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Author Topic: Your comment about my ranking system  (Read 1225 times)

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Offline Flav V

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Your comment about my ranking system
« on: May 10, 2021, 01:50:48 pm »
Hello, i post here beause it is about roman coins.

As many of you knows, im working on my database. Today, this is 38 emperors ranked. The Vth century is soon full. This database contains all known coins i found, new variants or types i discovered and rare illustrations. But today im not here to talk about what it contains but about a problem i have with the ranking.

I classify everything, even legend breaks. Why legend breaks? Because as it happen sometimes, it permit to isolate specific issues, engravors... Therefroe, here is how i classify:

- The first coin of a serie is with a number, example #5.

- Same coin but with a legend break, i add (1) in front. Example #5 (1), #5 (2). Classifying too the length of the break. VICTOR - I will be (1) and VICTO - RI (2).

- Variants of jewells on diadem, item or other, i add ''var''. Example: #5 var, or #5 var (1) if legend break.

- If a second variant occur on same coin, i add a number in front of ''var''. Example #5 var 2 or #5 var 2 (1) meaning that the difference is the legend break.

- Orientations of bust, i add A or B... Example: #5 A (seen from ahead), #5 B (seen from back).


the problem is with officinas. Imagine a coin with no officina: CONOB. Ill rank it as #5 because it is the first coin of the serie (carefful im not saying it the first coin struck, i just rank it first becasue there is no officina). Then come the same coin with the officina A. I classify it as #5 a. If the second officina known is  :Greek_epsilon:, it will be #5 b...
But if we have the first coin of the serie with officina A, it will be: #5. ''off var'' meaning that the variant is on the officina, example Z / A...

Here is my questions: Are you loosed? If you read a serie with officina A with number 5a and then another with officina A #5 only?

I think about simply add a when officina is A, b for B... O for  :Greek_Theta_2:, G for  :Greek_Gamma:, D for  :Greek_Delta:.... But then, how i classify CONOB then  :dot:CONOB :dot:? Or  :dots2: stars and other? Thats why i stay on this ranking. No letter = first coin of the serie, a first officina known. Another thing is when marks in field are I, II... if i note #5 I or #5 II i think it will be too much manners of classifying the marks.

Should i stay on this actual ranking for marks or change? Anyway, i think that photos talk by themselves, explaining the ranking. If you read CONOB with #5 and then seen CONOB with  :Greek_Zeta: mark classified #5 b, you understand it is the second known officina.

The last problem is what happen if another new officina appear in a treasure? I need to change all letters... Is someone have an idea of ranking for marks?

I specify that it is not necessary to say me that i shouldnt rank so much things. It is necessary and my works will be published soon (BCEN and SENA) and has already been read by great experts. As i said at beginning, even the legend breaks permitted me to found many discovers.

Offline Molinari

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2021, 02:17:09 pm »
I find it a bit confusing, but perhaps that is the language barrier. Have you considered using a plain decimal system rather than parentheses and letters?  In that case each number after the decimal corresponds to a different category. So each type has a whole number, but each category of variation within the type corresponds to a spot--the tens are inscription variations, the one-hundreds are jewels, diadems, and other adornments, etc. That, to me, would be more simple, and you'd just have to establish the major categories at the outset, and leave a 0 for no change in that decimal category. But I'm also biased because that sort-of copies the Dewey Decimal System  ;D

Offline Flav V

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2021, 04:22:36 pm »
Thats a good idea but i dnt see how to classify coins with 2 variants and officina (jewells + break + officina). I agree it can a bit confusing but i think that after some readings of the database with photos it will become more easier to remember.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2021, 04:55:59 pm »
I classify everything

What is the purpose of this sophisticated classification? I am afraid that it will end like Rasiel's classification in ERIC: a lot of work, a lot of corrections and probably no one uses it.
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Offline Flav V

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2021, 05:08:00 pm »
Actually everything is on my database. Everyone can eliminate results with filters, so it should be more eaiser to read than ERIC. All coins have their own page with comments. Anyway if o do a book on the Vth century, ill rank legend break and other minor diffrences on specific page. Maybe ill do an update for hiding those results on the database for those who want.

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #5 on: May 13, 2021, 10:20:19 pm »
I think it is important to classify things that were probably dictated to the engravers and probably not a die engraver's whim. Small variations that were probably just style or random seem less important. I realize we don't always know the difference.

With line breaks, I like to type VICTOR-IA AVG or VICTORIA - AVG, but not VICTOR - IA AVG. I use spaces before and after the dash only if a break is between words. Just the way I like it.
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Offline Flav V

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2021, 01:34:48 am »
About line breaks i choose this: - when there is a space between the same word. – when space between two words. Example: VICT - ORIA – AVGG
With this system, if a coin described has no photo, we can imagine more precisely how is the coin.

Offline Lech Stępniewski

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2021, 07:11:44 am »
With this system, if a coin described has no photo, we can imagine more precisely how is the coin.

There was so many errors in descriptions in the past that now only fully illustrated database make sense.
Lech Stępniewski
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Offline Flav V

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Re: Your comment about my ranking system
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2021, 11:53:15 pm »
This is the case and the target of the database. 1% of coins on the database has no photo (because of copyrights). 99,9% of coins i classified has their photos on my private files. Only a little part has no photo and those coins are ''to be confirmed''. This is mentionned on the comments.

 

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