The Physical Lincoln: Numbering system

From Lincolnwiki

A "numbering system" assigns an alphanumeric string to an image. Three numbering systems have been applied to Lincoln images, each named after their originator, and summarized below. This wiki uses the Sotos numbering system, but also tabulates and accommodates the Meserve and Ostendorf systems.

Numbering Systems for Lincoln Images
Name	Format	Description	Drawbacks	Definitive Catalog
Meserve	M-###	Numbers applied sequentially and chronologically to images. Is the oldest of the numbering systems.	Now non-chronological because of images discovered after original number assignments. Applies only to Abraham Lincoln images. Definitive catalog is out of print.	ostendorfA
Ostendorf	O-###	Numbers applied sequentially and chronologically to images.	Now non-chronological because of images discovered after original number assignments. Applies only to images of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, and the numbers overlap. Definitive catalog is out of print.	ostendorfA
Sotos	person date counter version	Covers entire Lincoln family. Will always be chronological. Image labels encode subject and date of image. Explicitly assigns labels to different versions of an image.	Labels may change if date of image changes. Labels have complex syntax.	This wiki.