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Designing The Sc Coin.


CoyoteRed

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Okay, we got a preliminary design going on the SC coin. However, there has been a bit of a stumbling block on an important step, so I'm coming to the folks most likely to be interested the final result--the geocoin collectors.

 

There are two basic approaches on creating a coin; one is having a coin something like the SA coin produced by KVcoins and then there is the minted route to produce a more "coin-like" product.

 

There are two ways to produce the rough design we have:

 

- One is go with a pressed coin like the SA geocoin. We can get some fun colors and epoxy coated. We could serialize the coins and do stuff like that. But no as much sculpted detail. (There will likely not be any tracking either way.)

 

- The other is go with more a traditional coin with one or more sides sculpted with a lots of detail. On idea is to use the same die year after year and simply change the material to denote the different years until the design is changed. We could start off with a silver and gold coin (silver and gold plated copper) which will look very destinctive. The next year copper, then antiqued silver, etc. It could go on that way for several years.

 

There is an important difference. I have some ideas that require some very fine detail, but it would be moot if a colorful coin is preferred.

 

So, what say you?

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I'd have to agree with pghlooking. Although I think the second option discussed would mean more of a traditional coin, and not as 3 Dimensional of a coin as the geowoodstock III one is.

 

I also think the feel of a coin that has more 3D features to it is much more interesting than a standard coin or one that's been colorized and epoxied. Honestly I don't see much of the point on epoxy anyways, as most coins end up getting collected, and usually end up in an air-tite or plastic coin case anyway, usually the epoxy is more of a protection method.

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I guess I misspoke when I said epoxy coating. I'm not thinking of the thick coating that makes a smooth surface. The coating I'm thinking of is more of the "laquered finish" type of coating. It will have texture. This is versus no coating what-so-ever for the traditional type of coin of the other approach.

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some stuff to think about in no particular order:

  • given a choice, color is cool and texture is cool
  • color trumps detail so far (waiting to see if the Alaska silver one coming changes my mind a bit there)
  • some coins are bizarre shapes, sizes, or thicknesses (Idaho, Germany, Washington) making it tough for folks who want to put them into AirTites to do so. Keep the size, shape, and thickness relatively mainstream around the size of the Canada coin.
  • the quality of the different manufacturers is obvious the more types of coins you see. Spend the extra 50-cents or a buck per coin.
  • the SA coins looked nice, but they had manufacturing smudges as the black ran a bit, made them look less than they could have looked.
  • serial numbers are goodness, people like the joy of "hey, mine's a low serial number"
  • tracking is a religious issue, as is 'getting an icon on geocaching.com'. Personally, tracking if it's easy to use is nice to have, the icons on geocaching.com is getting a little crazy in my opinion, and seems pretty pricey from what I hear.
  • if you do tracking, on your own, think about the large trading community out there. Make sure an unregistered coin can be activated by anybody, not just the original purchaser (example - I traded for a Canada coin and cannot activate it, as I didn't originally buy it, even though I have the code and the coin is unactivated)

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Thanks for the input everyone!

 

Okay, so color is cool, but not at the expense of detail. Some form of uniquely identifying the coin is good.

 

My personal belief is tracking will only add to the angst level, but you still have the option of attaching a tracking number to the coin and sending it on its way. Plus, you can have you choice of tracking sites and modes.

 

No one has commented on the scheme of each series being a different material. Not a good idea? Weird? Cool way to identify the different years?

 

Thanks, again, for the input!

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No one has commented on the scheme of each series being a different material. Not a good idea? Weird? Cool way to identify the different years

My thought was to have a different design on the one side of the SA coin for next year.

Keep the material the same, keep the SA logo the same and have a different theme on the "back" I was thinking along the lines of- South African famous natural landmarks (each year a landmark of a different province) for the next couple of years like Table mountain, Drakensberg, Goldengate National park etc. Maybe something like this could work for SC?

The different materials could work as well. It will save you on die cost, but then what is the cost of extra die divided between minting 500 coins?

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Personally, I'd like color over detail.. I've noticed on some of the circulated GC coins that after a while they just look crappy and don't really look like anything all that special.. I'd rather see color.

 

As for numbering/tracking, I know that marky has the tracking site he set up for his pennies, so maybe he'd let you guys use that to track the coins? Either way, I'd at least like them to have a serial number.

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Marky has always offered free use of his tracking site for geocoins and other signature items. He sets it all up for you. The California geocoins (2004) are tracked there. http://www.geocoin.net/

 

My feeling is that numbering adds to the desirability of the coins and then you can have the free and painless tracking on Marky's site available for those that wish to track them.

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Below is the preliminary design. It's pretty close to final, but I may need to move the "Est. 2003" and the serial number.

 

a836b0c3-a3db-4ee9-8111-a8cefdd1eac8.jpg

 

I will be creating a new thread try and get a notion of how many to order. I'll have a mailing list to get on as well so you can be kept abreat of the progress and availablity.

 

Can you spot the nod to a short story based in the South Carolina Lowcountry? It represents the love of puzzle caches many of us have.

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Where's the hidden "F U" to Ceips?

 

And shouldn't that motto be "Discovering our state except its graveyards, historical sites, archeological digs, and general sites of heritage through geocaching"...I guess it didn't fit on the coin very well.

 

:D

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Where's the hidden "F U" to Ceips?

It's not on this coin. We might make a "R.I.P. H3777" coin if we get the bill defeated.

 

I've got a couple of latin phrases for it "In monumenta non mingimus" or the more vulgar "In stelas non meiimus." I was going to include it on this coin be it got voted down. No need to immortalize it on something that is supposed to represent us.

