Collector's card

[Petros]

I am looking for inspiration for describing my Greek coins on cards that I will place in pockets along with the coins. I am curious how you describe your coins.

[Tracy Aiello]

Petros,

My descriptions are, well, pretty uninspiring. On my Larissian coins, for example, I note the region and the city (Thessaly, Larissa), the metal, denomination, minting date, weight, diameter, die axis, a brief description of the obverse and reverse, and then a few references.

If I purchase a coin that comes with a dealer tag or former dealer/owner tags, then I always keep those with the coin.

All the best,

Tracy

[Petros]

Tracy,

My descriptions are similar to yours, but sometimes they have long descriptions of the obverse and reverse. I wonder if this is too detailed and lengthy. For now, I have described a few coins as a trial; it looks like this (the description is in my native language):

[Tracy Aiello]

Petros,

I tend to go overboard on my gallery descriptions here on Forum, so even on a coin tag for me it’s “the more the merrier” with detail and length.

I should note that when I buy a coin from Joe here at Forum I use his coin tag without adding anything or creating my own. His tags are second to none in terms of everything: description, attributions, etc.

I really like the look of your write-ups. I have to admit that I’m jealous of your handwriting. Mine looks like that of a drunken six year old.

All the best,

Tracy

[Petros]

Tracy,

I'm glad you like my descriptions, although I'm not satisfied with them myself. I think my handwriting is ugly. I need to work on my calligraphy.

Could you show what Joe's coin tag looks like?

[Tracy Aiello]

Petros,

I will make a note to myself to take a picture of one of Joe's flip write-ups, and then I'll post it to this thread. It might be a day or so, but I'll try to get it done before this Thursday.

Tracy

[Anaximander]

Tracy's write-ups -the ones we see in the members gallery- are top-notch (I'll bet his flips are typewritten). So are the Joe's. What you see in the FAC store is what you get.

Mine have evolved over time, and now include weight, diameter, and die orientation (the example below is a bit dated). It's all formatted in a standard fashion, and because I made a database of all that information, the collector's card is really just a report. No handwriting to decipher! It also has a coin photo on the back.

Like Tracy, I also keep old dealer tags in my flips.  Some are simply execrable! See the one for Aigina.  Like Meepzorp, I now photograph all dealer tags and keep them in my database, too.

[Tracy Aiello]

Anaximander,

You nailed it with pictures of Joe’s flip inserts/descriptions. Also, now I’m not only jealous of Petros’ handwriting, but I’m jealous of your typed descriptions that also include a picture of the coin. Magnificent!

Thank you for the compliment about my gallery descriptions; it is much appreciated. Sadly, my flip descriptions are not typed. Just poorly handwritten. 

Tracy

[Pharsalos]

I used to keep my records in a notebook, but after many years I began to run out of space.

Recently I changed my record keeping system. I have my coins in a little cabinet, so the tags go in there. The code on the back (R= Roman Imperial , g = Greek etc) matches a file card, where I have the space to record details like coin description and measurements, references, provenance and any relevant notes. This system allows me to add cards when needed, and gives me the space to record all the information I want included.

[Petros]

Anaximander,

Very interesting description. I like it. Is that dashed line where you cut with scissors and then fold in half?

Pharsalos,

That's also an interesting way of describing. There's a lot of information in the description. I see you've opted for traditional handwritten descriptions. It looks good!


What programs do you use to maintain a database with descriptions and photos?

[Anaximander]

Very interesting description. I like it. Is that dashed line where you cut with scissors and then fold in half?
...
What programs do you use to maintain a database with descriptions and photos?

Yes, I cut on the dotted line. In practice, I print a dozen inserts or so at a time; saves paper! When folded over, the inserts are 1.7" x 1.7" and fit nicely in a 2x2" flip.  My bespoke database in is MS Access, since that's what I know.  Filemaker Go comes highly recommended by a fellow FAC member. There is free (?) collector software out there, including MyCollection, if you search for it.

[Ron C2]

I do much the same, I wait until I have 10 or 20 coins needing flip inserts and print them all on one sheet in laser printer ink.  Cut on dotted lines. 

[Petros]

Over the past month and a half, I've been focused on finding the right software to manage my coin collection and practicing my handwriting in calligraphy. When it comes to describing the coins on labels, I write them in cursive and limit the length to the necessary minimum. It looks like this:

[Petros]

Regarding the collection management program, I chose OpenNumismat. The program has open-source code, so you can customize it according to your preferences. You can include descriptions of any length in it. You can add up to 8 photos to each coin. The most significant improvement this program has is the ability to generate PDF reports of the entire collection. Unfortunately, none of the available reports satisfied me, so I made modifications to one of them.

Tell me what you think about it.

[Petros]

.

[Anaximander]

Thanks for sharing this with us. It is wonderful to see the combination of careful hand lettering for your flips and the modern technology for your data. I relish the old handwritten flips, and I make them part of my collection, with photographs, as you do. It would almost be a shame if you were to use the software to print flips.

Love your coins, too. 😊

[Tracy Aiello]

Petros,

I echo Anaximander's sentiments. It is a great combination and your calligraphy write-ups are wonderful. Well done.

Tracy

[Petros]

I'm glad you liked my labels. In my collection, I've opted for traditionalism. I wanted the coins to be described in the same way our predecessors did 100 years ago, dipping a pen in ink. Besides, I think it's great fun.