Encyclopedia · Identification, collecting, and safety

Ordnance provenance and documentation

Provenance is the documented history of an ordnance object, where it was recovered or acquired and its chain of custody. Good documentation supports identification and value and guards against fakes.

Also known as: provenance.

DefinitionThe documented history of an object
RecordsFind site, acquisition, and chain of custody
ValueSupports identification and guards against fakes

The object's history

Provenance is the recorded history of a gun or projectile: where and how it was recovered or acquired, and the succession of hands through which it has passed. A well-documented provenance strengthens an identification and adds to an object's value and interest.

It also helps guard against reproductions and misattributions, since a clear history is hard to fake, and it preserves the connection between an object and the place and event it came from.

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Sources & further reading

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