MAP  = [ (k,v*2,v) for (k,v) in zip(keys, vals) ]
+BLIST= [1,3]
 
 class GT0(GrampsType):
     _DEFAULT  = 1 # just avoiding the pre-coded 0
     _CUSTOM   = 3 # just avoiding the pre-coded 0
     _DATAMAP = MAP
 
+# NOTE: this type of code might be used in a migration utility
+#   to allow conversions or other handling of retired type-values 
+# A migration utility might instantiate several of these with
+#   varying blacklist-specs
+class GT1(GT0):
+    _BLACKLIST = BLIST
+
+class GT2(GT1):
+    _BLACKLIST=None
+
 class Test1(U.TestCase):
 
     # some basic tests
-    def test1a(s):
+    def test1a_basic(s):
         s.gt=GT0()
         s.assertTrue(isinstance(s.gt, GrampsType))
         # spot-check that MAPs get built
@@ -30,7 +41,7 @@ class Test1(U.TestCase):
     # (we ignore instance here -- maybe SB tested, too?)
     # this test depends on having _DEFAULT=1, _CUSTOM=3
     # NB: tuple tests w/ lengths < 2 fail before release 10403
-    def test1b(s):
+    def test1b_init_value(s):
         for i,v,u in ( 
                 (None, 1,u''),      # all DEFAULT
                 (0, 0,u''), 
@@ -51,6 +62,22 @@ class Test1(U.TestCase):
             s.assertEquals(g,u, 
                 msg(g,u, "initialization string from '%s'" % `i`))
 
+# test blacklist functionality added to enable fix of bug #1680
+class Test2(U.TestCase):
+    def test2a_blacklist(s):
+        s.gt=GT1()
+        # check that MAPs have lengths reduced by blacklist 
+        e= len(keys) - len(BLIST) 
+        g= len(s.gt._E2IMAP)
+        s.assertEquals(g,e, msg(g,e, "expected length of blacklisted MAP"))
+
+        s.ub=GT2()
+        # check that these MAPS are now un-blacklisted
+        e= len(keys) 
+        g= len(s.ub._E2IMAP)
+        s.assertEquals(g,e, msg(g,e, "expected length of un-blacklisted MAP"))
+
+
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     U.main()