Coin Question

[+Cache Buzzards]

There is a coin in a cache not far from my house. I didn't take it because I'm not sure what to do, other than move it to another cache. I've seen people buying and trading coins and some say " I found mine the old fashioned way...in a cache". Are we supposed to keep these coins when found? Isn't there rules against that? I like the coins, and would love to collect, but want to maintain etiquette.

Edited June 23, 2005 by boxerdoc

[+welch]

it depends on what sort of coin your talking about (and who left it there).

Some coins like the USA geocoin, are more like Travel bugs. They have their own page for tracking and a mission/goal. You should NOT KEEP TRAVEL BUGS.

On the other hand, some coins/tokens are left as a signature item, or as a trade thing.

[+Alice Band]

I must admit, that's confused me too. I'm told that people leave coins and engraved plastic chips as 'calling cards' but I don't know if you are supposed to take these non-TB's as a collectors piece or move it to the next cache and so on. I am planning on getting some calling cards made but don't know if the cache owner or the next visitors are supposed to take them to join a collection. Is it possible to add a section in the FAQ on the subject of 'prizes' in the cache, and how to treat them?

 

Thank you for any clarification offered!

[+maggieszoo]

I'm curious about this, too. I would love to start collecting coins and such, but are they put in the cache for the cache owner or are they trade items that can be kept? I spent last night making our own 'coins' out of modeling compound. I would not mind if someone wanted to keep one for their collection, but wouldn't want to keep one of someone else's that was not intended for me.

[+Nurse Dave]

The coins if they aren't trackable are generally a really nice trade item. And some of the ones that arean't trackable on gc.com say you can keep them or move them on. The cards I've seen are a regional thing. Some places they are put in with the log book to sort of collect in the cache and some places they are just to swap like anything else. I'd just look around, if there are a bunch of cards in caches around you, I'd leave them. If not, swap em out if you want to.

[+Jolly-Rodger]

I have made myself some cards that I'm going to leave in the caches that I find. I'm waiting on some coins that I had made. I'm going to be leaving these in caches that I really liked. (a challenging find, great location, or an especially good trading item, etc.) IMO, my sig items can be kept or passed on.

[crr003]

I leave a certain coin as a trade item (I normally TN). I use it 'cos it's small, easy to carry and will fit in any cache. I expect it to be taken if someone wants it.

[+DaveA]

If it isn't a TB or some other item that indicates it is to be moved along then it is a trade item and you can do with it as you wish.

 

There is no such thing as an item placed into the container for the cache owner unless the item specificially indicates such.

 

Is the coin you found a money coin or a non money coin? Lots of people trade foreign currency, usually in the form of coins in caches. There are other people who have coins printed for them as a signature item.

 

Some people collect signature items.

 

So, bottom line is that if the item doesn't have specific instructions then it should be treated as swag. You are free to trade it out, move it along or keep it, whichever you prefer.

[+Alice Band]

Thanks for the info guys Very helpfull. I do like the idea of only leaving cards/sig items with the caches that I found interesting/challenging etc. Came across a good and an average one today, but as I'm new to this I don't have my cards ready yet.

[+ibycus]

So, bottom line is that if the item doesn't have specific instructions then it should be treated as swag. You are free to trade it out, move it along or keep it, whichever you prefer.

With one addendum, you should probably make *some* effort to find out if that particular coin might be tracked else where, and maybe the original owner would like to see it moved on. This might mean reading through the logs to see who left it, or looking at any website that might be listed on the coin to see if it is a tracked item.

Just make sure that what ever you trade for it is worth the trade, and that you make your intentions clear. I know a lot of the Calgary Geocoins are left around here as 'swag', but then sometimes someone will pick one up and say 'took coin, left TB', which is fine really if they intend on moving it to another cache, but if they are planning on keeping it, well that is another story.

My own coins, I consider to be a trade item. I take them around with me, and if there is something in the cache that I want, it is pretty much a given that the coin will be 'trading up'.

No universal policy is going to fit, the best you can do is try to find out the intentions of the original owner of the coin, and live with that. If no intentions are obvious, then I think you can safely keep it.

[+Onslow Fisherman]

I use coins as a signature item. I have a large number of "out of circulation" old coins mostly Australian Pennies. I leave them in anticpation that they will be taken So far only one has been taken.