How Does Everyone Catalog Their Collection?

For my price "code" I used to use simple Roman numerals. Again, the point was not to keep my secrets from the North Koreans. It was just not to have an obvious "$65" sitting right there should I wish to show my collection to someone. But then I thought I might want to transfer the raw material to a proper database and, out of curiosity, add up how much money I could document that I've ever spent on coins. Or on Constantines. Or on biblical coins. Or whatever. Roman numerals won't work as a field entry for those computations.

 

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I've found that with long file names, I don't often need to switch between pics and the detailed verbal and numerical info in the spreadsheet. For example, my large motto two cent piece has about twelve pictures taken variously by me, Heritage, and PCGS. They are all in a directory called two_cent_1864_large_motto_540, where 540 is the inventory number. A typical name of a pic is two_cent_1864_large_motto_540_pic03_2012_Heritage_ms64rb.jpg, where 03 is the pic number, it was taken in 2012 by Heritage, and the current coin grade is MS64RB. The coin is also in the spreadsheet under inventory number 540, and there is more detailed info on it, like grading history, where it was purchased, what it cost, source of funds for payment, etc. plus any remarks on its appearance. I keep Excel and FastStone up and running at all times, so it's easy to switch between the spreadsheet and pic directories.

I encrypt only a few files (like password, personnel, and account number files), and my coin files are not among them. I just don't see much damage that could happen if someone got my coin inventory or picture files.

I'm a fanatic about back-up, especially offsite back-up. What if the house burns down or a burglar makes off with all computer equipment? Backup doesn't do much good then if it was sitting near the computer.

The coins reside in a safe deposit box.

Cal

 

When I first started keeping a record, I used MS Word. It looked very much like Ken Dorney's and even SteveX' page. I could fit one or two coins on each page. But thinking about it long term made me switch towards using Excel. Its just more easier to organize when needed. Sure the image looks smaller but when you start getting lots of coins to input, the sorting becomes more important.

 

I use both ... sweet word programs for pretty album presentation ... and an excel spreadsheet for all of my different ways of cataloging my precious (oh, and I'm about to revamp my awesome excel spreadsheet with cool drop-down filters)

... the youngin's in my office have taught me some sweet tricks (yup, every now and then young-folks can be quite clever)

 

I do enjoy these threads to see what everyone else does. I use Tapforms database which syncs between my computer and iPad (I do most of my cointalking through the iPad). My only complaint about tapforms is that the designing of a form is a little clunky, and hard to get entries looking uniform.

I am starting a process of having word pages too for better presentation and more room to include things like write-ups for individual coins. This is not meant to replace my database, but supplement it.

 

I have my own mini Wildwinds type of database (all html based) that allows me to arrange things hierarchically.

I have a top level page for the entire collection leading to sub-pages for Greek, Republic, Imperatorial, Imperial

For Imperial coins I have arranged emperors etc. chronologically with an index of 001 for Augustus for example or 064 for Septimius Severus. Each coin is given a unique reference RI064a through to RI064zzz for examples for Imperial, GI064a etc. for provincial.

I tend to organise within each emperor by City and RIC number with each coin having a separate page with a photo and full details of attribution, references, purchase history, comments e.g. provenance, weight, size etc.

It works for me.
Martin

 

This is me. I am dedicating my retirement to going through my coins. Right now, I try to get them in a flip, keeping any seller info I get with them if it came with any. I "try" to attribute the coin but if unknown right now just label it as a category, (roman republic, etc). I do at least try to get them into a box with similar pieces.

Then I have "the pile". Tens of thousands of uncleaned coins, group lot purchases, world coins, etc. Those are also waiting for retirement.

When others "plan for retirement" they are thinking about not eating cat food. I am "planning for retirement" in my own way.

Honestly, the best way I have of knowing what I own is the coins I post on CT. While I might only post 1% of my coins here, at least I can go back and know I own them, (somewhere).

 

I think about cataloging all my coins during retirement while enjoying a nice can of Fancy Feast.

 

@medoraman your retirement sounds like heaven to me

 

Being retired, I know that sometimes sacrifices must be made. Fancy Feast is one of those. Too expensive. I go for Friskies Wet. My favorite is Classic Pate. Hmmmmm.

 

Be careful what you wish for.

 

For mine, I created MSWord document in landscape mode using a table option with multiple columns. Each row in the table is 1 coin.

