Collectibles reference encyclopedia
What is this object, who made it, and how do we know?
A structured reference for coins, paper money, stamps, horology and antiques worldwide. Records include both documented types and museum objects awaiting wider type research. Nothing here is for sale.
- Catalogued entries
- 19,985
- Historical entities
- 587
- Sources in bibliography
- 1,727
- Audited scopes
- 21
These figures are counted from the database. Broad research scopes are kept for coverage planning but are not included in the entry total. Some entries describe individual museum objects; their broader type remains research required.
Collecting disciplines
Numismatics
Coins, tokens, medals and jetons of all periods and issuing authorities.
7,143 records
Paper Money
Banknotes, treasury notes, emergency issues, occupation and colonial paper.
924 records
Philately
Postage and revenue stamps, postal stationery and postal history.
399 records
Horology
Watches, clocks, chronometers and the mechanisms that drive them.
6,751 records
Other Collectibles
Cameras, fountain pens, instruments, records, books and further documented fields.
4,768 records
Recently catalogued
horological instruments
'Sunquest' Mean-Time Sundial
2001
This 'Sunquest' mean-time sundial, or heliochronometer, was produced in 2001 by Tony Moss of Lindisfarne Sundials in Bedlington, Northumberland. The object was designed by R. L. Schmoyer, based on original pattern designs dating to 1959. Constructed of metal, the instrument functions by tracking solar movement to indicate mean time. The structure includes various calibrated arcs and a central adjustment plate inscribed with temporal information. It measures approximately 480 mm by 380 mm by 360 mm. The design facilitates alignment with the sun, with specific inscriptions visible on the central assembly regarding solstitial orientation, serving as an functional tool for timekeeping based on solar position.
Partial type record
pocket watches
Seiko Precision 15 Jewels Railway Issue Open Face Pocket Watch
1950-1959
This open-face pocket watch by Seiko dates to the 1950s and was issued for Japanese railway service. Housed in a chromed metal case measuring approximately 49.5 mm in diameter, it features a white dial with large stylized Arabic numerals, blued spade hands, and an outer minute track. A subsidiary seconds dial at six o'clock is inscribed 'SECOND SETTING DIAFLEX'. The caseback carries the engraved markings '私鉄 67 / 113', designating issue for a private railway operator. Inside, the watch is powered by a manual-wind Seikosha 15-jewel mechanical caliber with a striped finish and balance regulator.
Partial type record
wristwatches
Seiko Prospex Marine Master Ref. SBBN040
2018
The Seiko Prospex Marine Master Ref. SBBN040 is a limited edition diver's wristwatch, numbered 0489/1978. It features a large construction with a 44.5 mm diameter, increasing to 49.5 mm when incorporating its signature black ceramic protective outer shroud. The primary case is composed of yellow gold-plated steel and titanium. It is powered by the quartz caliber 7C46 movement. The watch displays a black dial with day and date indications at the three o'clock position, accompanied by luminous hands and markers. The timepiece is finished with a black rubber strap secured by a Seiko yellow gold-plated steel buckle. The watch is marked as a limited edition on the case back, which also bears the Seiko wave logo and technical specifications. The assembly includes a fitted box, certificate, instructions, and hangtags. The auction report indicates the movement requires an overhaul.
Partial type record
wristwatches
Seiko Prospex The 1965 Diver's Re-Creation Limited Edition Ref. SBEN003 (SJE093)
Circa 2023
This Seiko reference SBEN003 (SJE093) is a modern stainless steel re-creation of the 1965 62MAS diver's watch, numbered 829 from a limited edition of 1,965 pieces. Measuring 38mm in diameter, the timepiece features a sunray-brushed grey dial with luminescent block indices, center seconds, and a date window at 3 o'clock. It is equipped with a black unidirectional rotating bezel, a box-shaped sapphire crystal, and a screw-down crown providing 200 meters of water resistance. The watch is powered by the automatic caliber 6L37 with 26 jewels and is fitted to a textured black rubber strap.
Partial type record
wristwatches
Seiko Sports Diver
circa 1970s
This Seiko Sports Diver is a vintage wristwatch featuring a cushion-shaped case and a brown dial with a day and date display. The watch is powered by the automatic Seiko calibre 6106 movement. The dial is marked with "SEIKO AUTOMATIC," "WATER 70mRESIST," and "17 JEWELS." The construction includes a dark rotating bezel ring around the dial and applied hour markers. The watch is presented on a leather strap. According to the source, the design corresponds to aesthetic trends from the 1970s and the watch is water-resistant to a depth of 70 meters. The calibre 6106 is identified by the source as an example of Seiko's movement engineering in the era following the mid-1960s.
Partial type record
wristwatches
Seiko Think The Earth WN-2 Quartz Watch
2001
The Seiko Think The Earth WN-2 is a quartz watch created in 2001 in collaboration with the Think the Earth Project. It features a central domed Hardlex crystal encapsulating a 1/580 million scale model of the Earth’s northern hemisphere. The miniature globe rotates once every 24 hours. Time is indicated by a silver hook-shaped hour hand and an orange minute marker moving along a 24-hour peripheral scale. The timepiece is constructed from a removable titanium and aluminum core module that can be separated from its strap and frame for use as a standalone desk clock. The watch is supplied with its original black strap, stainless steel deployant clasp, box, and instruction documentation. The auction description notes that the set is missing a secondary silver bezel component.
Partial type record
Reference, not sales
Records document types or museum examples for research. An individual museum object's broader type may still need verification; nothing is offered for sale.
Historical issuers
Objects stay with the authority that issued them. An Austro-Hungarian coin is filed under the empire, not under a modern successor state.
Gaps are published
Missing denominations, unverified catalogue numbers and conflicting references are listed on the record itself.
Common questions
- What is Orbis Collectibles?
- A reference encyclopedia of collectible object types and documented museum examples — coins, banknotes, stamps, watches and antiques — where records name their sources and state how certain they are. It is not a marketplace and does not value objects.
- Does Orbis Collectibles give valuations or prices?
- No. The catalogue documents identification and history only. It carries no prices, no auction results and nothing for sale.
- How are records verified?
- Each record is written from documented sources ranked in four tiers, from museums, archives, central banks and mints down to community resources, and carries a confidence level from Verified to Unverified. Missing evidence is published as an open question rather than filled in by guesswork.
- Can I use it to identify an object I own?
- Yes. Start with the identification guides for coins, banknotes and stamps, then search the catalogue by discipline, issuer, period or confidence level.
