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Custom Geocoin Ponderings

Snowwolf75

By Snowwolf75
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Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

Posted
Posted

I have a custom geocoin in the early planning phases (two sided 2-D, 4 colors per side, trackable plus custom icon), but I'd like some clarification on a few points.

  • Black nickel ... are there good examples around of what it looks like and how colors blend with it? Does it have a pantone value, so that I can calibrate my design process?
  • I noticed the past two geocoins I've had are 1.5" across.. so does that mean the new fad of micro-coins are 1"... or are they smaller?
  • I'm kinda waffling between OakCoins (cheaper and easier to get a quote) versus CoinsAndPins (lots more information and seemingly more professional). Does anyone have reviews about those two, or any other really good minters?

UOTrackers

+UOTrackers

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I really think this is the kind of stuff that should be put together somewhere in a complete "Making Geocoins" type of thing, whether it be a seperate web page or a post. It would really be great for people jsut getting into this hobby. ***Thinks about writing a Geocoins for Dummies book*** j/k

Not So Lost Puppies

Not So Lost Puppies

Posted
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the problem comes down to different designs and color combinations look better with different finishes. There isn't really a way to tell someone that this size or finish is best without actually seeing the design, or even a sample coin.

 

I suggest that anyone looking for samples of various finishes and such look at some of the trading sites, most have a pretty complete listing of actual coin images to check out. If you are unsure what finish something is, contact the owner/creator of the coin and ask.

 

Also, this link (not a trade site) has a good sampling of coins out there.

http://www.geocities.com/team_fisur/geocoins/index.html

 

There are just way to many variables to make any sort of generic statements about making a geocoin. Or to even say this maker is better than this other maker, as they say.... YMMV (your mileage may vary)

I think most all of the makers are getting extremely busy these days with the explosion of new coins.

WWC-World's Worst Cacher

+WWC-World's Worst Cacher

Posted
Posted

I have seen several requests for the ultimate guide to geocoin making. Thought one was going to come out, but haven't heard anything about it. So I am going to tackle the project. I should be able to have a draft for people to look at, but would love to have people PM me with their lessons learned.

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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  • Author
Posted (edited)

Thanks for the input (emails and PMs too). Here's what I've gleaned so far:

  • Black nickel can chip or ding easily, making it not so good for traveling coins. I was planning on doing two different metals (about 150/350 split), so do people think it'd be better to make the LE coins in black nickel and pick something more durable for the larger percentage of coins?
  • Comments are about equal for CoinsAndPins and Oak... I really need to get the art near completion so I can get quotes from them both. This would give me more information to decide which to go with.
  • Thank you for the links to various images of black nickel coins (EvilChicken and the PA coins). One side of my coin will have large color areas (like EC's) while the other will have smaller color areas (like PA). Again, the art is the key to deciding how to do things.

If you have anymore information, don't hesitate to contact me. I still havn't seen how well etched tracking numbers work with the black nickel finish. Can they fill an area with color, then etch the numbers through it?

Edited by Snowwolf75
Renegade Knight

+Renegade Knight

Posted
Posted

I have seen several requests for the ultimate guide to geocoin making. Thought one was going to come out, but haven't heard anything about it. So I am going to tackle the project. I should be able to have a draft for people to look at, but would love to have people PM me with their lessons learned.

 

I'm working on one, but I'm not in a rush either. There comes a time when it's time to make a coin or two and add that to the book as well. That's where I'm at with it.

Renegade Knight

+Renegade Knight

Posted
Posted

You need to make your coin for your purpose. The RK1K coin uses black nickel because it's being made as a special edition. My signature coin when (and if) I get to it, is intended to take a beating and be around as a family heirloom long after everone in the family has forgotten why the coin exists. Two different purposes, two different approaches.

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

Posted
  • Author
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Two different purposes, two different approaches.

Well, depending on how 'cool' I make my art, I'm hoping they mostly get sold (though I will set aside some of the LE for trades, and the normal for placing in caches), so once sold what they do with them is up to them. Thinking on the art that I'll have, it will likely be better with black nickel... but with the other metal I can fake that with a black fill. hmm....

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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the etching comes in fine on black nickel you can also have it color filled which will be done with our next coin.

Cool on both counts. I think I might lean toward filling it, then.

Evil Chicken

+Evil Chicken

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My Black Nickel has a white fill

 

4fb93f00-78b1-4db6-90a4-d4ff4307a88d.jpg

 

Editing to add that the black crack and the black in the user name are filled in with black enamel -- polished black nickel has a sort of silvery sheen to it. You really can't make it out around the numbers, but it's there.

