A collector looking at the Stockholm birch wood art board may encounter several numbers and references that appear related but perform different jobs. The most important distinction is simple: “Design 11” identifies the Stockholm artwork within the Chromatica City Series, while a number such as “07/25” identifies one physical board within the limited Stockholm edition.
The Certificate of Authenticity is a third part of the identification record. It accompanies the board as supporting collector documentation, but it should not be confused with either the design number or the individual number marked on the reverse.
Keeping these elements separate makes it easier to describe the work accurately, catalogue a collection and compare a board with its accompanying documentation.
The Three Identifiers to Keep Separate
The Stockholm board has three related identification elements:
- Design 11 identifies the Stockholm design within the Chromatica City Series.
- 01/25–25/25 is the numbering range for the physical Stockholm birch wood edition. Each board receives one individual number from that range on its reverse.
- The Certificate of Authenticity is the accompanying Chromatica documentation supplied with the physical board.
These elements describe different levels of the object. The design number answers which City Series artwork is this? The edition number answers which numbered physical example from this edition is this? The certificate answers what documentation was supplied with the board?
| Element | What it identifies | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Design number | The artwork’s place in the City Series | Design 11: Stockholm |
| Edition number | One physical board within the 25-piece Stockholm edition | 07/25 |
| Certificate | The accompanying authenticity documentation | Chromatica Certificate of Authenticity |
A board can therefore be both Design 11 and 07/25 without any contradiction. The first number belongs to the design system; the second belongs to the limited physical edition.
What “Design 11” Identifies in the City Series
“Design 11” refers to the Stockholm artwork’s identity within the first Chromatica City Series, a 25-design collector platform based around graffiti, Metro culture and urban creativity. In practical catalogue language, the design can be recorded as Design 11 — Stockholm.
The number 11 does not identify a particular physical board. Every board in this specific Stockholm birch wood edition carries the same underlying Design 11 artwork. Whether an individual board is numbered 01/25, 07/25 or 25/25, it remains the Stockholm design in the City Series.
It helps to think of the design number as comparable to an artwork reference or model identifier. It distinguishes Stockholm from the other designs in the wider series. It does not change from copy to copy.
Design 11 also does not mean:
- the eleventh board manufactured;
- the eleventh board sold;
- board number 11/25;
- an edition limited to 11 pieces;
- a verified Stockholm route, vehicle class or train model;
- an identifier issued by a Stockholm transport operator.
The distinction is especially important when somebody informally shortens the product name to “11 Stockholm.” In that phrase, 11 remains the City Series design reference. It should not be read as the individual edition number unless the reverse of the physical board is separately marked 11/25.
Can Design 11 and edition 11/25 appear on the same board?
Yes. One board in the edition may be numbered 11/25. If so, that object would be accurately described as Design 11, Stockholm, edition number 11/25. The repeated number would be coincidental: one “11” identifies the artwork, while the other identifies the board’s assigned place in the 25-piece edition.
That example is also why writing only “Stockholm 11” can create ambiguity in a collection list. Recording the labels Design and Edition number removes the uncertainty.
How to Read an Edition Number Such as 07/25
The Stockholm birch wood edition is limited to 25 physical boards worldwide. Its individual numbers run from 01/25 through 25/25.
In an edition number such as 07/25, the two parts have separate meanings:
- 07 is the individual number assigned to that physical board.
- 25 is the total limit of the Stockholm birch wood edition.
Read aloud, 07/25 can be understood as “number seven from an edition limited to twenty-five.” The leading zero in 07 is part of the displayed numbering format. It does not alter the mathematical value, but it is worth preserving when transcribing the number into a catalogue because it reflects how the edition is presented.
The denominator is not a product count that changes as boards are sold. It states the fixed worldwide edition limit. A board numbered 07/25 does not mean that seven remain, that seven have sold or that the owner has the seventh board currently in stock.
Does the number show production or sales order?
The verified information establishes that every board is individually numbered within the range 01/25–25/25. It does not establish that the numerator records the exact order of engraving, completion, listing, purchase or dispatch.
