Option to search on engraver, for reverse or obverse design - or both

English artists Arnold Machin and Ian Rank-Broadley each produced portraits of Queen Elizabeth II that were used on the obverse of hundreds of different coin types throughout the UK and the Commonwealth. However, each of them also produced a few reverse  designs. For example, Machin created the reverse designs of the 1966 circulation coins of the Bahamas. 

It would be nice to be able to search for those designs via a specific query, but searches on engraver do not differentiate between obverse and reverse. Would that be a feasible request? At present I would have the unenviable task of searching through hundreds of records, in the cases of Machin and Rank-Broadley.

This sounds a very sensible addition to this, already excellent, resource.  Hopefully it wouldn't be too onerous to make the necessary changes at the back end so that the system can recognise the difference between the two “designer” fields currently showing so that one is clearly designated obverse and one reverse.

Reminds me of this similar suggestion to be able to specify which side of the coin.  Maybe add yours to that post.

https://en.numista.com/forum/topic155290.html

rsirian1

Reminds me of this similar suggestion to be able to specify which side of the coin.  Maybe add yours to that post.

 

https://en.numista.com/forum/topic155290.html

Thank you, rsirian1.  I have done so.

The problem is that, applying Numista guidelines, a design is sometimes obverse and sometimes reverse.

davidhs

The problem is that, applying Numista guidelines, a design is sometimes obverse and sometimes reverse.

Isn't Queen Elizabeth II always on the Obverse?

davidhs

The problem is that, applying Numista guidelines, a design is sometimes obverse and sometimes reverse.

In relatively few cases, though. The majority of modern coins do not have that problem. And Numista assigns an obverse and reverse in each case, so the majority of coins in a query would be caught. 

Tradition or the central bank website usually tells you which is which. Usually the side with the country or territory name is the obverse.

In the UK the monarch always appears on the obverse. In other countries it is the head of state, but not always. If the president appears on one side and the coat of arms on the other, the coat of arms is usually regarded as the obverse. In the eurozone you have the common side and the national side, where the common side equates to the obverse

So I think my solution would catch 98% of the cases, which is way better than nothing. Depending on the specific query per designer, it would often or mostly correctly catch 100% of the cases. My solution is definitely worth doing.