Edited by Evil Chicken
Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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I had another thought/question... Does anyone have any experience with creating/decoding information into the designs of a geocoin? I've decided upon the means to encode it, but I wanted to pick peoples brains about it before eanything gets set in stone... err.. metal.

AV Dezign

+AV Dezign

Posted
Posted

I had another thought/question... Does anyone have any experience with creating/decoding information into the designs of a geocoin? I've decided upon the means to encode it, but I wanted to pick peoples brains about it before eanything gets set in stone... err.. metal.

 

Could you explain a bit more what you mean? I'm not sure what you arefering too when you say encoding and decoding a design.

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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  • Author
Posted
Could you explain a bit more what you mean? I'm not sure what you arefering too when you say encoding and decoding a design.

Like coordinates for the final of a puzzle cache. The cache would be in a generic location, but mention that the information to solve the cache is on a particular coin type.

I've based this idea off a coin I saw a while back... one of TravelingViking's, I believe.

nfa

+nfa

Posted
Posted
Could you explain a bit more what you mean? I'm not sure what you arefering too when you say encoding and decoding a design.

Like coordinates for the final of a puzzle cache. The cache would be in a generic location, but mention that the information to solve the cache is on a particular coin type.

I've based this idea off a coin I saw a while back... one of TravelingViking's, I believe.

 

My personal geocoin has the coordinates to a private cache deep in the woods up here in the ADKs.

 

Jamie

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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I'm to the point that I'm actually ready to create my coin... artwork done and such.. but when I sent an email to GeoCoinStore I got a "we are really busy at the moment message". I wanted to use GCS because they can sell the coin as well as arrange the minting of it. Does anyone know any other outfits that merge selling and minting?

Kealia

+Kealia

Posted
Posted

Check the companies listed in the pinned topics above for a list of companies that work with Groundspeak. Some should be able to help.

 

You MAY want to re-think seling your personal coin as well if you're hoping to fund them from the sales.

 

Not many personal coins have sole very well lately...

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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You MAY want to re-think seling your personal coin as well if you're hoping to fund them from the sales.

 

Not many personal coins have sole very well lately...

Being that I'm on UI right now, the only way I could get my coin produced is thru presales. I guess getting solid quotes from the minter/sellers would be the first step, and showing off the artwork to gauge interest would be soon to follow.

 

Based on a $2000 figure (that I got from oakcoins' calculator) and selling them at $7 (not including shipping), then I'd only need to sell 300 of the 400 (making 500, but keeping minimum of 100 for trades) to break even.

Edited by Snowwolf75
ParentsofSAM

ParentsofSAM

Posted
Posted

I'd have to agree with kealia, don't sell your coin. We sold our coin and now I wish we had not. It turned form OUR personal coin to a commercial enterprise that to some extent was controlled by the buyers. Not how I pictured it at all. But I am still happy we did it, but I would not do it again.

 

Also if the only way you can afford to do it is to sell it, I would not count on that happening. Personal coins are not selling well right now. Just look at the GCStore coins used to sell out in seconds/minutes and now they sit there for days or weeks. Not real promising for pre-sales to pay for the minting.

Snowwolf75

+Snowwolf75

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Well foo... I even had a puzzle based off of data encoded in the coin that would point to a local cache... I'd rather like to have that cache/puzzle be available, before someone else snaps up the hiding area.

 

Perhaps I could put the design onto a token/pog and sell that? They're much cheaper to create, aren't they?

Not So Lost Puppies

Not So Lost Puppies

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You will likely get even fewer buyers for a token or wooden nickel, unless you only sell them for a nickel.

 

Though you could still put that design into a token and just drop them into caches. You can make shrinky dink tokens yourself relatively inexpensively, and you don't have to commit to 100s of them.

Or check out the tokens thread, I think there are links to wooden nickel makers in there.

 

Also, if you drop off the tracking (that will save you $1.50 each) you could probably get 100 of them made for around $400 or less. I know that is expensive, but I wouldn't be surprised if the GCS is going to be cutting back on fully subsidizing coins due to how much sales have slowed recently.

Edited by Not So Lost Puppies
GeoCrickets

+GeoCrickets

Posted
Posted

I'm to the point that I'm actually ready to create my coin... artwork done and such.. but when I sent an email to GeoCoinStore I got a "we are really busy at the moment message". I wanted to use GCS because they can sell the coin as well as arrange the minting of it. Does anyone know any other outfits that merge selling and minting?

 

Coins and Pins can also make and sell your coins for you.

 

Richard

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