Disappearing Coins

[+WWC-World's Worst Cacher]

I have just put out my first two traveling geocoins and am nervous about putting out more.

 

There are a lot of posts saying that coins get stolen / taken most or much of the time.

 

It would be interesting to hear from people who have put out travelers:

 

- How many have you put out?

 

- How many have disappeared?

 

- How long did they last before they disappeared?

 

- What is the longest amount of time you have had a coin out that travels?

 

- Have you sent out travelers that completed their stated mission?

[+AtlantaGal]

1. I own 32 travel bugs. 3 of these are geocoins.

2. 4 (2 coins)

3. It varies, but specifically on the coins - 4 people and 15 people (both 2004 USA geocoins).

4. 8 months and then gone.

5. Not yet for the ones with very specific missions.

[Not So Lost Puppies]

As I am going to be releasing some coins, I would also like to know how they were 'packaged' for travel.

 

I have seen some that were just in a baggie with a slip of paper, I can imagine that it wouldn't take long for the bag to break, then maybe a newer cacher wouldn't know it is a traveller?

[+nielsenc]

I have had two USA Geocoins go from the first cache.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=157441

 

Here is one I personally took to London and left at an event cache.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=157687

 

Lots of logs, but no one 'picked' it up.

 

It seems that Geocoins last longer in Europe . I have sent about a dozen to Europe to travel around.

 

My Brother had two 2004 silver Geocoins go missing from the first cache he put them in.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=97203

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=97136

[+AtlantaGal]

I also should note that #5 TB that will likely go missing is a f0t0m0m coin. The current holder won't answer emails and probably is keeping it.

[+Nomad and the Librarians]

II have started 8 TBs. All have gone missing. At least one from its first cache.

 

I have restarted several bugs, replacing the missing ones. They have all gone missing.

 

I have some unstarted tags. I doubt I will start another bug. I will probably give them away as prizes or gifts or something.

 

I will not start any of my coins.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

So far I have had good luck on my coins. I have placed about 30 in caches (many my own, many as "gift" coins - not travellers)

 

Of my travelling coins -- there are two types: 1) coins 2) coins with TB tags attached.

 

So far, I have lost.....ONE coin. The first cache I placed it into it was reported as stolen from. I also know of a fellow cacher that had a red-handed coin (the one that had HUGE letters saying it is a travelling coin) stolen.

 

It seems that some areas are better than others. I seem to be having great sucess in Alberta, Quebec, Eastern Canada and Finland. My coins are staying in circulation, but also still moving from cache to cache.

[+Team LightningBugs]

I have sent out 3 geocoins.

 

1 has gone almost 5000 miles and has been held for about a month by a newbie in Canada.

 

1 has only gone 175 miles and is currently sitting in the final cache of a difficult puzzle series. I actually visited it there last month.

 

1 (the Geowoodstock coin) has gone 1500 miles and just got moved last weekend.

 

I put my coins in 2x2 coin flips with directions in big red letters not to keep the coin. Here's what it looks like:

 

What you are seeing is both halves of the outside. Then it gets folded in half and placed in a craft baggie. When the baggie eventually splits, the directions will still be there.

 

So maybe I'm just lucky, but my coins have done about as well as my regular TBs.

 

Puppies, I've got to send you something anyway, so if you want a few flips, just say so and I'll include them.

[Tandemaniacs]

I have lost 2 USA geocoins and 3 TBs. I am fed up with cachers that steal other people's property. I will never put a coin out in the wild again or a TB. I am very friendly to others coins and TBs. I move them along quickly, sometimes even mailing them from CA to my folks in MD or my brother in FL, all of which play.

[+Renegade Knight]

My TB came up missing and then resurfaced after a year. It's not traveled in recent history, but along the way he got a makover in hollywood.

 

An coin I release isn't a traveler so it's going to be taken and that's fine.

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

I have had a couple of TB's come up missing.

1 coin has been held by the same person for over a year,and they won't answer my e-mails.

After I found out the coins dissapear fast,I came up with the idea of giving them to fellow geocachers,At least I know where they are at.And gave instructions to only pass them to someone they trust.