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What would a skull be a reference to?

don't know

but it supposed to be there? or its part of "Can you spot the nod to a short story based in the South Carolina Lowcountry? It represents the love of puzzle caches many of us have."?

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Very, very cool coin. Thanks all for pointing to the skull - I don't see things like that (explains why I have so many DNFs). Only question is whether you want to put a 2005 year designation somewhere on the coin. I assume people will know the differences if you do annual series, but it's a thought. Either way, I'd really look forward to ordering this one -- much better than a lot of the state coins. -W

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If you decide you want the coin tracked at geocoin.net, it is free and painless.  Just let me know.  If you do, you might want to include "track at sc.geocoin.net" on the coin.

 

--Marky

Thanks for the offer, but I think we've decided to not have it trackable like a traditional hitch hiker.

 

EDIT: unfortunate typo

Edited by CoyoteRed
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Hmmm...

 

No one interested enough to solve the puzzle, I'm wondering if I should just remove it. The potential for the skull to be misconstrued is there and if it's not an interesting enough element then I'm not sure if the pay off is worth the risk.

 

The skull is a tip of the hat to Edgar Allen Poe's short story The Goldbug, a convenient copy can be found here. I've been intrigued by the story since I was a kid. Everything in there is relatively accurate for the area, even down to the thick growth myrtle where a letterbox is hidden on an island to the south of the island mentioned in the story. There are still many places that is far enough from development that you can let your imagination run wild. Or sit on the beach on a full moon night and wonder at the different ships that have wondered by or just how far it is to land if you just head straight out. Sit in the right spot and you can watch the light from the modern Sullivan's Island lighthouse play across the derilict Morris Island lighthouse which stands alone in the ocean now that the land around it has been washed away.

 

I thought it would be a nice addition to the coin, but now I'm having second thoughts.

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Two thoughts:

 

I saw the skull and assumed it had something to do with voodoo or things of that ilk.

 

Do you really need the tree on both the front and back of the coin? I like it better as the negative inset on the state. I would suggest using the back to put another state symbol on the coin instead of reiterating the same one.

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Do you really need the tree on both the front and back of the coin? I like it better as the negative inset on the state. I would suggest using the back to put another state symbol on the coin instead of reiterating the same one.

The idea was to create a "generic" side so other South Carolinians could use it as one side saving the cost of the die. The other is the SCGA logo. If I were designing for only the SCGA use, yes it would be different.

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No one interested enough to solve the puzzle, I'm wondering if I should just remove it. The potential for the skull to be misconstrued is there and if it's not an interesting enough element then I'm not sure if the pay off is worth the risk.

 

LEAVE IT IN !!!! Thats what geocaching is about. Finding things, everyone of us are treasure seekers, most are puzzle solvers, and to have a coin that leads you on another search or puzzle is just to dadgum cool. Think of 100 years from now, when someone comes across the coin, it could start another "National Treasure" hunt..

 

As always, your friendly neighborhood Marmetion

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IMHO when we designed the GA Geocoin we chose depth and no epoxy. We also will produce coins for 5 years with the scene on the reverse changing each year, also the "year" will change. As was mentioned by the SA coins we will have different locations to represent the different areas of Georgia. We chose to number them as some people like to have a low number coin and others could care less. We chose not to track them as most geocoins wind up as a collection piece more than a trade item. We only produced 500 this year. We of course obtained permission from GC Legal dept for the use of GC.com url.

I like the clean design of your SC coin.

The obverse

028bb6dc-761a-4ba7-a3d2-ad78e249c56d.jpg

The reverse

3d1d0b14-cca9-49f1-b26e-a7f2c258f90c.jpg

The shiny look is front the flash reflecting off the paintseal, the coin is not epoxied.

 

GA Cacher

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I think the coin design is very, very nice. I also appreciate a coin that has some "personality" for the area that it originates. It would be cool to get the coin and the "story" available (basically, keep the skull).

 

I'll keep my eyes peeled to see when we can order.

 

Oh -- I think less it more. The use of blue and silver is both attractive and..... inspiring.....

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I will be creating a new thread try and get a notion of how many to order.  I'll have a mailing list to get on as well so you can be kept abreat of the progress and availablity.

Have you started the thread yet? Because I would like to get on your list. ;)

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IMHO when we designed the GA Geocoin we chose depth and no epoxy. We also will produce coins for 5 years with the scene on the reverse changing each year, also the "year" will change.  As was mentioned by the SA coins we will have different locations to represent the different areas of Georgia. We chose to number them as some people like to have a low number coin and others could care less.  We chose not to track them as most geocoins wind up as a collection piece more than a trade item. We only produced 500 this year. We of course obtained permission from GC Legal dept for the use of GC.com url.

Do you still have any of the Georgia coins for sale?

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Below is the preliminary design. It's pretty close to final, but I may need to move the "Est. 2003" and the serial number.

 

a836b0c3-a3db-4ee9-8111-a8cefdd1eac8.jpg

 

I will be creating a new thread try and get a notion of how many to order. I'll have a mailing list to get on as well so you can be kept abreat of the progress and availablity.

 

Can you spot the nod to a short story based in the South Carolina Lowcountry? It represents the love of puzzle caches many of us have.

I like this design alot. Go with this and I'll buy a couple...

I was down in Charleston last summer for a week vacation and I got this touristy type shirt with the SC Palm on a ripped blue Pirate flag. I liked the old weathered look to it. But what you have here looks nicer than the Georgia coin. I am not a fan of tons of colors as they tend to look like coloring books... And the detail is lost as everyone stated. Good luck.

Jerseytrex ;)

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