Redwing_dave

Yes, that would put you on a very short list Jim, and I think you're the only one on that list that has posted in this thread. By the way thanks again for showing me around Pittsburgh. I'm still trying to get my wife to move there (with me) .

Just got an update from thecachingplace. The coins are over half gone, so if you're hoping to get a set of these, don't delay.

Question for all participants! Would anyone be opposed to me extending the end of the contest to approximately July 20th? Based on some comments I've received from people stating that they would really like to have the coins in hand to help decypher the puzzle, and since international buyers may not receive their coins until mid June (based on the speed of postal services in various countries), the current end date seems like it might be a little premature. I originally chose that date (I think it's like June 22nd or something like that...I can't even remember myself ) because I have the misfortune of going to Fishing in Alaska for about 3 weeks, starting in the end of June. I hoped to have this wrapped up before I left. Now I'm thinking that it might be best to add a month, and finalize things when I get back. The one downside is that while I'm in Alaska I won't be checking my email or the forums frequently, so I may not be available to answer questions. Please post your thoughts in this forum, and I'll make a decision based on the opinions expressed here. -RD P.S. If you didn't notice, the da Vinci Challenge coins went on sale today. They're well over half sold, so if you're hoping to get your hands on a set, don't delay.

Thanks FSM!

Just a reminder that the daVinci Coins will go on sale in approximately 40 minutes. See post #100 for details and link to the sale. Enjoy, -RD

You do not have to buy the coins. Before posting the pictures, I verified that at this size, all details necessary to solve the puzzle are visible and distinguishable. Since some of these pictures were taken at the mint, I am limited in my ability to enlarge them without them starting to grow fuzzy (still waiting for all of the actual coins to arrive, only have pictures for two of them). My recommendation, if it all possible, would be to somehow print these out on a high quality printer. Even if you have a computer/monitor that gives you a nice view of the coins, I think having a printout would be helpful (note: this is a hint) . -RD

Oh how I dream of going back to the days when I was only 95% insane!

Here are the final standings and prices (including U.S. S/H...add $3 for internation S/H) for the winners of the mini-contest. The winners will receive a 3-coin set of antique silver limited edition "da Vinci Challenge Coins." Please follow the instructions in post #72 to arrange payment (where necessary), and to give Leonardo your mailing address. Unfortunately Leonardo had a mishap with his email account, and all of the emails he had from this contest were erased, so even if you already sent your address, please go through the motions one more time. And the Winners are: 1st - Frivlas = FREE 2nd - coreynjoey = $12 3rd - Storm180 = $15 4th - QuigleyJones = $18 5th - Vaudesir = $21 6th - Wigoweb = $24 7th - GPX Navigators = $27 8th - J2D2 = $30 Congratulations one final time! Now get out there and solve the CHALLENGE! -RD

Remember, one winner will be drawn at random from all contestants that submit an answer, so even if you can't solve the puzzle, you've got a chance if you make a guess. -RD

Just a few updates: 1-The "da Vinci Challenge" has begun. Information can be found HERE if you are interested in playing. 2-The "da Vinci Challenge Geocoins" will go on sale on Thursday, May 24th @ 9:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time. HERE is the link to the sale (try not to break thecachingplace's server come thursday morning ). 3-I will be posting a list of the Winners of this Mini-Contest here shortly. If you are one of the winners, and would like to purchase the LE set at the winning price, please send an email to Leonardo at daVinciCoins@hotmail.com. Please include your caching name, and the words "Mini-Contest Winner" in the subject to help Leonardo keep these emails separate from the "Challenge" emails. In the body of your email, please provide Leonardo with your real name and mailing address, as well as the email address you would like him to send your paypal invoice to (Frivlas can bypass the paypal info ). If you prefer to pay by a method other than paypal, please indicate that in your message to Leonardo. He is happy to take other methods of payment. Leonardo will send out paypal invoices once he has confirmation that the coins have arrived on the N. American continent. I will help him out by mailing the coins to you shortly thereafter. Please note - the regular edition coins are being sold through thecachingplace.com. They are not selling or mailing the LE coins, so please address questions about LE coins to myself of Leonardo personally. Thanks again for playing everyone! You were all great!! Good luck in the Challenge. -RD

Just a couple updates: 1-The "da Vinci Challenge" has begun. Information can be found HERE if you are interested in playing. 2-The "da Vinci Challenge Geocoins" will go on sale on Thursday, May 24th @ 9:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time. HERE is the link to the sale (try not to break thecachingplace's server come thursday morning ).

