I can think of several ways to update catalog versions, each with drawbacks:
- The current approach: Just update the reference. Any renumbered coins have the wrong data and no indication that the data may be wrong.
- Requiring all entries with a number from the catalog to be reviewed and updated at the same time as the reference list update. This would effectively prevent further updates in most cases (except for small catalogs).
- Add the copyright date to the catalog tag (KM2002, KM2003, ...). This would expand the list and be frustrating to edit and update.
- Automatically add text to the comment box when a reference is updated. "This item was assigned a Schön DM number with the 4th edition. The number hasn't been checked with the 5th edition." This approach will accumulate lots of text in some comment boxes eventually and require manual editing to remove.
- Tools to add the comments mentioned in 4 to specific countries when they are found to have been renumbered.
- As 4 and 5, but put it in a separate item in the form. Editing would allow removing those remarks with a checkbox. Tools could remove all entries for a country after a review to verify all changes were made.
There are certainly other approaches.
What can/should be done for future catalog reference updates?