Geocoin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A geocoin is a metal coin minted in similar fashion to a medallion, token coin or military challenge coin, or a wooden nickel, for use in geocaching. Some geocoins are trackable on the internet using a serial number and website address engraved on the coin.
Personal geocoins are a personal signature item bearing the geocacher's handle and personal design, similar to a heraldic device. Geocoins are often minted by caching organizations and as fund-raisers for geocaching events.
They may be placed in geocaches to be found by others and kept as trophies, moved from cache to cache like a Travel Bug, traded, given to other cachers like a calling card, or merely sold and collected.
Trackable Geocaching.com geocoins are imprinted with unique codes and tracked via the geocaching.com website. An icon, sometimes unique, is shown on the geocaching website beside a cache the geocoin is in or the inventory of any cacher holding one. Icons will also remain in the inventory of cachers who log the 'discovery' of a geocoin's number without physically removing it from a cache. Icon collecting is an associated hobby. Many people bring geocoins with unique icons to geocaching events so that others may see the coins and use the tracking number to collect the icons online.
Other websites for trackable coins include the 2005 Canadian geocoin , Utah geocoin and Oregon State coin, and sigitem.com.
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[edit] History of Geocaching.com trackable geocoins
- September 30, 2001 The first trackable geocoin released was the Moun10Bike Version 1 Geocoin #002.[1] The Moun10Bike Version 1 Geocoins are the most sought after geocoins in existence. They are all displayed on geocaching.com as owned by Moun10Bike however the coin may still be listed for sale in defiance of this on eBay fetching prices in the thousands of USD. When he finds a sale of this coin on eBay he will have the coin locked so it is no longer trackable.[2]
- 2003 The first USAGeocoin is released for sale making it one of the first Geocoins that one can buy, release, and track online without minting an exclusive personal design. The proposed 2002 Design was never made. [3]
- 2005 Geocaching.com permits any Geocaching user to purchase tracking numbers for approved designs fueling a sudden surge in number of coins. Minimum purchase set at 1000 tracking numbers.
- Fall 2006 Groundspeak reduces the minimum purchase of tracking numbers to 250 and the min. required to receive a unique icon, reducing the total cost of creating a trackable geocoin (with icon) and fueling a 'geocoin craze' with hundreds of new personal, group and increasingly purely commercial designs minted.[4]
- February 17, 2007 The First Annual Geocoinfest was held in Temecula, CA. This event brought hundreds of Geocoin Collectors together with many exclusive coins being given away or traded.[5]
[edit] Geocoin Terminology
This may vary from the accepted numismatic terms.
[edit] Coin Finishes
- Antique Finish: A finish applied to copper, gold, or silver to give it a darker look. This finish is used often to have the fine details in a coin stand out more clearly.
- Foggy Painting: Paint finish simulating metal applied surface.
- Matte: see Satin Finish.
- Misty: Silver or gold finish simulating effect of unpolished areas of a proof coin.
- Proof-like: Effect attained on high quality die stuck coins by high pressure and multiple strikes producing mirror finish background with satin finish relief areas
- Satin Finish: A finish giving a foggy look to the metal.
- Silver: 1. plated with silver 2. .999 solid silver 3. silver-like nickel plated, shiny nickel.
[edit] Collecting Terms
- AE: Artists Edition: type of SE; a version of a retail commercial geocoin only made available to the designer of the coin.
- LE: Limited Edition: Typically a different version (color, metal, etc.) than the main run of coins. Produced in a limited quantity one time only.
- RE: Regular edition not produced in a limited in number thus may be reprised according to demand as dies are held by the mint for minimum of three years.
- SE: Special Edition: Typically a different version to the main run of coins but unlike LE, XLE or XXLE no limit on the number minted.
- XLE: Extra Limited Edition: Same as LE only fewer.
- XXLE: Extremely Limited Edition: Same as XLE only fewer.
- HTF: Hard to Find; refers to ease of acquiring through purchase or trade not total mint numbers
- VHTF: Very Hard to Find; refers to ease of acquiring through purchase or trade not total mint numbers
- Proof Coin: 1.the sample coins provided by the mint 2.Effect attained on high quality die stuck coins by high pressure and multiple strikes producing mirror finish background with satin finish relief areas.
- Sample Coin: 1.the sample coins provided by the mint
[edit] Gecocaching Terms
- Custom Icon: 16 x 16 px or 32 x 32 px GIF files that are associated to the coin or coin series by geocaching.com trackable coins.
- Micro: A geocoin that is smaller than ~1.25 inches in diameter. Generally recognized as a coin that would fit inside a 35mm film canister.
- Personal: A geocoin produced or designed by an individual or team of geocachers featuring team or cacher's nickname ("geonick") prominently on the coin.
[edit] References
- ^ Moun10Bike Version 1 Geocoin #002 - The Actual Activation Date is September 20, 2002 but was placed in a Cache on the 30th as the first log would show on the bottom of the last page
- ^ Note From Moun10Bike on the forums about the eBay auction policy
- ^ Groundspeak Thread about the USA Geocoins History.
- ^ Groundspeak's Current Coin Tracking Policy, Coin Tracking Requirements
- ^ GeocoinFest 2007 Cache Listing
- ^ Accepted geocoin terminology reference group discussion
