Identification Numbering System

Number registration: to prevent all sorts of problems like double-numbering and duplicate entries, there is an “official” process for creating a new number, assigning it to an item, and registering that number and its item in a special database. To keep this “clean,” only the Director or Registrar may create and assign a new number.

All items in the GHM collections are given an identification number. These numbers follow this structure:

YYYY.GG.SSorII.ii.a

YYYY = Year (full 4-digit number) of which the ID number is being created.

GG = Group (or “lot”) number. This usually reflects a single donation of any number of items. The number starts at “1” each year — the first lot received in that year — and each lot is incrementally higher. So the first donated lot of item(s) in 2023 would be given 2023.1, and the second lot would be given 2023.2.

II or SS = Item number, or series number.

Item number: Most lots consist of individual items, with each one being given an item number. For example, if the first donated lot in 2023 held two items, their complete identification numbers would be 2023.1.1 and 2023.1.2. This is typical of the majority of artifacts in our collection. When the third number is an item number, it will never be followed by another period/number. Series number: sometimes, a lot will contain a “set” of something; we call this a series. For example, imagine that first lot in 2023 consisted of two items; perhaps one item is a toothbrush, while the other is an envelope containing a set of 10 postcards from France. That set of postcards will be given a series number, and each individual postcard given its own item number in that series… which brings us to the last set of numbers: ii = items inside a series. In the example above, the toothbrush will be given 2023.1.1, and the postcards given 2023.1.2.1 and 2023.1.2.2 and 2023.1.2.3 and so on, all the way to 2023.1.2.10.

If an identification number has four segments, then segment three is always a series number, and segment four always an item in a series.

a = separate elements or pages

A note about old accession numbers: there still are some numbers in our system that were created before this standard system was adopted, and still use atypical numbering; most commonly, a haphazard use of letters. If you find any of these, work with the Director to officially convert them to the correct system.