This is how I laid mine out. Column for Date and Type (easy to search on), Grading History (order is oldest on bottom and most recent on top. Sometimes I put the date of the grade on it too. Under that, the contact info for the seller. Then I often use the official PCGS TrueView photo in the Coin Image column (single photographer, level playing field). Purchase info on the price I paid and shipping, and the ebay seller moniker and date of purchase. Then I will often put either comments or the sellers photos in those Comments/Photos fields. For appraised value, just a rough guess somewhat fluid. This is all the info I would ever need when I go to look at the history of a coin I own.

 

I learned to use Microsoft Access and created a database. It's not great, but it's pretty good. I want to redo it but I haven't had the time lately. I wanted to use

 

I have been asking everybody and myself countless times What is the best system, but I didn't get a really satisfying answer. I'm not very good with computer programs (never really mastered Excel or Access, only Word).
I was amazed (coming late into coins) that there are no general acceptable computer systems, like there are in the old-book world where I come from. One would expect some computerwise numismatist could make a lot of extra bucks designing a simple and not too expensive coin description system, with pictures and records that can be made invisible (i.e., paid prices).

I tried some systems, but in the end I decided to make a simple system in Word, numbering the coins from 1000-9999 (I have about 700 pieces).
1000 is Ancient Greece, 2000 Ancient Rome, 4000 non-classical Ancient Europe, 5000 Ancient Iran, 6000 Ancient Central Asia, 7000 Europe after 1000 AD and 8000 Odds and Ends. These numbers link to pictures, sometimes two, but occasionally 5-10, that I keep in a separate database.

It looks like this:
3102. AE Gaius Caesar,Phrygia Laodicea, 5 BC. Obv. Bare head r. Rev. Eagle standing facing, looking left between two monograms. 16 mm, 2,59 gr. RPC 2900; SNG Cop. 557. Ebay, Jan. 2017, € 40

Part of my coins was my father-in-law's, and he had a simple description system that I'm using:



2839.
AE22 Gratian (367-383), Lyons. Obv.: Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust r. DNGRATIA NVSPFAVG. Rev.: Emperor standing facing, head left, holding Victory on globe in left hand and raising kneeling, turreted woman with right hand. REPARATIO REIPVB. S in right field.
Mintmark LVGS. 22 mm. 3.71 gr. RIC IX Lyons 28a, rated common. Pa 1974. Found around Elst (near Noviomagum, opp. Rhine bank) together with a Magnentius and a Commodus bronze.

 

I'm highly doubtful that there is such a thing as a "best system" for cataloguing ancient coins, since every collector has differing ideas about what data is important to record about his/her collection. There are almost endless variables that a collector can track, but I doubt that even any two collectors would agree on what those variables should be. Moreover, one collector's nirvana (e.g., a database program) might be another collector's idea of drudgery.

This thread has provided an incredibly broad set of suggestions and examples of methods for cataloguing a collection. I can't imagine you won't find something that works for you, somewhere in this broad range of ideas.

 

Let's look at Excel again. If you require, say, 25 columns to meet your descriptive and data needs, go ahead and create them. Excel makes it very easy to "hide" entire columns, and easy to retrieve them for data entry. This eliminates visual clutter (maybe only 6 or 8 columns are normally showing) but you have lost no detail, and for the sake of privacy (a concern of some members), the "price paid" or "insurance value" can be among the hidden columns.

You can even keep a list of the hidden columns nearby, on a piece of paper by the computer, or in a field you can reach with one keystroke. I think some members here are intimidated by the thought of a spreadsheet 4 feet wide. No problemo.

 

Sure, but not every collector is able to design his own system. I'm not. For me it would be nice if there was a basic system, like Homebase for old books that gives you an easy start.

For you Excel is easy, probably you started to learn it early. For me it is not so easy to master a program like that. Maybe I should.

 

But most of us haven't mastered five different languages either!

Let me say that my own Excel spreadsheet is as rudimentary as it gets. The most sophisticated feature I use is the ability to insert small (but resizable) images of my coins. Every other feature is basic -- e.g., formatting cells for numbers rather than text, etc. -- and could be learned in a small amount of time once you've started working with Excel.

It may be that you want more sophistication in your coin catalog than mine has, and that might take more learning and use of more sophisticated Excel features. But a basic spreadsheet that serves as a coin catalog is, I'm certain, well within your ability to learn and use.

 

Without a doubt! If I can use it, then anyone on this forum can use it. I'm a computer idiot, but I can fill in a simple spreadsheet. And like IoM, the most sophisticated part of my spreadsheet is the inclusion of images (which is about as simple as breathing).

One again, I can send a sample of my coin catalog spreadsheet to anyone who wants to give it a try. Just PM me if interested.