For that reason, the most accurate description of 07/25 is the board’s assigned individual edition number. Avoid expanding it into a production history that the marking itself does not provide.
Are lower numbers more valuable?
The numbering confirms each board’s place within the same 25-piece edition. It does not establish that 01/25 is rarer than 17/25, because each individual number occurs once within the verified numbering system.
Collectors may have personal preferences for first numbers, last numbers, repeated digits or numbers with private significance. Those preferences should not be confused with a factual difference in edition size or an assured difference in value. The identifier alone does not predict future resale value.
Where the Individual Number Appears on the Board
The individual edition number is located on the reverse of the physical birch wood board. That reverse marking is the direct place to read whether the board is 01/25, 07/25, 25/25 or another number within the edition.
This matters when cataloguing from photographs. A front image may clearly show the Stockholm train artwork while providing no view of the individual edition number. Identifying the front artwork as Design 11 does not reveal which of the 25 boards is being shown.
For a complete identification, read the two sides as separate sources of information:
- The artwork and product context identify the piece as the Stockholm City Series design.
- The reverse marking identifies the individual board within the limited edition.
If a board is framed or displayed in a way that hides the reverse, use an existing record or clear reverse photograph rather than guessing from the design number. No individual number should be inferred from a front view, an order in which photographs appear or another board’s listing.
Likewise, the verified numbering range does not tell a buyer in advance which specific number will be received. A particular edition number should only be stated for an order or collection record after it has been confirmed on that physical board or in reliable documentation for that exact item.
What the Certificate of Authenticity Confirms
Each Stockholm birch wood art board is supplied with a Chromatica Certificate of Authenticity. The certificate forms part of the collector documentation accompanying the physical work.
Its role is different from the reverse number. The board carries its own individual edition marking, while the certificate is a separate document supplied with it. In a well-kept collection, the two should remain associated.
When reviewing a board and certificate together, work only from the information visibly present on each item. If the certificate includes an individual number or other item-specific details, compare those details directly with the reverse of the board. Do not assume what a certificate says without checking it.
The Certificate of Authenticity should not be treated as:
- an independent financial appraisal;
- a guarantee of present or future resale value;
- a complete chain of ownership;
- proof of every previous sale or transfer;
- a substitute for checking the physical board’s reverse number;
- evidence of approval by a Stockholm transport operator.
A useful collection record keeps the certificate with the correct board and notes that it was present. If the two are stored separately, use the same catalogue reference for both so that their association does not depend on memory.
Numbering and documentation improve identification, but they do not make careful record-keeping unnecessary. In a later private sale or transfer, a photographed reverse number, an accurate written description and the accompanying certificate provide more useful context together than the phrase “limited edition” on its own.
A Simple Catalogue Record for the Stockholm Board
A collection catalogue does not need to be complicated. Its main purpose is to distinguish this physical board from other City Series designs and from the other numbered examples of the Stockholm edition.
A practical record can include the following fields:
| Catalogue field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Brand | Chromatica |
| Series | City Series |
| Design | Design 11 — Stockholm |
| Object | Birch wood art board |
| Edition limit | 25 worldwide |
| Individual number | Copy the number exactly from the reverse, such as 07/25 |
| Certificate | Present, if confirmed |
| Material | 3 mm birch wood |
| Format | A4 landscape, approximately 29.7 × 21 cm |
| Artwork process | Permanent laser engraving |
| Customization status | Natural or customized, based on the actual board |
| Notes | Visible grain, base color, surface texture and other observed features |
A concise catalogue entry might read:
Chromatica City Series, Design 11 — Stockholm. Laser-engraved 3 mm birch wood art board, A4 landscape, approximately 29.7 × 21 cm. Individual edition number 07/25 on reverse. Chromatica Certificate of Authenticity present.
Replace 07/25 with the number physically confirmed on the board. If the certificate is not available for inspection, do not record it as present merely because certificates were supplied with the original edition. Catalogue the condition and documentation actually in front of you.
