Editorial policy
How records are made
Accuracy is valued above scale. A small, properly sourced catalogue is worth more than a large speculative one.
Source-first workflow
- 1
Identify sources
Locate standard catalogues, museum records, archives and specialist literature for the field before any record is written.
- 2
Evaluate sources
Rank each by authority, primary or secondary status, edition and coverage.
- 3
Build the master taxonomy
Extract the classification the sources actually use, rather than inventing one.
- 4
Cross-reference
Compare at least two independent sources wherever possible.
- 5
Record conflicts
Where authorities disagree, both readings are published with attribution.
- 6
Publish
A record is created only after the underlying type is verified. Unverified material stays out of the catalogue.
Confidence levels
What is never invented
- Catalogue numbers, mint marks and serial formats
- Dates, denominations, weights and dimensions
- Manufacturers, rulers and issuing authorities
- Rarity, prices and auction results
- References and photographs
Where evidence is missing, the record says “research required” instead of guessing.
Identification is not valuation
Identification, condition, rarity and market value are four separate things. A rare object can be inexpensive; a common one can be valuable in exceptional condition. This catalogue answers what an object is — not what it is worth.
Images
Only photographs of real objects are used, from public-domain, museum or openly licensed sources, each credited with its licence and original page. Machine-generated images are never used to depict a real object.
Review and revision
Submissions from collectors enter a pending queue and are never published automatically. The workflow is: submitted → reviewed → sources checked → approved → published. Records keep their revision date, and changes of attribution are recorded with the source that justified them.
Submit a correction or a missing type