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Author Topic: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software  (Read 4807 times)

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Michael C7

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Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« on: April 16, 2020, 12:58:13 pm »
Can anyone recommend software for keeping track of ancient and medieval coins. Also, where can I procure such software.

Thanks!

Michael

Offline Blayne W

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #1 on: April 16, 2020, 05:47:28 pm »
Michael

While I havent been collecting as long or have a huge collection I basically have started with my own built Excel sheet.   I did look for a program but didnt have any luck.
Within the sheet I have 4 tabs one each tracking different groups of coins.

Tab 1 is my main collection
Tab 2 are my uncleaned coins
Tab 3 is my Coins I have bought for resale ( that in itself is a joke)
Tab 4 is my Campgate Collection

Now each tab is basically laid out with this info in separate columns;
my own tracking number, obverse description (mostly id the bust of the emperor), reverse description (something simple like Shewolf) , mint, weight, max diameter, obverse inscription, reverse inscription, field marks, RIC or other identifiers, scarcity level if known, and where I got the coin from.   I have a couple other columns that I use to track if I have uploaded to the Forum Gallery and other tracking indicators.

The one nice benefit is that I can quickly sort and filter out what I want to find.
IE I quickly want to see what Hadrian coins I have I just select Hadrian under my obverse description and it will display what Hadrian coins I have (7)

I know its not the most technically savvy program though its been working for me.   If you have access to Excel I am certainly willing to email you a copy if you want to look at it and decide if it would work for you.

Good Luck.

Offline Anaximander

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #2 on: April 18, 2020, 07:21:58 am »
I too use Excel, but that's by necessity rather than preference.  Quite some time ago, I created a database in Access, with the incremental objective of adding coin photographs.  The database worked, but it was a bear to use, owing to the protocol for linking photographs and the resulting file size.  There are also the usual issues of getting non-modern typesets and symbols to work.  I don't want compromises! 

Wouldn't it be great if FAC could host a data table for each user?   Imagine the possibilities. 

Cheers~

Offline Dominic T

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #3 on: April 18, 2020, 07:54:29 am »
 This subject has been discussed in the past here, and the problem with many software is they get obsolete after a certain time and it's impossible to use them anymore. This is not a problem with programs like excel and words. Did you think about the possibility of creating a "Gallery" on FORVM ?
DT

Offline Matthew P

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2020, 09:13:15 am »
I created quite a specific and high functioning database using FileMaker

For years I used excel, and I had added pics to it using the "comments" feature, but excel is quite basic and very easy to delete things from accidently.  It also does not display well on your phone or tablet

FileMaker is fantastic - very customizable, you can add reports, search functions, sorting tabs, different layouts, statistics, photos, different field options, buttons (eg for catagorizing or quick searching)

FileMaker Pro is not cheap to purchase, but the FileMaker Go app is free (and means you can have your database on your iphone or tablet). The FileMaker platform works with PC and Mac, but not with android mobile software unfortunately.

Offline PeterD

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #5 on: April 18, 2020, 09:47:16 am »
Quite some time ago, I created a database in Access, with the incremental objective of adding coin photographs.  The database worked, but it was a bear to use, owing to the protocol for linking photographs and the resulting file size.

Cheers~

I managed to get over the problem of file size in Access by means of a bit of editing of the Visual Basic code. I have almost 1000 coins with pictures listed in the database shown below. Any picture can be seen but do not reside in the database. Even so setting up an Access database takes a bit of work and may be expensive (mine's the 2010 version!).
Peter, London

Historia: A collection of coins with their historical context https://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia

Offline Anaximander

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2020, 10:55:30 am »

I managed to get over the problem of file size in Access by means of a bit of editing of the Visual Basic code. I have almost 1000 coins with pictures listed in the database shown below. Any picture can be seen but do not reside in the database. Even so setting up an Access database takes a bit of work and may be expensive (mine's the 2010 version!).

and

I created quite a specific and high functioning database using FileMaker

For years I used excel, and I had added pics to it using the "comments" feature, but excel is quite basic and very easy to delete things from accidently.  It also does not display well on your phone or tablet

FileMaker is fantastic - very customizable, you can add reports, search functions, sorting tabs, different layouts, statistics, photos, different field options, buttons (eg for catagorizing or quick searching)

Thanks, PeterD and Matthew P:  I'll take that as an inspiration to have another go at a bespoke database.  Hopefully, my subscription to Microsoft 365 will yield an up-to-date version of Access that will allow me to do what I'd like.  It's been a while since my last attempt, but my other database projects made good use of Visual Basic, and this will help me keep up my MS Access skills.

