My Solution Or Can Of Worms?

3k · December 12, 2005

First things first...I'm new. So I looked around. I read your coin posts. I found my solution to the most common problems I hear about. Coins are expensive to make and trackable numbers are expensive to buy. So I made my own solution...I designed a full-color, two sided coin/token with trackable numbers and produced them for less than 30 cents per piece. Talked to moun10man and he informed me that this really falls more into a token category than a coin, but let's see how it works. Is any one interested in doing the same?

December 12, 2005

Welcome Fox & Hound!

You mean metal-tokens?

Have you some pictures for example?

3k · December 12, 2005

I can't afford to have hundreds of metal tokens minted right now. So I put together my artwork in AI, printed it at 1200dpi, cut it and encased it (back to back) in an acrylic Air Tite brand coin safe. btw-how do i post a pic here?

3k · December 12, 2005

I forgot to mention, printed on 110lb. cardstock from a laser printer before cutting and inserting into the safes. Each back can be customized with an individual tracking number. There are a number of place that will even give you 5 or 10 tracking numbers free to get started and about a buck a # after that. Or you can simply add your email address and keep tabs on individual coins yourself for free.

3k · December 12, 2005

My Webpage

December 12, 2005

i have upload the picture for you

They looks very good, but the problem ist the material...paper is not popular.

3k · December 12, 2005

I know paper is low-end, but it's also affordable. The probable with paper is that ink tends to bleed and colors die over time. The coin case is supposed to be airproof and waterproof so paper should be ok and laser toner shouldn't ever fade.

December 12, 2005

i have upload the picture for you

Image deleted

They looks very good, but the problem ist the material...paper is not popular.

As long as you don't advertise it as a coin, just a signature item, it should be fine. Lots of people use paper as their signature items.

December 12, 2005

Very nice. I like that.

3k · December 12, 2005

Does a coin have to be metal? I've seen plastic disks, wooden nickels and traveler tags that are also trackable. How do you classify and list these items?

December 12, 2005

I forgot to mention, printed on 110lb. cardstock from a laser printer before cutting and inserting into the safes. Each back can be customized with an individual tracking number. There are a number of place that will even give you 5 or 10 tracking numbers free to get started and about a buck a # after that. Or you can simply add your email address and keep tabs on individual coins yourself for free.

Can you list these sites?

I like what you have done...

December 12, 2005

Were you able to work something out with GC.com to have them trackable on GC.com? As a personal, untrackable token, I think they're great. If you can get GC.com to track them for you like the coins, THEN you're onto something!

3k · December 12, 2005

I'll have to search again, but the site I've gone with for now is travelertags.com because they'll give you at least 5 for creating an account and 5 more for emailing a friend about it. After that there are other promotions to get more free. If you just want to cut to the chase, they sell blocks of 10 for a $ per number and will even register/provide minted coin numbers. They have a tracking system that seems pretty good, but I've only been looking it over for a couple weeks.

3k · December 12, 2005

I suppose you could buy numbers from gc.com like anyone else and just type the number into your artwork and print. That's what I'm doing for the travelertags versions. I'm also releasing some with an email address so I can take part in keeping tabs on the travels by logging travels by cachers who pass along emails. I'll have to wait and see what works best I guess. I don't know if gc.com has numbers specific to coins versus tokens versus travel bugs, but anything can be printed and produced quickly and affordably using this method.

December 12, 2005

You mean something like this, hosted by our local cacher Marky?

His contact info is at the bottom of the link.

sigitem.com

3k · December 12, 2005

Marky's smashed coins are great. If he could use a metal engraver or sharp nail to scratch a number in the back then it could be tracked. I forgot to mention that a major advantage of producing a token like these is that you can use gradient colors unlike enamels and that includes photographs!

1.2k · December 12, 2005

I like what I see. Design means much more than material to me, and your design is fantastic. I would call it a token and not a coin, but that doesn't make it any less attractive.

December 12, 2005

Marky's smashed coins are great. If he could use a metal engraver or sharp nail to scratch a number in the back then it could be tracked.

Uh, they are trackable but maybe not in the way you mentioned. mj smashed penny

December 12, 2005

I suppose you could buy numbers from gc.com like anyone else and just type the number into your artwork and print. That's what I'm doing for the travelertags versions. I'm also releasing some with an email address so I can take part in keeping tabs on the travels by logging travels by cachers who pass along emails. I'll have to wait and see what works best I guess. I don't know if gc.com has numbers specific to coins versus tokens versus travel bugs, but anything can be printed and produced quickly and affordably using this method.

