Do you keep your own database of finds?

[Maxi21]

After a few years of detecting I have accumulated a growing collection of artefacts and coins.  For the better or more interesting small finds including coins, I have a collection case with drawers, but like everyone else (probably) I end up with little pots of coins here there and everywhere especially when I first get back from a session, in between sorting and ID'ing finds and cleaning my kit. It was into this mess that I misplaced my first Irish Hammered that I found a few weeks back.

I spent a week checking odd corners of the house and pots of coins, trying to hunt it down. I even convinced myself that my wife had somehow hovered it up, so ended up using the new MI-6 pin pointer in the dust bag to see if it was in there - it wasn't. My youngest boy (10 yrs old) has a really bad temper and as I had told him off recently, I suspected that he might even have moved/ hidden/ thrown it out of the house! So sat him down and cross questioned him, but no he claimed he hadn't touched anything.

So as a last resort I went through my coin collection case and it was there mixed in amongst some other silver hammered penny's - I couldn't remember putting it there, but I must have done fearing it might otherwise get lost.....
Please excuse my rather longwinded story telling, as background to my question, but how do you keep track of your finds and do you keep either a paper or electronic database of them? If so what are the key database fields?

I started an excel spreadsheet yesterday afternoon and before I go too far, I wondered if anyone has a template they wouldn't mind sharing?

I was wondering if and how you keep track of your finds especially coins?

[Rew]

Wish I found enough to start a data base

[Keith67]

I have similar problems.  I have a silver coin case, but when I put them in the trays I have to split them from the PAS paperwork, and I find it difficult to recall what everything is.  Add to that all the tins and trays with bits in them and it's all a mess at the moment.  I really want a solution as I have two sets of items back from the museum just sitting in the bags with the paperwork.

[Rew]

Can't you just photograph the item + paperwork if any, add your own discription and accounts and put it in a file number and date order.

[Keith67]

Can't you just photograph the item + paperwork if any, add your own discription and accounts and put it in a file number and date order.

That's a good idea.  I would like a way of actually filing the finds with information, possibly achievable with coins if can get the right kind of folder, probably not easy for artefacts.

[Lodge Scent]

Nick, a few years back I felt ambitious and set up an Access database for my finds. It really wasn't that hard. If you can do Excel, you can do Access. Actually, I think you can start by making a spreadsheet then import it into Access to create the template. But you can almost do as much filtering and sorting in Excel as you can with Access. With Access you can add a pics of your find to the entry. Mine is pretty simple. I have columns for :

Date Found
Location
Find Type
Coin Type
Variety
Year minted
Coil used
Program notes
Comments
Picture

Most of those column headings have drop down selections. For example for Coin Type, I have Colonial, Confederation, Large Cent etc. Then for Colonial Type, I have drop down selections for William III, KG1, KG11, KGIII etc. I think Access is better if you have a lot of sub menus.

I have to admit I enjoy sorting the data. It can tell some interesting stories.

Lodge

[mayhem147]

Sounds a good idea, Lodge.

I record the location and detector/coil used of my hammered coins, in the hope of spotting a pattern, but the majority of my finds (i.e. of no significance whatsoever) just get bundled into boxes after the club meeting every month.

The more interesting ones that the FLO records get stored exactly as they come back, still in their plastic bags with their printouts.

[Maxi21]

Thanks all for your comments, particularly for Lodge for suggestion of Access Database rather than Excel. I will have a look and see if I can get on with it.

Fields I have gone with are -

Monarch               Self-explanatory
Ruled                   Date they Ruled, which dictates the order of the entry in the file
Coin Type             Penny, cut-half, groat etc
Date                    Specific date of the coin or date range
Reference             Dia, weight & thickness plus reference used (Spink / North etc)
Description           Lifted from the PAS description
PAS Reference      URL link to PAS page
Picture                 Lifted from PAS
Value                   My best estimate of value, particularly for cut quarters /halves etc.
Fine Value            The 'fine' value as in Spink

You will notice the Value/ Fine Value at the bottom of the fields, this is not because I am a seller of finds, I like to collect and have never sold any of my finds.  The reason I am doing this is, if I keeled over tomorrow, my family would then have an idea of the value of my collection, if they decided to sell it and would know if a dealer was being honest in evaluating it. Morbid maybe, but you do hear stories of boxes of coins being picked up for very little at car boot sales because partners of detectorists being completely in the dark about the value of collections.

[Lodge Scent]

Not morbid Nick. Good idea. I will add a value to my finds for the reasons you mention. Most of my stuff is worth millions in nice memories to me, but of low or no monetary value to everyone else. But there are a few items that would fetch some good $$$$. I would hate to see those tossed out with the junk.

[Keith67]

A really good thread, cheers Nick.  Certainly given me some food for thought.

[Rew]

Some good suggestions here lads.
@ Nick. I like your idea about values. Wife and kids would not have a clue otherwise. This also applies to other things like books, machines ect. Cheers for that one Nick.

[Maxi21]

No worries Rew. I don’t know if it’s an urban myth (wife selling valuable collection), but I wouldn’t be surprised!

[impos1]

Hi nick

There shoujd be a an inventory  database that you can customise. Although I don't use access I use lotus approach, I will have a look.

But that's a good idea cataloging coins if you have time.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Make-an-Inventory-Database-in-Access%3famp=1

[Maxi21]

Hi nick

There shoujd be a an inventory  database that you can customise. Although I don't use access I use lotus approach, I will have a look.

But that's a good idea cataloging coins if you have time.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.wikihow.com/Make-an-Inventory-Database-in-Access%3famp=1

Thanks Andrew,

I am by my own admittance quite untechnical, but had a quick look at access, which I hadn't used before. It doesn't look very easy to me so I will persevere and your link looks helpful. Its about time this old dog learned new tricks!

[Fartacus]

 I've down the line of all that twaddle and after 20 odd years detecting have
 given away 95% of my finds. For me the thrill of the chace and the excitement
 of making the mud clod smaller and smaller to find that lovely trinket is the only
 thing that's worth doing in metal detecting.

 Database pointless unless you like number crunching and making work for yourself.