One take-away for Michael C7 is that you're better off building your own tool -even a simple one- than relying on some commercial product that invariably experiences a technological "sunset".  Start with a spreadsheet.  Mine will be imported into a new database with minimal fuss.


Offline Matthew P

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #7 on: April 19, 2020, 12:13:02 am »
Enjoy the journey - creating a personalized database has been lots of fun for me & helped me appreciate coins more
All the best

Offline Anaximander

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2020, 07:23:15 am »
My renewed effort at a true coin database has yielded, in short order, a working version.  It was good fun and it refreshed some skills (Visual Basic, MS Access) that had atrophied from lack of use.  I say it's a working version despite it being fully functional.  In my experience, it's best to continue working on new or updated features.  It grows or it dies.

I'm going to call this my ABCD, as in my Antiquities, Books, and Coins Database.  So far, it's just about coins. I'm eventually going to add tables, forms, and reports to include ancient Roman antiquities and my numismatic books, like PeterD's.  Screenshot below

I like having the photos along with the coin records.  Access has improved handling photos; I'm now able to reference the photos (a simple text field with path and filename) that are maintained outside the database.  The 'attachments' feature allows any number of additional items; I've added pdf and jpg files of sellers' flips and could add invoices and monograms.

What makes my database unique is the ability to print flips, twelve per page, with coin photos on the back.   
The one downside is that the coin photo file size needs to come down to something similar to that when using Forum member galleries (like a good-sized thumbnail), otherwise the application cannot manage a dozen flips at a time. 

Anaximander


Offline PeterD

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2020, 08:48:55 am »
Nice job, Chris.
Peter, London

Historia: A collection of coins with their historical context https://www.forumancientcoins.com/historia

Michael C7

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2020, 08:37:15 am »
Many thanks for all the responses and great ideas!

Michael

Offline Anaximander

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #11 on: August 26, 2020, 12:19:24 pm »
It's been more than three months since my last post here. As I said then, it grows or it dies.  Happy to report: it grows, the database, that is.  Having seen the power of a database, I borrowed features seen elsewhere, such as having a place to record coin thumbnails and tags.  I had only ever seen tags as part of a coin record by  Meepzorp

Here's an updated screenshot of the basic display. New: tabs for photo, thumbnail, tag, and attachments. And a coin "summary" that I can copy and paste directly into my Forum gallery entry.  Knowing the filename for the thumbnail and having a summary, I can rapid-fire add new coins to my gallery



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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #12 on: August 26, 2020, 07:59:12 pm »
I used the MyCollection sofware, based on SQL, very useful for great amount of data...

Regards

 Joe

https://mrcollector.eu/software/index.php?lang=en
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Anaximander

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #13 on: August 27, 2020, 05:58:53 am »
The MyCollection coin management software is new to me, Joe, and I appreciate your citing it here.
Another link:
 https://www.facebook.com/ManagingYourCollection/

In reading its online description, it has some great capabilities. And it's free! 
The underlying platform, SQL, is a hardy one, and will likely be around for a long time.
Now we have a viable alternative to spreadsheets and laborious bespoke DBMS.





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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #14 on: August 27, 2020, 04:37:10 pm »
Dear Chris,
I really recommended it, it has so many possibilities...
I started to use the several years ago the earlier version and later
upgraded the newest version without losing any data (SQL 👍)
Till now more than 17000 records (coins, antiquities, books, crystals,
Fossils etc ) in it together several references pictures documents ...
Easy query and so on 👍

Regards

Joe
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline Jeremiah B

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #15 on: August 11, 2021, 03:11:33 pm »
I use the Memento Database.  It has an Android and IOS app, as well as a desktop version.  Data syncs to the could, and it can import and export to excel.  I'd be happy to share a blank database file if anyone was interested. 

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #16 on: August 11, 2021, 04:26:27 pm »
I’d love to check it out and give it a try, though it’s very important to me
 not to crash after a few thousand records because then one man just threw the
 work and time out the window.

Regards

 Joe
All the Best :), Joe
My Gallery

Offline MARK W10

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2022, 03:57:51 pm »
i have just downloaded the my collection software to try it out thanks for mentioning this as it wasnt one i had heard of.
mark

Offline Luis Miguel I

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Re: Ancient & Medieval coin inventory software
« Reply #18 on: May 07, 2022, 05:09:07 am »
Muchas gracias por la información. Hasta ahora había tenido un control mental de mis monedas pero cada día son más y ya ni las recuerdo. Instalaré mycollection y empezaré la ardua y satisfactoria tarea de ir agregando mis monedas.

 

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