According to GC.com policy for purchasing tracking numbers for coins they have to approve the design. So they will have the say wether or not they would allow thier tracking numbers on a non metal coin/token.

Neat Idea though in the pictures they look pretty cool... Not quite a Geocoin but way more affordable.

3k · December 12, 2005

Oh...I see what you mean. For the ones I would have to track myself that's a great solution! Do you happen to know who set up their site?

December 12, 2005

No, but you can email him, he is listed at the bottom of that page.

1k · December 12, 2005

nfa here in New York did something similar by making trackable wooden nickels. They were far cheaper than geocoins. I believe he set up a Website to track them himself.

December 12, 2005

So I put together my artwork in AI, printed it at 1200dpi, cut it and encased it (back to back) in an acrylic Air Tite brand coin safe.

I'm curious as to how you are cutting them out? I know you can do it free hand, but for me, I can't even draw a straight line with a ruler. :rolleyes: Also, doing it by hand would be pretty slow.

3k · December 12, 2005

Is casting your token in metal the only thing required to be a "geocoin"? I'm looking around and I keep seeing other oddities that are called coins even if they are shaped like pins or keys, etc. I'm not even going to get into the raging arguement over why some people are using "virtual" coins or how a solid token doesn't seem to rate along with these phantoms for credibility. What makes or breaks the definition of a coin?

2k · December 12, 2005

Great tokens! They look nice, they do the job. I'd be very happy to not only see one and move it along, but to have one in my collection.

If you wanted them to be GC trackable, you could buy a Travel Bug tag and use the number and activation code on your item. When you buy the TB Tag, there isn't a rule that you have to use it. You can write the number onto any object you want tracked. (this would raise the cost however, but it would then be GC trackable)

Oh ... and my coin is a bone -- so I think the term "geocoin" tends to be metal, minted coins. Wooden ones tend to be called "nickles", and plastic ones tend to be called "Chips" or, depending "Poker Chips".

Strangely, shape has nothing much to do with it. My "coin" is probably best described as a "token", but is in reality the World's First GEOBONE! (in caps please)

Edited December 12, 2005 by Lemon Fresh Dog

3k · December 12, 2005

I'm using an exacto knife and scissors. It's not fast, but I can still assemble one in less than a minute while watching tv. Fox said I could look into a stamping die (like a hollow chisel) that you can order in different sizes, but I just wanted to get it going and keep the cost down for now.

1.7k · December 12, 2005

I'm using an exacto knife and scissors. It's not fast, but I can still assemble one in less than a minute while watching tv.

We use a one inch circular punch (similar to this)) to make the stickers for our personal poker chips. We just print the design off on normal sticker and the punch it out for a perfect circle every time.

December 12, 2005

I'm using an exacto knife and scissors. It's not fast, but I can still assemble one in less than a minute while watching tv.

We use a one inch circular punch (similar to this)) to make the stickers for our personal poker chips. We just print the design off on normal sticker and the punch it out for a perfect circle every time.

Yep.. that's what I use for my chips. It works great and I can knock them out fast.

3k · December 12, 2005

Thanks Lemon Fresh Dog for the input. I love the GEOBONE! Thanks Pengy&Tigger for the punch idea. I'll try and see if I can find a 32mm to speed up production. :rolleyes:

December 12, 2005

I've been experimenting with a similar idea, but rather than printing them on my inkjet printer I make a high resolution jpeg in 2:3 aspect ratio and have Target print me a 4"x6" photo from it. The wet process photo paper is much more durable than any paper or cardstock I can run in my printer, and the image won't run. The print costs $0.20 and I can fit 11 1.5" dia circles on there.

Now I need to figure out the best kind of glue to use to affix the circles to a substrate. (Wooden nickel, poker chip, steel washer...)

2.1k · December 12, 2005

I made 1000 numbered and trackable wooden nickels that ended up costing $0.25 each, including shipping. :rolleyes:

I think most of them will stay travelling from cache to cache longer than most metal geocoins.

jamie

December 13, 2005

Very nice.

I also found that minting a coin was above my spending limit.

So I ended making my own metal coins / tokens.

I use a 2" metal disc painted with epoxy spray paint.