Why exact transcription matters
Small notation changes can blur the distinction between design and edition. “11 Stockholm, 7 of 25” is understandable, but Design 11 — Stockholm; edition number 07/25 is clearer and preserves the original number format.
The same discipline helps when cataloguing more than one City Series object. Give the design number and individual edition number separate fields instead of placing every numeral in one title. This prevents a search for “11” from mixing the Stockholm design reference with board 11/25.
Natural Wood Variation vs. Edition Identity
The boards are made from natural birch wood. Grain, base color and surface texture can vary from one board to another, and those differences can also affect the way the engraving appears visually. Two boards from the same edition should therefore not be expected to look completely identical at close range.
These material differences do not create new design numbers or alter the edition structure. A lighter-looking board numbered 07/25 and a board with more visible grain numbered 18/25 are both examples of Design 11 from the same 25-piece Stockholm birch wood edition.
It is useful to separate identity from appearance:
- Design identity comes from Design 11 — Stockholm.
- Edition identity comes from the individual reverse number within 01/25–25/25.
- Material character comes from the natural grain, color and surface texture of that board.
- Current state includes whether the engraved board has been kept natural or customized with suitable acrylic markers.
If an owner customizes the board, the underlying engraved artwork and assigned edition number remain the key identifiers. The added colors, lettering or characters describe the state of that particular physical object; they do not turn it into a different City Series design or expand the edition beyond 25.
For catalogue purposes, visible wood characteristics and customization are best entered in a notes or condition field. They can help distinguish the physical board in photographs, but they should not replace the reverse number as the edition identifier.
What the Identifiers Do Not Prove
Identifiers are useful when their limits are understood. Design 11, the reverse number and the certificate together create a clearer description of the object, but they do not answer every possible question about ownership, market value or transit history.
In particular, these identifiers do not prove:
- that the artwork is official Stockholm Metro merchandise;
- that it is licensed, endorsed or issued by a transport operator;
- that the depicted train belongs to a specific route, class or operating period;
- that a lower edition number has greater financial value;
- the chronological order in which boards were engraved, sold or shipped;
- a complete ownership history for a board offered on the secondary market;
- that the certificate independently appraises the work;
- that natural wood appearance will be identical across all 25 boards;
- that a particular number will be assigned to an unverified order.
The Stockholm artwork is an independent artistic interpretation of Stockholm Metro culture. It is not affiliated with any transport operator. “Metro culture” describes the cultural reference point of the artwork, not an official partnership or operator-issued classification.
Numbering also needs physical context. A written claim that an item is “07/25” is more useful when it can be checked against the reverse of the actual board and its accompanying documentation. The notation by itself should not be treated as a complete authentication or ownership history for a secondary-market object.
Quick Reference: Design Number, Edition Number and Certificate
What does Design 11 mean?
It identifies Stockholm as the eleventh design reference within the first Chromatica City Series. It is shared by every board in this Stockholm edition.
Is Design 11 the limited-edition number?
No. Design 11 identifies the artwork. The limited-edition number is separately marked on the reverse in a format from 01/25 to 25/25.
What does 07/25 mean?
It means the physical board has been assigned individual number 07 within a worldwide edition limited to 25 boards. It does not by itself state when the board was manufactured, sold or dispatched.
Where is the individual edition number?
It appears on the reverse of the birch wood board.
What does the denominator 25 mean?
It states the total worldwide limit for this physical Stockholm birch wood edition. It is not a changing stock count.
What is the role of the Certificate of Authenticity?
It is the Chromatica authenticity documentation supplied with the board. It should be retained and kept associated with the correct physical piece.
Does birch grain change the edition identity?
No. Natural differences in grain, base color, surface texture and engraving appearance give each board visual variation, but they do not change Design 11 or the board’s assigned reverse number.
Is the artwork official Stockholm Metro merchandise?
No. It is an independent artistic interpretation of Stockholm Metro culture and is not affiliated with any transport operator.
The clearest way to identify the object is to state all three elements without combining their roles: Chromatica City Series, Design 11 — Stockholm; individual edition number as marked on the reverse; Certificate of Authenticity present if physically confirmed.
