Counterfeit Coins - Image Data Base

I'm going to find an easy to use Wordpress Gallery theme and put it up on http://counterfeitgallery.coincommunity.org/

I would be very interested. See 1870 1 yen. What do you think. WOLF

wolf-n-wa See post on 1870 Yen

I think its a great idea... My recommendations however (as a programmer/developer and researcher) is to actually plan a little and do it right. By this I mean something like the following:

Talk to a few ppl and figure out exactly what information you want for each coin - something like original coin country, original coin KM#, original coin katalog# other, counterfeit katalog#, denomination, weight, edge, material, image, image reference, counterfeit identifiers, general description, references (VERY important) etc... Also workout what information is REQUIRED and what is optional.

From here find someone who is a database developer (speaking from experience, this is an EASY one), develop a database and then find yourself a PHP/HTML developer and create yourself a web app.

This way you will very quickly (and easily) end up with a katalog that is Browsable, Searchable and Updatable (for example, you may want tp give a handful of ppl update rights so they can help add new items or update errors, etc)...

Additionally, include a form so ppl can submit counterfeits, which will then be emailed/sent or somehow saved so that you and/or your collection of 'updaters' can check/approve and publish additions...

Of course this means a bit of extra work in the set up, but longer term it will be MUCH easier to manage, update, etc. The only concern I can see is the potential for image copyright issue - you'll of course want to include images of each counterfeit, so a policy will need to be devised for when the supplied images are NOT scans of coins ppl actually own... This maybe just 'ignore the issue' (I've not ever heard of numismatic publishers going 'legal' on information sites), this maybe 'clear referencing' in the vein of "Weege, V. (2005) Münzfälschung (Berlin) s.87" (taking advantage of the fact that works of academic research are given a LOT of headroom to reproduce (for academic purposes) source material) or enforcing an 'authors permission' policy... Just dont get 18 months down the track and decide to charge for the service (like one of my previous favourite archives :( )...

Just things for you to think about... Its a good idea...

Whatever will work is fine by me.

There are certain parameters of course and developing that list should be thought out - unless it can easily be amended and edited.

Ownership of images I had not given much thought to, but it might be best to identify the owner somehow, so that follow up inquiries can be made if the data fields were ever expanded.

I am still hopeful and eager to get something going.

Will be ready soon.

Shifted gears. Doing a non-public wiki and I got an incredible domain name, not using the one above. It's actually up and running. Customizing templates and such now.

I am out of town on family business, but I would want to open the site to any counterfeit that can be properly identified by classification. I would suggest a "clearing" process will be needed with proposed submissions being held in some location until they can be acted upon by one of the parties with full access.

One of the problems could become posting of original coins that "someone" thinks are counterfeit when in fact the coin is real.

As recently as last week a DEALER sold me a counterfeit that turned out to be a REAL coin. For me that is a bummer. But mistakes can happen.