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Collection Policy Statement Index
(Classes CJ, HE6000-HE7496, HG (portions of) Z695.1.P67, Z697.P53, Z5956.P6, Z6866-Z6870, Z7164,P85)
Contents
I. Introduction
II. Scope
III. Research strengths
IV. Comparison with other major research collections
V. General Policy
VI. Collection levels for Numismatics and Philately
I. Introduction
This collection policy statement addresses numismatics and philately as subjects. The Library does not acquire postage stamps, coins, or medals for its permanent collections. Responsibility for such collection is deferred to the Smithsonian. Numismatics is assigned to the entire CJ class and includes tokens and medals as well as coins. Although military medals are generally assigned to Class U, Class CJ does include numerous volumes on medals that could be considered art while many quite similar titles are to be found classified in NK. Tokens come in many varieties and are most usually associated with, but not limited to, transportation systems or retail stores.
Additionally, collecting banknotes is a subfield of numismatics. Works relating specifically to banknotes as collectibles are integrated in Class HG by country and are considered to be part of a country's monetary policy. Works which address both a country's coins and banknotes are classified in HG, even if both are treated as collectibles. Official publications of individual countries' mints, which are extremely important historical documents to coin collectors, are classed HG, while other material important to the study of both coinage and paper money is to be found in Class HJ (Public finance) as well as government documents, as governments retain tight control over the minting of coins and the printing of currency. Public finance is covered in the CPS"Economics and Business."
Although Philately is assigned a rather narrow call number range in Class HE (Transportation and Communications), it is adjacent to the broader subject Postal Service. As any serious philatelic research is impossible without consultation of this broader topic, this policy statement includes Postal Service.
II. Scope
The works addressed in this policy statement are classified by the Library of Congress in CJ (all), HG (those titles which treat banknotes as a collectible), HE6000-HE7496 (Postal Service), Z6866-Z6870 (Numismatics), Z7164.P85 (Postal Service), and Z697.P53, Z695.1.P67, Z5956.P6 (various aspects of Postal Service, including library catalogs on this subject).
Both stamp and coin collecting, at the advanced research level, involve serious historical inquiry. Numismatics frequently entails identification (which in the case of ancient coins makes volumes of detailed photographs of comprehensive coin collections invaluable), locations of mints, governmental decisions on types of metal to be used, policies on paper versus precious metal as a base (and which precious metal), international standards on valuation, and counterfeiting. Philately, in addition to the consideration of stamps and covers (envelopes and postal stationery with postage affixed), analyzes cancellations, postal routes, methods of mail transportation and delivery (bicycle, airplane, Zeppelin), locations of stamps on a pane or block, method of printing (photogravure press, engraving, lithography), types of paper, adhesive (or lack thereof), and printing errors. The above lists are representative and not all-inclusive. Of significant note is the fact that in one of the two major ways that stamps are collected, by country and by topic depicted, that the latter is classed in "Postal Service" under the heading "Postage Stamps" and not Philately.
III. Research strengths
In addition to having one of the top five collections of numismatics and philately publications in the United States, the Library of Congress also supports in-depth scholarly research in related areas. These areas most notably include government documents, foreign and domestic. The microform collections include complete runs of Coin World and Linn's Stamp News as well as a comprehensive collection of U.S. dissertations. Several hundred volumes published prior to 1800, mostly on numismatics, are in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division. The Manuscript Division houses a number of collections important to researchers, including Theodore Roosevelt's presidential papers. Roosevelt was almost singlehandedly responsible for changing the designs on many United States coins. Correspondence relating to the gold and silver standards for United States specie are also to be found in presidential papers. Debates on these and other topics can be found in the Congressional Record and its predecessors, again emphasizing the importance of government documents. The Asian Division and the Near East and Hebraic Sections of the African and Middle Eastern Division house a small amount of relevant material in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, and Hebrew.
