I have seen these numbers in a coin magazine and find them pretty good in showing the between different coin changes. But, I do not see them anywhere else. Am I just looking in the wrong place or is it not totally accepted in the coin word?
Chet Krause and Cliff Mishler designed the KM numbering system for world coins many years ago. Your local library may carry one of the very large volumes that Krause Publications sells. Dealers all use them as do many of us collectors. These are quite expensive to buy but places like Amazon and Half.com sell slightly older versions very cheap.
At different year of publishing, I have a Red, Blue and Black book of US Coins. And in none of them list a KM #, only in the one coin magazine I use to get years ago. Thank you, I will look into that web site.
Only foreign/world coins use the KM numbering system, that's why you will not see them in U.S. coin books.
There are other numbering systems for U.S. coins but they usually relate to errors and varieties, such as the Snow system for older Cents, the Overton system for older half dollars and the Wexler system (W)DRR or (W)DDO for obverse and reverse error coins of the U.S.
There are KM#s for US coins also. Numista for one shows them http://en.numista.com/catalogue/etats-unis-1.html One of the major weekly magazines (NN?) lists them also
Numista is a fantastic resource. The KM numbers are widely recognized (at least in the US). They are a great starting point for identifying types at a high level. When you get into varieties for a series, there will be another numbering system used specific to that series. Many countries use their own numbering systems for their own coins as well that are usually more comprehensive than the KM system.
How many world coin collectors remember the changeover from Y numbers to KM numbers? I do and it took me a LONG time to re-number, a very LONG time. And the Craig numbers, luckily I had fewer than 200 to do. As for Chinese banknotes, whew I don't even remember how long it took to ADD the KM#; I normally used the Smith-Matravers numbers. Oh well, such is progress.
I do, the real problem was every so often they would "renumber" a country Once they renumbered I believe it was Columbia two years in a row. Then when they started issuing the books as individual centuries the went back and started renumbering ALL the countries beginning in the 16th century to date. That's why Austria has KM#'s in the 3000's And there are still coins in the KM catalog identified with C and Y numbers. And a few other catalog numbers as well, especially in China. then you have the problem that in order to make room in the books there are many issues that have been dropped out. I have many coins with catalog numbers that aren't even in the books anymore. That's why i have my old catalogs. (I have a complete set of all the KM Standard Catalogs back to the first one in 1972.)
I stand corrected and must have been thinking about the older system. Old age has this effect on us oldsters but when I'm wrong, I'm wrong.
Conder101, you are a braver person than I; just didn't have room for ALL of them. Kept a few for sentimental reasons. Saddest thing was my book dealer friend found me a first edition Pick catalog but later in the afternoon I picked it up as his shop my truck was stolen and my 1st edition Pick was gone! Anyway, now I keep most current and donate rest to the local library. Their numismatic section is POOR at best but is improving. It now has world coin and world paper money catalogs along with a few Red Books. All I know is IF they renumber again I'm in real trouble as their is little room left on the 2x2s for more. LOL
