Wendy Wiener wrote in message <[log in to unmask]>... > I am trying to develop a numbering system for props and > reproductions used in a historic house museum. I want the > numbering system to be distinct from our regular object > numbering system (ex., 1997.1), so they can be easily > distinguished. > ...> The Octagon, the Museum of the American Institute of > Architects Washington, DC > [log in to unmask] Burnaby Village Museum in the City of Burnaby (next door to Vancouver), British Columbia, CANADA also faces this challenge. Originally usable items and replicas were not numbered at our museum but this led to major confusion as they were mixed in with artifacts and the replicas acquired the equivalent of a hundred years of patina in just a few years of heavy use. A replica wooden top that looked ancient but had been made only three years before my arrival in 1986 made me decide to have a separate numbering system for replicas. To complicate the issue, we are now also sometimes used as a site for movie and TV series filming (e.g. Stephen King's "IT", Deadman's Gun and Disney productions). My prime purpose was to distinguish between artifacts and replicas. We had the additional problem of many "artifacts" in the collection that lacked accession numbers. I settled on an "X" prefix (for expendable). This has two levels. X and a number or X and no number X and a number e.g. X1234 . For replicas that may be expensive or hard to replace. A file is created to track the source, price etc. e.g. if it was a replica costing hundreds of dollars, where did we buy it and how much did it cost or who made it? An example is a replica rocking horse made by a volunteer. If the item is lost or destroyed, we can find the SOURCE to see if we can acquire another one. This gives a starting point which is especially important when there are staff changes and current staff don't remember where the replica had been bought. These also tend to be items that are worth keeping track of - of inventorying as individual items. If the item is an accessioned artifact, one hates to spend a lot of labour and suffer ethical dilemas about deaccessioning. One can more easily designate an artifact to usable status and could if one wished simply add a prefix to the existing accession number e.g. BV998.1.2 becomes XBV998.1.2 An example might be a vintage car designated for use. XBV - We also have a category of "X" without a number. In our case "XBV" (= expendable, Burnaby Village). These items are low cost or made on site and not worth inventorying in detail. This category includes brooms, small flags, laser colour copies of old Christmas cards and sheet music covers etc. For copies of artifacts I also often put "Copy of...." and the accession number. The XBV can be written onto replica paper items with pen or ink, and can even be stamped into metal replicas from our blacksmith shop. The Province of Alberta's historic sites have a 5 level tier system. We have been contemplating a tier level system but have some practical problems. For example the individual item may not be marked with its tier level. If this were the case, Interpretive staff would have difficulty in distinguishing which items with accession numbers might be used. Colin Macgregor Stevens Curator Burnaby Village Museum City of Burnaby BC CANADA [log in to unmask]