 

I travel with my coins and log them,not all,but those on Missions.

If you check out the names I have given them you wll see.

 

1 is in the hands of Dave Doyle.

Head Geodisist with NGS (NOAA).

He traded me a small Lewis and Clark signatur disc at my 1st Lewis and Clark Signature Event done through Geocaching.

 

I am trying to be Historically correct with a few of them and thus I feel it will eventually increase their value.

And I have a few new one's I am working on now....................

[+Serial Finder]

It helps to bag them and make it clear they are travelers...

 

Edited December 15, 2005 by Serial Finder

[+IceCreamMan]

I've been trying to get all my activated icon coins in circulation as I've managed to pick up unactivated coins to replace them in my collection. So far so good. Some have only been out a few weeks, but some have been out for a while. I've actually added a section to my coins list that has links to the the coins in circulation...

 

My Coin List

 

I had put out 5 USA coins 2 years ago and all but 1 barely made it to the second cache. The 1 that made it is still going strong. Now when I put them out I put them in bags with the bug sheet. It makes it clearer what they are. I think that helps. My GW3 coins I have specified in the description that they are to move hand to hand. That REALLY helps.

[+Dreamin'Eagle]

I was thinking about something like what serial fonder did but using a vaccuum sealed bag, I've got one of those food savers and a bunch of smaller bags, maybe that might work pretty good. HMMMMM

[+pdxmarathonman]

I was thinking about something like what serial fonder did but using a vaccuum sealed bag, I've got one of those food savers and a bunch of smaller bags, maybe that might work pretty good. HMMMMM

That might help keep it moving, but it wouldn't give the finder the opportunity to actually handle the coin.

[+AtlantaGal]

That might help keep it moving, but it wouldn't give the finder the opportunity to actually handle the coin.

heaven forbid

[Not So Lost Puppies]

Thanks for the offer for flips Team LightningBugs

 

What do you think about this?

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=272050

 

it is in a coin slab from (see display items)

http://www.jpscorner.com/

unfortunately they are a little thin for the WI coin, I haven't asked if they offer one for thicker coins like they do the air-tites. and they are abit costly, but if it helps the coins travel further maybe worth it?

 

I like that there is a space to put tags on both sides of it.

[+Bluejaytoo]

I placed two PA coins last February. One of them has traveled 217.8 miles, but stopped moving in July. The other one apparently never left the hands of the first finder. I guess he thought it was part of the FTF prize. I don't really mind that they keep them, since I know that once I release them into the wild, I relinquish my control of them. But I have some '06 PA coins coming, and I think when I release those, I'll include more documentation with them as others here have suggested. Obviously not everyone understands the etiquette for coins intended to travel.

[+mrmnjewel]

II have started 8 TBs. All have gone missing. At least one from its first cache.

 

I have restarted several bugs, replacing the missing ones. They have all gone missing.

 

I have some unstarted tags. I doubt I will start another bug. I will probably give them away as prizes or gifts or something.

 

I will not start any of my coins.

We, too, have had very poor luck with Travel Bugs. We have started several and lost all but 1. The one that is still out there is doing okay, but it'll probably go MIA sooner or later. We've pretty much given up on the TB thing. We are just getting into the coin thing, but our coins will not be doing any traveling other than to events for folks to log.

Edited December 15, 2005 by mrmnjewel

[+Marky]

We have a USA geocoin that we put out in 2003 that is still travelling. It has about 23k miles and has been all over the world. One of the key things to do when putting a geocoin out that you want to travel is to label it propertly. Drilling a hole in the coin to attach the label will help a lot as well, as the info tag will be less likely to go missing, and with the hole drilled in it, it will be less collectible.

 

--Marky

[+2Dolphins]

We have over 70 coins poised for release in all 50 states and other countries. Bookmark this page and you can follow to see which coin gets the most miles and is the most active. This way you will know which state it is safe to release a coin in.

 

http://www.geocaching.com/track/search.asp...c5-58de6c95c69f