WHACO! Database Code Explanation

 

Autograph-Category:  The name of the historic figure or the category of certificate.  Current categories include Aviation, Automobiles, Communications, etc. and are shown on the preceding page.

 

Company-Document:  The name on the certificate, stock, or bond (abbreviations are often necessary); or in the case of documents that defy brief descriptions the codes defined under the column "Type."

 

Date:  Year and month of the catalog or auction (MMM-YY, ex: Mar-00).

 

Auct_Cat (Auction_Catalog):  The auction or catalog in which the item was offered.  Some names are self explanatory like Malone, Garrison, and Veissid, others have been abbreviated as shown below. 

·            R. M. Smythe is reflected as "SM#" plus the auction number (ex: SM#118).

·            Scott J. Winslow & Associates is WINS# plus the auction number.

·            Stock Search International is SSI# plus the auction number.

·            Fred Holabird is Holabird plus the auction date (ex: Holabird-6/00)

·            COHASCO Document Preservation Center is COHASCO# plus the auction number.

 

Item:  The number of the item in the catalog, if it was numbered.

 

Year:  The year the certificate or document was signed.  "n/d" or blank  means "no date."  In cases of clipped signatures and autographs, they rarely have dates.   189_ or other date indicates not issued.  Uniss: unissued.

 

Type:

 

Symbol

Definition

Symbol

Definition

ADS

Autographed Document Signed

LS

Letter Signed

AES

Autograph Endorsement Signed

MDS

Manuscript Document Signed

AFF

Autographed Free Frank

MLS

Manuscript Letter Signed

ALS

Autographed Letter Signed

P

Preferred Stock

ANS

Autographed Note Signed

PS

Photograph Signed

AQS

Autographed Quote Signed

S

Stock

B

Bond

SC

Signed Card

C

Certificate

SPEC

Specimen

CK

Check (signed)

SS

Stock Stub

CS

Clipped Signature

ST

Stock Transfer

DS

Document Signed

WT

Warrants

GB

Gold Bond

X

Exchange

Signed:            How the document was signed:

 

Symbol

Definition

I&SO/V

Issued to and signed both obverse and verso

I&SV

Issued to and Signed Verso

I&SV(3)

Issued to and signed three times (including verso)

n/a

Not an autograph item

S

Signed (manuscript or document)

SO

Signed Obverse (front)

SP

Signed on Stock Power

SS

Signed Stub

ST

Signed Transfer

SV

Signed Verso (back)

Uniss

Unissued, not signed and not issued

 

Est-Ask:  Estimated and Asked refer to the two terms used by dealers to describe the price for which they expect to sell the item. In the case of catalogs it is the asking price.

 

Realized: The price the item sold for in dollars.  Monetary conversion factors are shown in remarks to show what it was at the time of sale.  (Ex: 1£ = $1.455)

 

Comm-Disc: Commission or Discount (for price list buys in quantity) as a percentage For commissions, they should be added to the price realized to get the “cost.” For price list discounts, where WHACO! assumes that the collector will buy in sufficient quantity to qualify for the discount, they should be subtracted from the asking price, to get the “cost.”

 

Cost:  The price realized times 1 plus the commission. For example, $100 realized and 12% commission, cost is reflected as $100 × (1+.12) = $112.

International Auctions have a minimum bid where U.S. auctions have a flexible asking price. In many cases, WHACO!  is unable to obtain the prices realized, but includes these items because, if they sold, they sold for the minimum or higher and members are interested in these minimum prices. The remarks section includes information on the exchange rate used.

For International auctions the Cost column adds the commission (usually 15% plus a VAT) to the Minimum Bid price in the Estimate/Asking column since the price would not be less than this amount.

Remarks:  See page 3 for abbreviations. Since international auctions are in Pounds Sterling (£), Marks (DM), Euros (€), or Belgium Francs, the conversion factor used for the Estimate/Asking column is included in the remarks. For example, the remarks section might include 1$=.9€ . In this case, we multiplied the minimum bid price, say 100€ times 0.9 to get the dollar minimum bid of $90 included in the Estimate/Asking column of the database.

REMARKS

 

·       Condition (E, EF, VF+, P, etc.)

           •  F(ine)               •  G(ood)                       •  VF (very fine)     •  AVF (about VF)

           •  E(xcellent)       •  EF (extremely fine)   •  P(oor)                  •  GVF (good VF)

   “+” or “-” are used in combination to reflect better than or worse than (ex: VF+ is better than very fine, but not extremely fine). AVF is VF- and GVF is VF+. VF+ is assumed.

·       Uniss - Unissued (used for unissued certificates).

·       Cancellations are assumed and “U” means uncancelled.

·       Punch hole cancellations through signature obscure the signature, therefore WHACO! tries to show the number of holes in a signature wherever possible (ex: POC(3); POC(1), POC(?) [if not stated]). For large or numerous punch hole cancellations not in the signature, POC without parenthesis is used.

·       If the signatures are line or stamp canceled, “line cnx” or “stamp cnx” is used space permitting (cancelled assumed).

·       Condition comments if significant (ex: poc(?), “foxing,”)

·       Certificate number (ex: #16, #3)

·       Revenue stamps if description is available are shown (ex: R-235, RN-P5, R27). Quantities are shown within parenthesis (ex; “RN-P5(2)”)

·       If signed by a notable, who is not a database autograph, “s/b:” is used (ex: s/b: James Smith). Stocks issued to, but not signed by notables are reflected as “i/t:”, for example: i/t: Robert Moses.

·       Significant catalog quotes that enhance the value of the item are shown in quotes. Ex: “rarely seen,” “first time seen,” “only three known” are important and if necessary are shortened with editorial brackets (ex: “…highest par value [seen]”) to save space. WHACO! is not verifying the scarcity of the item.

·       Signer of the Declaration of Independence (SD) or Constitution (SC)

·       Show quantities with parenthesis (ex; RN-P5(2);  POC(4))

Examples:

P; POC(3); #2; R24; “rare!”; water stained

Choice; #21; “first time seen by us”

U; E; foxing; line cnx; s/b: Aaron Pinkler

U; G; SD; “scarce”

U; VF-; “scarce”; R48(2); POC

VF; POC; line cnx

EF; R48; “scarce”

U; F; R44; “corner tip restored”

F+; “ink stain”


DATABASE CATEGORIES

 

Autographs                                                                

Automobiles                                                              

Aviation                                                                     

Banks                                                                         

Canals                                                                        

Communications                                                       

Confederate                                                              

Entertainment                                                           

Expositions & Centennials                                       

Express & Transportation                                       

Food & Drink                                                            

Hospitals & Medical                                                 

Insurance                                                                   

International                                                             

Manufacturing                                                          

Mining                                                                       

Misc Certificates                                                      

Munitions                                                                  

Oils                                                                            

PopArt                                                                       

Pre-1800                                                                    

Publishing & Printing                                               

Railroads                                                                   

Resorts                                                                      

Shipping                                                                     

Specimens                                                                 

Sports                                                                        

State & Treasury Bonds                                          

Texas                                                                         

Turnpikes, Bridges, & Roads                                  

Utilities