IV. Comparison with other major research libraries
Large collections of numismatic and philatelic materials exist, most notably in the research collections of national associations such as the American Philatelic Research Library (State College, PA), the American Numismatic Society Library (N.Y.), and the American Numismatic Association Library (Colorado Springs). It is rare to have collections of the breadth and Scope of the Library's on both topics in one institution. The only comparable collection is that of the Smithsonian Institution, also in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian houses an extensive coin collection and operates the National Postal Museum. The Library of Congress does not have collections of actual stamps or coins, although some incidental examples of both do exist. Other notable philatelic collections are to be found in the New York Public Library, the Collectors Club Library (N.Y.), the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum Library (Weston, Ma.), and the Milwaukee Public Library. Important numismatic collections are those at the Dumbarton Oaks Research Library (Roman and Byzantine), Yale University Library, Princeton University Library, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the University of California, Los Angeles, Library.
V. General policy
- The Library shall acquire:
- All scholarly journals, whether subscription or sent as a condition of membership, emanating from societies and/or associations, regardless of language or country of origin. Additionally, scholarly journals offered only by subscription and not published under the auspices of any organization, are to be acquired.
- Major English language serials devoted to collecting coins or stamps.
- All museum catalogs: exhibition, cataloging holdings, or other.
- All major auction catalogs including those which list pre-auction prices bid or which survey auctions of the previous year.
- Scholarly monographs, dictionaries, encyclopedias, collected works, festschriften, and biographies of noted collectors, dealers, and designers; scholarly works on the history of philately and numismatics; yearbooks and almanacs.
- The Library of Congress, collects selectively:
- Serials and monographs whose sole purpose is to espouse or detail the investment value of stamps and coins.
- Works whose audience is the beginning collector.
- The Library shall collect at the lowest level:
- Juvenile works
- The Library does not collect:
- Albums meant to house collections, with minimal or no text included.
- Sales catalogs of individual dealers.
NOTE: It is not unusual for scholarly works to be in pamphlet form and/or self-published: retention of these materials shall be based on useful or scholarly content. In the cases of numismatics and philately, these criteria should be applied regardless of the probable cataloging result, i.e. full cataloging, minimal level cataloging, collection level cataloging.
VI. Collection levels for Numismatics and Philately
NUMISMATICS
| Class | Subject | Collecting Level |
|---|---|---|
| CJ1-CJ9 | Serials A. Official publications of societies and associations B. Subscription journals 1. Scholarly 2. Hobbyist U.S. Other Countries |
5 4 3 1 |
| CJ14-CJ41 | Societies Including congresses, yearbooks, monographs and pamphlets, exhibition catalogs |
4 |
| CJ42-CJ45 | Museums | 4 |
| CJ47 | Sales Catalogs (Auction) | 4 |
| CJ49 | Sales Catalogs (Dealers) | 0 |
| CJ53-CJ101 | Philosophy, Study and Teaching, History,
Directories,
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias, general works (juvenile works on the above) | 4 1 |
| CJ109-CJ151 | Works on coins, by material (gold, silver, etc) | 4 |
| CJ153-CJ161 | Finds of Coins (Hoards,
etc.) (Scholarly works which analyze find's contents) | 3 4 |
| ANCIENT COINS | ||
| CJ201-CJ277 | Periodicals, exhibitions, sales catalogs | 4 |
| CJ301-CJ763 | Greek Coins | 4 |
| CJ801-CJ1139 | Roman Coins | 4 |
| CJ1201-CJ129 | Byzantine Coins | 4 |
| CJ1301-CJ1397 | African and Oriental | 4 |
| MEDIEVAL AND MODERN | ||
| CJ1509-CJ1743 | Medieval and Renaissance (by period or ethnic group; includes periodicals, dictionaries, and encyclopedias on these specific topics) | 4 |