I am pleased to announce that the "da Vinci Challenge" has officially begun. Two sets of designer edition antique copper "da Vinci Challenge Geocoins" are up for grabs in this contest. All of the rules and details of the Challenge are available at THIS WEBSITE! If you plan to participate, please take the time to review this information. The "da Vinci Challenge Geocoins" turned out wonderful, but you don't have to take my word for it, take a look for yourself: Fronts Backs The pictured coins are proofs in antique bronze (pictures were taken with different cameras and in different lighting, explaining the color variation between the coins). There will be 3 coins per set; 335 sets total. All of the coins will be antique bronze, except 25 antique silver sets (8 of these were awarded in the "da Vinci mini-contest), and 10 antique copper sets (2 of which will be given away in the "da Vinci Challenge"). The antique bronze coins can be purchased starting on Thursday, May 24th if you are interested, but no purchase is necessary to participate in this Challenge (you just need the images that I've provided you with). Please use this thread to share your insights or ask questions about the "da Vinci Challenge." If you feel so inclined, this would be a great place to share those "lightbulb" moments you have as you try to solve the challenge. There is a separate THREAD devoted to info about the sale of the coins. Please use this thread specifically for things related to the Challenge. Thanks, and GOOD LUCK! -RD

Details are nailed down as follows: 335 coin sets (10 XLE antique copper sets; 25 LE antique silver sets; the rest in antique bronze) Coins will only be sold as a 3-coin set All 3 coins are trackable on GC.com with a unique "dV" prefix and "da Vinci" icon (just one icon, not 3) Diameter = 1.75" Unless something changes in the next few days, price will be $23 +S/H per set (< $8 per coin) LE and XLE coins will not be available in the initial sale. They have to be won, or otherwise acquired directly from me I think that hits the major details. Let me know if there are anymore questions. -RD

The wait is almost over! The da Vinci Coins will go on sale sometime during the week of 5/21 (exact date and time TBA). TheCachingPlace is putting up a website for me with the rules and details of the "da Vinci Challenge" (your way to get your hands on one of ten XLE antique copper da Vinci Coin sets by decrypting the coins). As soon as that website is up an running, I'll post the link, but I couldn't wait to post the coin proofs, so here they are: FRONTS: Backs: Ponder these for awhile, and stay tuned for the official start of the "da Vinci Challenge" and ordering information for the da Vinci Coins!

The wait is almost over! The da Vinci Coins will go on sale sometime during the week of 5/21 (exact date and time TBA). TheCachingPlace is putting up a website for me with the rules and details of the "da Vinci Challenge" (your way to get your hands on one of ten XLE antique copper da Vinci Coin sets by decrypting the coins). As soon as that website is up an running, I'll post the link, but I couldn't wait to post the coin proofs, so here they are: FRONTS: Backs: Ponder these for awhile, and stay tuned for the official start of the "da Vinci Challenge" and ordering information for the da Vinci Coins!

Update: Sorry it's been awhile. I spent a week on the road for work, and have been battling a sinus infection. I finally had a chance to approve the proof of the Vitruvian Man coin today. The other two coins are already minted, and awaiting shipment to the U.S. We should have the coins in-hand in about 2 or 3 weeks, at which point the sale will begin, and the "da Vinci Challenge" will begin (I'm waiting to have all the coins in hand so that I can get good pics of them). Stay tuned. Now I'm off to Goblin Valley for a few days, so if you have any questions, it may take me a bit to get back to you. Thanks for you patience. I've seen all the proofs now, and let me be the first to say: THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD!!!!

Update: Sorry it's been awhile. I spent a week on the road for work, and have been battling a sinus infection. I finally had a chance to approve the proof of the Vitruvian Man coin today. The other two coins are already minted, and awaiting shipment to the U.S. We should have the coins in-hand in about 2 or 3 weeks, at which point the sale will begin, and the "da Vinci Challenge" will begin (I'm waiting to have all the coins in hand so that I can get good pics of them). Stay tuned. Now I'm off to Goblin Valley for a few days, so if you have any questions, it may take me a bit to get back to you. Thanks for you patience. I've seen all the proofs now, and let me be the first to say: THIS IS GOING TO BE GOOD!!!!

Sorry about the trouble. I just activated my own OS coin and my Polished Copper Designer's Edition coin , but unfortunately the custom icon didn't show up (in fact, no icon showed up). I assure you the icons are submitted/approved, and paid for, so I'll look into it and get back to you. Thanks for letting me know. -Dave

Glad you like them! They are nice and big, aren't they. None of my coin books seem to want to hold a 2" x 2" square coin, so I have mine out on display.

All of the coins should come with an OS prefix. It looks like you've got yourself a mint error there. I personally can't do anything about this, but please contact the folks at thecachingplace.com and I'm sure they'll take care of you. Sorry for the trouble. Let me know how it turns out. -Dave

Glad to see you're still alive Yime! I have never worked with CoinsandPins, but all the coins I have from them turned out real nice. My personal preference is thecachingplace.com. They have minted all my coins, and will mint anything I do in the future. They are fast, dependable, affordable, and honest. They will literally take a sketch on a piece of napkin and turn it into a work of art (true story - I've seen it happen from start to finish). Oh, and if you need fine 3D detail, just look at a 'Rubicon Brothers' coin, and you'll know that there is no finer 3D work in all of geoland.

