How can I search the catalogue?

Numista hosts a catalogue of world coins, banknotes and exonumia. To search the catalogue, go to the entry page of the catalogue for one of these three sections: Coins, Banknotes or Exonumia.

 

The search form contains three main fields:

 

• Issuer: Select an issuer or a group of issuers.
   
• Search query: Search for any word describing the item.
  • To search an expression, put quotation marks around it. For example, a search for "1 franc" is more precise than 1 franc.
  • You may use an asterisk as a wildcard. For example, type "5 cent*" to find items of 5 cents and 5 centimes.
  • Use a dash to exclude the items matching with a word or expression. For example, type Martin Luther -King to see results about the Protestant theologist and not about the American civil rights activist.
  • Click the language icon to select and display a special keyboard, in order to type letters and characters in other scripts.
  • The following keywords trigger some special searches:
    • /new7/ to search for items added during the past 7 days. You can change the number of days to another number. If you do not write any number, the default is 7 days.
    • /no-picture/ to search for items for which Numista doesn't have a picture of the obverse and/or the reverse.
    • /small-pictures/ to search for items for which Numista has only a small picture of the obverse and/or the reverse.
    • /missing-unabridged/ to search for items for which Numista doesn't have the unabridged legend for the obverse and/or the reverse.
    • /unverified/ to search for item pages not marked as verified by a referee.
    • /incomplete/ to search for item for which the referee didn't mark the year list as complete.
       
• Picture: Click the camera icon to upload one or two pictures of an item and search by image.
  • Wait for the picture to be uploaded and click on “Search”.
  • The search works best if the item is correctly oriented on the picture.

 

You can use more search filters by clicking the button “+Add filters”. If you repeatedly want to use the advanced filter, you can pin the filters open by clicking the pin icon at the bottom right corner of the advanced filter box.
 

• Coin types / Banknote types / Exonumia types: Select one or several types.
   
• Ruling authority: Select a ruling authority or period.
  • The list of selectable rulers is filtered based on the issuer you selected.
  • If no issuer is selected, the same ruler may be listed several times if they ruled over several issuers. The search results will show the items for all the issuers, independently of which entry of the ruler you selected.
  • Enter the keyword missing or select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have a ruling authority.
     
• Reference: Select a reference catalogue and enter the number which identifies the item in that catalogue.
  • Select the Numista type number in the list of catalogues to search by Numista N# number.
  • Enter an asterisk (*) instead of a number to search for all the items which have a reference in the selected catalogue.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't list a reference in the selected catalogue.
  • Enter the keyword none to search for the items for which Numista doesn't list any reference.
     
• Face value: Enter the face value of the item. The search results will show the items for which the numeric face value and/or the text face value matches your input.
  • You may enter a numeric value, for example 10, 0.05 or 1/20.
  • You may enter a range of value, for example 0.01-0.05.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't list a numeric face value and/or a text face value.
     
• Lettering: Enter the lettering visible on the item.
  • If only some letters are visible on your item to identify, you can use an asterisk as wildcard, for example GREAT BRI*N.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have lettering for the obverse and/or the reverse.
     
• Script: Select the script of the lettering visible on the item.
  • You may also select the number of scripts visible on the item.
  • Select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the scripts.
     
• Issuing entity: Select the item issuing entity.
  • If you selected an issuer, only its list of issuing entities is displayed.
  • Enter the keyword missing or select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have an issuing entity.
     
• In use in…: Enter a year (for example 2010) to find the items that could be used in that year, that is items minted or issued in or before that year and not demonetized yet on that year.
  • Enter the keyword now to find the items that are still in use today. This keyword is more precise than entering the current year, since it excludes items demonetized since the beginning of the year.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't hold information whether the item is demonetized.
     
• Year: Enter the year in the same calendar as visible on the item.
  • You may enter a single year (example: 1431) or a range of year (example: 1400-1431)
  • Use an open range to search for items after a given year. For example, type 1400- to search for items showing the year 1400 or a later year.
  • Enter the keyword ND to search for non dated items, that is items on which no year is written.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have the year.
     
• Gregorian date: Enter the year in Gregorian calendar when the item was minted or issued.
  • More generally, enter the year of the Christian era for items issues before the introduction of the Gregorian calendar.
  • You may enter a single year (example: 1989) or a range of year (example: 1980-1990).
  • For years in the BC era, use the negative sign, for example -322 for 322 BC, -400--300 for the range from 400 BC to 300 BC, or -25-19 for the range from 25 BC to 19 AD.
     
• Composition: Select a metal, alloy or other material which is part of the composition of the item.
  • For example, the search results for Silver include items made of pure silver, items plated with silver, or bi-metallic items with a silver ring.
  • You may select Bimetallic or Trimetallic to look for items with a core made of a given material and one or two outer rings made of another material.
  • You may select Precious to look for items containing a precious metal or alloy (gold, silver, electrum, billon, platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium or ruthenium) or Non precious for items which contain none of these metals and alloys.
  • Select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the composition.
     
• Shape: Select a shape or group of shapes.
  • Select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the shape.
     
• Diameter / Length / Width: Enter the size of the item in millimeters.
  • You may enter a single value. In that case the search takes into account an error margin of ±0.5 mm.
  • You may enter a range of values (example: 21-25 for items between 21 and 25 mm), including open ranges (example: 21- for items bigger than 21 mm and -21 for items smaller than 21 mm).
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the size.
     
• Weight: Enter the weight of the item in grams.
  • You may enter a single value. In that case the search takes into account an error margin of ±0.5 g.
  • You may enter a range of values (example: 10-20 for items between 10 and 20 grams), including open ranges (example: 10- for items heavier than 10 grams and -10 for items lighter than 10 grams).
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the weight.
     
• Technique: Select a manufacturing technique or group of techniques.
  • Select Unidentified to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the manufacturing technique.
     
• Engraver / Designer: Enter the name (or part of the name) of one or several persons who engraved and/or designed the item.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the engraver nor the designer of the obverse and/or the reverse.
  • Write the name between quotes for an exact search with the full name. For example: "Louis-Oscar Roty".
     
• Tag: Select one or several tags or groups of tags associated to the item.
   
• Series: Select the name of the series the item belongs to.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have a series.
     
• Mint / Printer: Select the facility where the item was produced.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't know the facility.

 

• Design: Enter some words describing the design visible on the item, for example Lyra. The search results will show the items for which the description of the item contains your input.
  • You may use an asterisk as a wildcard. For example, type Horse* to find items, which description contains either the word horse or the word horses.
  • Enter the keyword missing to search for the items for which Numista doesn't have a description for the obverse and/or the reverse.
     
• My collection: Select whether you want to filter for items in your collection, out of your collection, or both.
   
• My wishlist: Select whether you want to filter for items in yous wish list (wished), in your list of items you don't wish (not wished), in none of these lists (unmarked) or all.
   
• Available for swap: Select whether you want to filter for items available for swap (yes), not available for swap (no) or all.