This page is part of the International Guidelines for Museum Object Information: The CIDOC Information Categories: a description of the Information Categories that can be used when developing records about the objects in museum collections. For an outline of the Information Groups and Categories in the Guidelines, turn to the introductory list.
Purpose:
This information supports Security, Accountability, and Access. Without an Object number it is not possible either to uniquely identify an object or to link an object with its documentation. The Object number should be marked on, or otherwise physically associated with the object.
Information categories:
Object number
Object number type
Object number date
Examples:
An object with several numbers:
Object number: A1234
Object number type: accession number
Object
number date: 1970
Object number: 57.357
Object number
type: previous loan number
Object number date: 1943
An object
that is part of a group:
Object number: 1992.3001a
Object number type: inventory number
Object number date: 1992
A group of specimens in a life sciences collection:
Object number: 79.222
Object number type: collection number
Object
number date: 1979
Notes:
Alternate names:
Accession number
Inventory number
Catalog number
Registration number
Definition:
A unique number, assigned by the institution, that connects an object to its documentation and provides a unique identification.
Examples:
1994.1
Notes:
Move to beginning of Object number
Alternate names:
Identity number type
Definition:
The type or function of the Object number recorded.
Examples:
accession number
previous accession number
previous loan number
Notes:
Move to beginning of Object number
Alternate names:
Accession number
date
Identity number date
Inventory number date
Catalog number date
Registration number date
Definition:
The date that the Object number was assigned to the object.
Examples:
1933-01-21
Notes:
Move to beginning of Object number
Move to outline of the Information Groups and Categories or the next section of the Guidelines, Object production
file: guidenum.htm; author: CIDOC; updated June 1995