I use 2" X 4" clear address inkjet labels. Make my design in PS and print onto the label. Cut label out to fit and stick to coin. I then coat the coin with an epoxy resin. At first I used a clear coat, but the clear coat would disintegrate and the graphics on the label would then run and fade. I have found that Environmental Technology Inc. epoxy to work extremely well.

http://www.eti-usa.com/consum/castresn/castresn.htm#easy

I made then made my own tracking page here:

http://www.geocities.com/elgecko1989/coin50-100.html

Although some people do not use it. I'm adding a piece of paper in the bag with my coin asking that they follow the link and fill out the info so I can track where the coins end up.

2005 coin

2006 coin

3k · December 13, 2005

Those are great! What are the 2" disks made from? Are they pretty rigid? How does the resin hold up over time? I've noticed a couple cachers said they are printing with inkjet. Have you experienced any problems with color fade?

2.1k · December 13, 2005

elgecko...would you be interested in trading coins?

jamie

1k · December 13, 2005

I found this for circle cutting:

http://www.stuff4scrapbooking.com/circle-s...o2ek-p-979.html

I'm sure it is available at other places as well.

5.7k · December 13, 2005

Oh...I see what you mean. For the ones I would have to track myself that's a great solution! Do you happen to know who set up their site?

I set up the site myself. Both http://www.sigitem.com/ and http://www.geocoin.net/ live on the same webserver. The tracking code is shared between the two sites, for the most part. Nothing fancy, but you get what you pay for.

--Marky

3k · December 13, 2005

That's a nice setup. Can anyone join or is strictly for members? Are there some basic rules, etc? I'd like to learn more. I'm trying to get things moving before I go on vacation in the White Mountains area in a couple of weeks to release some of these tokens into the wild!

5.7k · December 13, 2005

That's a nice setup. Can anyone join or is strictly for members? Are there some basic rules, etc? I'd like to learn more. I'm trying to get things moving before I go on vacation in the White Mountains area in a couple of weeks to release some of these tokens into the wild!

Although I don't really advertise the fact, I pretty much will track anyone's sig item for free. Some people have been nice enough to send me one of their sig items, but I don't require it.

--Marky

December 13, 2005

To make waterproof labels for my TikiCoins, I get 8x10 prints from Costco. I can fit 10 coin labels on an 8x10 with very little waste, and the prints are waterproof. Best of all, I can upload my artwork online, and pick up the prints at Costco a few hours later. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet.

PS - anyone out there who wants to try this, I recommend NOT using the color correction that costco offers. If you are designing your labels in Illustrator or Photoshop, the printer's color correction software isn't necessary and tends to dull the colors.

Those tokens are a great idea.

Tiki aka Henrik

December 13, 2005

To make waterproof labels for my TikiCoins, I get 8x10 prints from Costco. I can fit 10 coin labels on an 8x10 with very little waste, and the prints are waterproof. Best of all, I can upload my artwork online, and pick up the prints at Costco a few hours later. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet.

PS - anyone out there who wants to try this, I recommend NOT using the color correction that costco offers. If you are designing your labels in Illustrator or Photoshop, the printer's color correction software isn't necessary and tends to dull the colors.

Those tokens are a great idea.

Tiki aka Henrik

Pic please?

December 13, 2005

Very cool coins there elgeko. Would you be interested in trading for a set of my poker chips?

Any of the sig items in this thread would be nice. PM me if anybodys wants to trade.

December 13, 2005

Pic please?

Erm... not really sure how to post a pic here... I may have to bug Ms. Tiki about this....

Tiki aka Henrik

1.2k · December 13, 2005

Pic please?

Erm... not really sure how to post a pic here... I may have to bug Ms. Tiki about this....

Tiki aka Henrik

{img]http://www.dom.com/img.gif[/img} for posting images tiki just use that or hit alt G

change the { to [

December 14, 2005

Thanks for the comments.

Those are great! What are the 2" disks made from? Are they pretty rigid? How does the resin hold up over time? I've noticed a couple cachers said they are printing with inkjet. Have you experienced any problems with color fade?

Where I work they punch them out for the units we build from time to time.

I'm not sure what the metal thickness is, but is galvanized. Since it is metal it is very rigid.

I use my inkjet to print my graphics out. They did, at first fade and the graphics run when they got wet / damp. That happened with my first 23 coins when I used clearcoat with out testing it before releasing some coins.

I then found the epoxy resin which I tried, and works great. I submersed a coin in water for over a week with no problems. With the clearcoat you could take a damp paper towel and place the coin in it and 10 minutes later the graphics where running and fading.

I do not have the coin fever that others seem to have and do not collect them. I use my coins to place in caches I visit, sorry.

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