How to Write a Display Label for AA Memorabilia
An AA group finds an old chip in a box of meeting papers. A handwritten note sits beside it, but nobody knows who wrote it. A display label can tell visitors what they can see and what the group can document without turning the note into a settled history.
Start with a label visitors can read quickly
Give the object a plain name. “Sobriety token from the group collection” works if the group can confirm where it was kept. Follow with one short detail a visitor can see, such as a stamped numeral or the words around the rim. If the case holds several objects, place the label close enough that the reader knows which one it describes.
A label might read, “Meeting token, date unknown. Found in a box of materials kept by the group. The center reads XII.” The sentence about the box belongs there only if you know it is true. The example leaves room for the group to learn more later.
Use readable type and a matte surface if you are printing the label. Check it at the distance a visitor will stand. The Smithsonian’s accessible exhibition text examples show how object information can be separated into short, scannable pieces.
Give each date a job
An item can have several dates attached to it. A stamped number might mark a milestone. A receipt may establish when a group bought the item. An old photograph might show that it was on display by a certain year. Write which date you know and what it establishes.
Our history of AA chips introduces accounts of how recognition customs developed. A broad account of the tradition can help explain why a token matters, but the date for a particular object needs its own evidence. If the only record is a later recollection, label it as a recollection or leave the date open.
Keep longer notes in a folder with a photo of both sides, the source for each date and any conditions on use. The group history research guide gives examples of keeping dated records and memories separate. The label can then stay brief while someone else can trace the wording.
Decide what belongs in the display
Ask who owns the item and where it will be shown. A group anniversary table, a permanent cabinet and a public web page can have different audiences. Check with the owner and whoever manages the records before photographing, borrowing or posting the object.
Look at inscriptions, cards and photographs for names and details that could identify people. If the useful history can be told without those details, choose a different object, show the other side, or use a typed transcription with permission. Keep a copy of the approved wording so it can be reused accurately.
If you publish a picture, write alt text for the visible object and leave the date discussion in the label. A group that disagrees about where the display should go could discuss a fictional version of the question at a small Traditions study before making its actual decision.
Before installing the label, read it aloud to someone unfamiliar with the collection. Ask them which date they think the object was made. If they pick a date that only describes a receipt or display, rewrite that line.
Medallions to consider
If your display includes contemporary examples, clearly distinguish today’s catalog medallions from objects with a documented history.
Both photos show one-year samples. Use the Sobriety Time selector to check the milestone you want.
Tricolor Enchanted Crimson Topaz Sparkle
Elite design with a crimson face and a triangle set with stones.
Common questions
Should I put a value on the label?
Only include an appraisal if there is a clear reason and a reliable record. Visitors usually need to know what the object is and why it appears in the case.
Can I include a modern coin beside an older one?
Yes, if you have permission and label each one clearly. Identify a current design as a current example and keep its sample sobriety year separate from a production date.
Keep reading
Compare designs and milestone options in Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins.
