VOCABULARY TERM: COLLECTOR'S MARK

Collector's Mark. A type of hallmark applied by an owner to a numismatic or medallic item to prove ownership, such like a bookplate or an accession number. Perhaps in fear of theft collectors have inscribed, stamped or penned their initials, name, a number or symbol on numismatic items (usually on the edge). This is generally not appreciated by succeeding owners unless the figures or letters can be easily removed, or the owner is famous – in which case the mark remains intact. In recent years, collectors have marked their more valuable items with invisible ink (then it becomes identifiable under ultraviolet light).

In Poland during the 19th century and because of the chronic political unrest there, collectors marked their collections with collector's marks and the Morgenroth collection (#267) has such a collector's mark. But perhaps the most interesting collector's mark was used by J.P. Morgan who had medals in his personal collection pricked on the edge with seven tiny holes – in the shape of the Big Dipper and the North Star. Compare hallmarking, accession number.

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