Orders and decorations, uniforms, insignia, edged weapons, equipment and documents of armed forces.
Militaria preserves the history of the people who served: their awards, uniforms, equipment and
papers. The most valuable pieces are those that can be tied to a named person and their story, and
the most careful collectors are those who also respect the law and the sensitivities of the field.
Collect a country, a conflict, a branch of service or a unit. Antique firearms are under antiques
(arms and armour).
What to Record
Country, armed force, conflict or period and unit.
Named recipient: the person the item belonged to or was awarded to, with rank and service
details. A medal group with its documents to a named soldier is the core of serious collecting.
Maker’s marks: manufacturer, proof and acceptance marks, and their position.
For orders and decorations: the award, class and type, the ribbon, the case and the award
document.
Legal status: many countries restrict the display or trade of certain symbols and weapons;
record the status that applies where you live.
Provenance: the source, and any research into the recipient.
Condition
Note wear, repairs, replaced parts, missing enamel or ribbons, and whether a medal has been renamed.
Copies and fakes are common in the field; record why you believe a piece is original.
Care and Storage
Store textiles away from light and moths, metal in dry conditions, and documents in acid-free
folders. Keep medal groups together with their documents - once separated, a group’s story is lost.
Mistakes to Avoid
Breaking up a named group to sell the medals separately.
Buying high-value pieces without checking for reproductions.
Ignoring the laws on weapons and restricted symbols.
The 28 fields worth recording for militaria, grouped as in the
ordicio app.
Identification
Country Text
Country of origin or issue, by its usual English name (historic states as named at the time, e.g. Kingdom of Bavaria).
Armed force / branch Text
Armed force, branch or organisation, e.g. Royal Navy, Prussian Army, US Army Air Forces.
Conflict / period Choice
Conflict or period of use.
13 choices
Before 1800
Napoleonic Wars (1799 to 1815)
19th century (other)
American Civil War (1861 to 1865)
Franco-Prussian War (1870 to 1871)
First World War (1914 to 1918)
Interwar (1919 to 1939)
Second World War (1939 to 1945)
Korean War (1950 to 1953)
Cold War (1947 to 1991)
Vietnam War (1955 to 1975)
Since 1991
Peacetime / ceremonial
Unit Text
Regiment, ship, squadron or other unit.
Named to Text
Recipient or owner named on the item or in documents, with rank and number.
Date / period Text
When the object was made, as precise as known, e.g. 1876, c. 1890, 1920s, 2nd century AD.
Marks
Maker & marks Text
Maker, proof and acceptance marks, e.g. LDO, RZM, maker code 21, broad arrow.
Inscriptions & marks Text
Signatures, labels, stamps, hallmarks, maker's marks and numbers, transcribed as they appear and with their position.
Physical
Materials Text
Materials the object is made of, main material first.
Height (cm) Number
Height, measured upright as the object is meant to stand or hang.
Width (cm) Number
Width, measured from the front.
Weight (g) Number
Weight of the object (without stand, frame or holder unless noted).
Condition
Condition Choice
Overall condition in plain terms; domains with an established grading scale use that scale instead.
Mint / as new
Excellent
Very good
Good
Fair
Poor
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text
Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.
Certificate / expertise Text
Certificates of authenticity or expert opinions, with issuer, date and number.
Legal
Restrictions on possession, display or trade where you live.
Legal status Text
Status under the weapons law where you live, e.g. antique exempt, deactivated with certificate, licence required.
Acquisition
How and when the object came into the collection.
Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
Purchase
Auction
Gift
Inheritance
Exchange / trade
Self-collected / found
Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).
Value
Estimated and insured value.
Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
Own estimate
Recent sales / auction results
Dealer offer
Catalogue value
Professional appraisal
Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.
Collection record
Your own inventory data.
Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.
Standards and References
The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:
Phaleristic references (e.g. Nimmergut for German orders, Spink / Medal Yearbook for British awards)
Museum classification of military collections (uniforms, insignia, equipment, documents)
National laws on symbols of unconstitutional organisations and on weapons
Updated October 24, 2026
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