The Reference Library
Hallmark guides, dating notes and grading standards for the departments of the Archive.
ARC-COP-001 · 1800-1960
Anatolian Copper and Brassware
Hand-hammered copper, tin lining, patina, and how to date by motif and stamp.
Copper, Brass & Metalware
ARC-POR-002 · 1700-1950
Antique Porcelain Hallmarks
Reading European and Ottoman backstamps, and the traps that fool newcomers.
Antique Porcelain & Ceramics
ARC-TUR-003 · 1950s-1980s
Turntables and Analog Hi-Fi
Idler, belt and direct drive; matching cartridges; what a tube preamp does.
Turntables & Vintage Audio
ARC-WAT-004 · 1900-1990
Vintage Horology and Cameras
Mechanical movements and analog cameras: what patina is, and what is damage.
Mechanical Timepieces · Analog Cameras & Optics
ARC-LIG-005 · 1920s-1980s
The Collector's Guide to Vintage Lighters
Telling Dunhill, S.T. Dupont and early Zippo apart, and what to check before you pay.
Vintage Lighters & Tobacciana
ARC-VIN-006 · 1948-1990
Vinyl Grading and Pressings
How to identify a first pressing from the runout groove, and how to grade honestly.
Vinyl Records & Shellac