| CJ1747-CJ1758 | Modern (by century, region or country) | 4 |
| CJ1800-CJ2449 | America 1. United States 2. Other North and South American countries |
5 4 |
| CJ2500-CJ3387 | Europe 1. Great Britain (including colonies) 2. All other countries | 4 4 |
| CJ3370-CJ3889 | Asia (includes Near East) | 4 |
| CJ3900-CJ4389 | Africa | 4 |
| CJ4400-CJ4419 | Australia | 4 |
| CJ4580-CJ4599 | New Zealand | 4 |
| CJ4600-CJ4625 | Pacific Islands | 4 |
| TOKENS | ||
| CJ4801 | Periodicals | 4 |
| CJ4803-CJ4804 | Collected Works | 4 |
| CJ4805-CJ4808 | Museums | 4 |
| CJ4813 | Dictionaries and Encyclopedias | 4 |
| CJ4815-CJ4825 | General Works | 3 |
| CJ4861-CJ4889 | By time period | 3 |
| CJ4901-CJ5450 | By region or country, except United States | 2 |
| CJ4901-CJ4910 | United States | 5 |
| MEDALS AND MEDALLIONS | ||
| CJ5501 | Periodicals, Serials | 4 |
| CJ5502 | Congresses | 4 |
| CJ5505-CJ5506 | Collected works | 4 |
| CJ5507-CJ5508 | Exhibitions | 4 |
| CJ5509-CJ5512 | Museums | 4 |
| CJ5513-CJ5514 | Sales Catalogs 1. Auction 2. Dealers |
4 0 |
| CJ5517-CJ6569 | By time period, topic, or region or
country except CJ5801-CJ5819 United States CJ6101-CJ6119 Great Britain | 3 5 4 |
PHILATELY
| Class | Subject | Collecting Level |
|---|---|---|
| POSTAL SERVICE | ||
| HE6001-HE6009 | Periodicals, Societies, Serials A. United States B. All other countries | 5 3 |
| HE6011 | Congresses | 5 |
| HE6015 | Museums. Exhibitions | 4 |
| HE6031 | Guides. Directories | 5 |
| HE6035 | Encyclopedias. Dictionaries | 5 |
| HE6037 | Geography. Post routes A. United States B. All other countries | 5 3 |
| HE6041-HE6055 | History | 5 |
| HE6101-HE6176 | Special Topics (including rates,
postal money
orders, unclaimed mail) A. United States B. All other countries | 5 3 |
| HE6182 | Stamps and Postmarks. General works on history and description | 5 |
| POSTAGE STAMPS | ||
| HE6183 | Works on postage stamps by topic depicted | 4 |
| HE6184 | Other aspects; includes airmail, cancellations, first day covers, errors, postage due, etc. | 4 |
| HE6185 | Works on Postage Stamps by region or
country 1. United States 2. Great Britain, Canada 3. Other countries | 5 4 3 |
| HE6187 | Serials Serials for Juveniles | 4 1 |
| HE6188 | Societies | 4 |
| HE6189 | Congresses | 4 |
| HE6191 | Exhibitions (Museums and public collections) | 4 |
| HE6194 | Yearbooks and Almanacs A. United States B. Great Britain and Canada C. All other countries | 5 4 4 |
| HE6196 | Dictionaries and Encyclopedias A. English Language B. All other languages C. Juvenile works | 4 2 1 |
| HE6199 | Collected Works | 4 |
| HE6203 | History of Philately (both general works and works on individual countries) | 4 |
| HE6206-HE6209 | Biography (of collectors and collections; directories of collectors and dealers) | 4 |
| HE6213 | General Works | 4 |
| HE6215 | Handbooks, Manuals, etc. (juvenile works on above) | 3 1 |
| HE6217 | Addresses, essays, lectures | 3 |
| HE6221-HE6228 | Albums, catalogs, price lists (albums which are for display purposes only are not collected. Standard catalogs for the identification of stamps, such as Scott's and Stanley Gibbons are collected comprehensively. Juvenile works are not collected.) | 3 |
| HE6226 | Price Lists | 1 |
| HE6228 | Exchange lists | 0 |
| HE6238-HE6239 | Airmail and other special types of
Mail transport. A. United States B. All other countries | 5 4 |
| HE6241 | Postal Service employees, including letter
carriers. A. United States B. All other countries | 5 2 |
| HE6246 | International postal service. General works | 5 |
| HE6251-HE6261 | International Postal Union | 5 |
| HE6275-HE6276 | Pan American Postal Union | 5 |
| HE6278 | Other Postal Unions | 4 |
| HE6300-HE6499 | United States Postal Service, including history, regional and state, rates, biography, accounting, automation, money orders etc. | 5 |
| HE6500 | Confederate States | 5 |
| HE6651-HE7496 | Postal Service in regions or countries other than the United States | 3 |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | ||
| Z695.1 P67 | Postage stamps | 5 |
| Z697.P53 | Philately | 5 |
| Z5956.P6 | Various aspects of postal service, including library catalogs on this subject | 5 |
| Z6866-Z6870 | Numismatics | 5 |
| Z7164 P85 | Postal Service | 5 |
March, 2000
