Identification Number Requirements

From: Buck, Rebecca A., and Jean Allman Gilmore, eds. The New Museum Registration Methods. Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 1998.

"The most common accession numbering system now used is a compound number separated by a point or hyphen. The first number indicates the year the object is accessioned and may be the whole year: 1995; or a part: 995, 895, 001 or 95, 34, 76. The whole year is recommended; if it was not used in the past, it should be started with the year 2000."

"The second number indicates in sequence the transaction by which the object(s) was formally received or purchased: 1995.1, 1995.2, 1995.3. If there is only one object in the transaction, the two-part number typically suffices. If titel to more than one object passes to the museum in a given transaction, a third number is assigned to each item in the group: 1995.4.1, 1995.4.2, 1995.4.3. If an object is a set or portfolio of objects, the accession number for each individaul part within the whol can be 1995.4.3.1, 1995.4.3.2. An object may be one item with component parts, such as a box with a lid, a chest with removable drawers, or a sculpture that can be disassembled. The whole object is assigned an accession number, such as 1995.5.2, and each part of the whole is given a letter suffix: 1995.5.2a, 1995.5.2b, 1995.5.2c."