I was actually going to take my huge wad of cash from the coin sales and retire in Belize, but then I realized that I didn't even have enough for a GreyHound Bus ride to the Mexico border. Since I couldn't retire a millionaire, I decided to do something more altruistic. It came to my attention that several Sherpa had been attacked and killed by Yeti while helping self-serving Westerners find this cache near Mt. Everest. Sadly, Pepsi found out in 2003 that even super-potent pepper spray wasn't effective against an attack from a full grown Yeti (the jury is still out on its effects against the Yearling Yetis). I decided to use my funds, and my scientific knowledge to develop a lightweight Yeti-proof suit to protect the Sherpa (it's complex, but in brief, it involves the fusion Goretex, Kevlar, and aluminum foil in a superconductor [patent pending]). Unfortunately I didn't have the funds to rent a superconductor for a weekend to produce a sample. So I took my wad of cash to Vegas in hopes that my altruism would bring me good Karma, and I'd come back with enough money to save the Sherpa from these vicious attacks. Unfortunately there must have been a flaw in my Karma because I ended up losing everything, including my car, and had to hitch a ride home with a smelly old man. My Karma must really be messed. Fortunately Team360 had other plans for his big wad of cash. Jeff (Team360) is unable to post at this time, so I will do my best to represent him. I received this message from Jeff a few days ago "I am on my way out to the Plaque on May 2 and will be spending all day repainting and cleaning up the area, so it will be in great shape for the May 3rd Anniversary! I already have my plane ticket and car rental all lined up..." Jeff made this same trip last year for the anniversary, as well as several times before that. As with most coin designers, I don't feel obliged to share a full financial disclosure, but suffice it to say the income from this project doesn't even put a dent in Jeff's out-of-pocket expenditures to keep the plaque in good condition over the years. As a side note, my picture from the plaque was from February 2006 (a few months before Jeff's 2006 visit). Also, since the plaque is just above ground level, it is easy for it to become covered in dirt and debris. I visited during a downpour that had splashed a lot of mud and debris onto the plaque. Suffice it to say that most of what looks like wear-and-tear in my picture is just spattered gunk from the rainstorm. As mentioned above, Jeff makes sure that the real wear-and-tear is regularly touched-up. Because there is so much debris in the area of the plaque, it doesn't stay clean for long. This more recent picture may be a little more demonstrative of how little wear-and-tear there is on the plaque vs. how susceptible it is to get covered in gunk from the surrounding area: Thanks for your concern for the plaque. Pictures don't do it justice. Take a visit, and you'll see that it remains in great shape despite the stresses of nature (and cachers ). We all want this to be a place where Geocachers everywhere can come to get that special sense of "This is where it all began." I get goose bumps just remembering what it was like being there. I hope every cacher out there will have the chance to make the homage someday. All the Best, -REDWING_DAVE P.S. Original Stash Coins are still available HERE!! Order now to make sure you have them for the May 3rd Anniversary. * * *

Yep. Sounds like a good idea. The only flip-top-pocket-watch-type coin I can think of off hand is the notebook computer coin that just came out. I'm sure someone would make it. Sounds neat. Can't wait to see it! Sounds like something we've been working on for several months now! We can't wait to release this one, it's going to be our best yet!!! Mrs. Cach-u-nut I've been privy to this great Cach-u-nut idea for several months now. They let me in on the die art to get my opinion a few months back, with the stipulation that I keep my lips sealed. Let's just say that when I started reading this thread, and saw Hobo2 describing something like a "Pocket Watch" or a "Locket", I almost had an accident (not the good kind either... wait I guess there isn't a good kind ). I couldn't decide whether to worry more about whether Hobo2 had my phone/computer under surveillance or whether I should worry that the Cach-u-nuts would drive over me in their Rubicon 'cause they'd think I was a Loose-Lipped-Lucy (truly I know they're too nice to do that, but I do like to maintain at least a modest degree of integrity most of the time). So, I have two statements: 1st-I've seen the Cach-u-nut plans; in fact they're right in front of me at this moment (the plans, not the cach-u-nuts), and this is going to be awesome!!! I'd love to post a copy of the art right now, but these aren't my beans to spill. 2nd-Craig & Georgia, I spoke to no one about the die art. I think I'm being tracked. First the Hockey puck incident last night, and now this??? I think its time to sweep the room for bugs, and go dark for awhile. Gotta go! Does anybody smell burning feathers?

Congratulations!!! I'm ready for another trip back myself!

Still available.