Collecting
The Best Way to Track a Coin Collection: Spreadsheet vs App
Should you track your coin collection in a spreadsheet or an app? What each does well, where each breaks, and what to record for every coin.
Every collection starts in someone’s head. Then it moves to a notebook, then a spreadsheet, and somewhere around coin 200 the spreadsheet starts to feel like a second job. Here’s an honest look at both options, and what a good coin collection inventory should hold no matter which one you pick.
What to record for every coin
Whatever tool you use, these fields make your inventory useful for insurance, selling and estate planning:
Date, mint mark and denomination
Grade, grading service and cert number (or “raw” with an approximate grade)
Variety or designation (DCAM, VAM, star note, CAC)
What you paid, when and from whom
Current value and the date you checked it
Photos of both sides, plus the slab label
Where it’s stored
For paper money: serial number, Friedberg or Pick number, and series
The spreadsheet: free and flexible
Where it works: A spreadsheet costs nothing, you control every column, and it’s fine for a few dozen coins you rarely sell.
Where it breaks:
Values go stale. Every price is a number you typed once. Updating hundreds of rows by hand rarely happens.
Photos live somewhere else. Linking images to rows is clumsy, so most collectors skip it.
Typos spread. One wrong cert number or mint mark and your records stop matching your coins.
No link to the physical coin. Finding coin #214 in a box of 2x2s means reading every flip.
Sharing is risky. Sending a file to a partner or family member means version chaos.
An inventory app: built for the job
A dedicated coin inventory app is designed around the coin, not the cell. The good ones:
Identify a coin from a photo and fill in the details for you
Pull current market prices so your values stay fresh
Keep photos, cert numbers and purchase history on one record
Print labels or QR codes so you can match a coin to its record in seconds
Let a partner, spouse or employee help without handing over the whole file
Where apps fall short: You depend on the company, and some charge a subscription. Before you commit, check that you can export your data.
How to choose
Under 50 coins and you rarely buy or sell: a spreadsheet is fine.
You collect coins and paper money, or add pieces often: an app saves hours.
You sell at shows, online or live: an app, for labels and fast lookups.
You want values for insurance or an estate: an app, so values stay current.
Moving from a spreadsheet
You don’t have to start over. Keep your spreadsheet as a backup, then add coins to the app as you handle them: new purchases first, then your most valuable pieces. Within a few weeks the app becomes the record you trust.
Try Kilito
Kilito is a coin and currency inventory app for collectors and dealers. Snap a photo and it identifies the coin or note, finds market comps, and prints a QR label that links back to the record. Already have a spreadsheet? Import it, and export your inventory to CSV (plus a zip of your photos) anytime. Join the free beta.
