There is a
fair case to be made that every die cut as an individual (i.e. before mechanical
duplication) could be given a separate
catalog entry in a 'complete'
work on the series. There is a need for any author to adopt a philosophy of numismatic cataloging and decide where to draw the line on separate entries. If we recognize, for example,
Fortuna Redux as a
type do we list as 'standard' Fortvn Reduc and add a footnote covering the dozens of variations (Rdevc, Reredvc etc.) or do we list each version with a whole number? Do we acknowledge the fact that some dies split words in different places - some are extremely varied? Coin catalogs are attempts to force an unnatural order on a subject not created with this in mind. Anything less than a
complete list of dies (or states of dies when there was change in states) involves a compromise but anything approaching
complete makes a shelf breaker of a book. I predict the answer soon will be a move to e-books with expandable levels that can be ignored or worshiped at the whim of the user. I'd prefer
catalog numbers with decimal points or alphanumeric suffix sections even if the
work is a
standard binding format.
