Coin Theft

May 22, 2006

Last week I was on a business trip in WI and MN. While there I left 3 AJAYHAWKFAN coins in caches. 2 coins have already been taken from the cache but not logged. (The other one my be missing as well but I have not received an email from anyone saying it is missing.) I have had others go missing as well but 2 out of 3 within only a few days is VERY discouraging. Some LOSER has it in their collection and I would have been happy for the LOSER to have the coin if the LOSER only logged it.

May 22, 2006

Just a thought, I've started drilling a hole with a tag attached. The tag asks the finder to share with others! Hate to do that but I think this might help keep them out there.

Robert

May 22, 2006

AJAYHAWKFAN, I know where two of them are, make that three! The two I have are being circulated among lots of cachers to enjoy. You have one of the nicest coins out there in my opinion, so it is not surprising that they go fast. The artwork on mine came last night, maybe I will be in your shoes soon. Glen

May 22, 2006

This is a problem that in a way you have brought on yourself. You have made your coin so hard to get that it has become more sought after and therefore more likely to be taken.

Hopefully whoever took the coin will seek permission to keep them but not everyone plays fair.

Team Sand Dollar

May 22, 2006

There will be at least two at this event if you want to log two, show up. If not, catch me at the next event. They are very nice coins and AJAYHAWKFAN is a super guy. I consider him to be one of largest assetts to the game in Kansas. I owe him a couple of coins now though... Glen

2.3k · May 22, 2006

Just a thought, I've started drilling a hole with a tag attached. The tag asks the finder to share with others! Hate to do that but I think this might help keep them out there.

Robert

Defacing the coin takes away from the collecting value and the tag lets noobs know that it is not swag, it does help!

May 22, 2006

I highly agree with Team Sand Dollar about your coin. Not everyone plays fair but you have made it harder for people to get your coins by not being willing to trade with others. So I image some people are grabbing them to put in their collections and maybe some just don't know that they are suppose to log them.

I was at an event over the weekend and was surprised at the people that didn't know what coins are for and how to use them like TBs.

Just my $.02 and I would love to log one myself but I don't think you happen to come to the southeast states that I am in.

May 22, 2006

I highly agree with Team Sand Dollar about your coin. Not everyone plays fair but you have made it harder for people to get your coins by not being willing to trade with others. So I image some people are grabbing them to put in their collections and maybe some just don't know that they are suppose to log them.

I was at an event over the weekend and was surprised at the people that didn't know what coins are for and how to use them like TBs.

Just my $.02 and I would love to log one myself but I don't think you happen to come to the southeast states that I am in.

I'm sorry but I don't agree that I partially brought this on myself because I don't trade. I believe honest coin collectors know to log coins found in caches and if they use this forum, most likely, they would move the coin on. I would guess the losers who stole the coin had never heard of an AJAYHAWKFAN coin before seeing it pop up on the cache page, therefore even if 1000 coins were in circulation it would have made no difference.

BTW, I do trade from time to time. Right now, I am trying to collect a trackable state coin from every state I have found a cache. By looking at the AJAYHAWKFAN coins in my profile. You will see a lot of familiar names that have traded for one of my coins (or gave to them as a gift).

9.8k · May 22, 2006

Did you try looking at the cache logs to see if season cachers may have picked up the coin or if a newer cacher did? I have a lot of travelling coins and travel bugs out there and you would be shocked at the number of cachers who don't log them, and pick them up and move them to another cache. A few of my "missing" travellers recently were logged again when a cacher who knew what they were doing came across them in other caches.

BTW, I do trade from time to time. By looking at the AJAYHAWKFAN coins in my profile. You will see a lot of familiar names that have traded for one of my coins (or gave to them as a gift).

I'll attest to this. Thing is when Ajayhawkfan puts up a post in the trader thread, you gotta be real quick in contacting him :cry:

May 22, 2006

I have to say i contacted ajayhawkfan because i love his coin and he sent me one to circulate here in the UK without a second thought even though he doesn't know me or even had any dealings with me. So all they had to do was ask and i am sure the coin would have been sent to them. I have found him very approachable and only to willing to help me see a coin which i thought was beautiful.

All they had to do was ask!

May 22, 2006

This is a problem that in a way you have brought on yourself. You have made your coin so hard to get that it has become more sought after and therefore more likely to be taken.

Hopefully whoever took the coin will seek permission to keep them but not everyone plays fair.

Team Sand Dollar

Using your logic, a bank that gets robbed brought it on them-self because they don't give out money. I person who is attacked brought it on them-self because they were in the wrong place. The house that gets robbed brought it on them-self because the owner forgot to lock the back door. Does blaming the victim make sense in these extreme examples? Of course not, then why would it make sense regarding a few cheap coins? It does not.

May 22, 2006

Did you try looking at the cache logs to see if season cachers may have picked up the coin or if a newer cacher did? I have a lot of travelling coins and travel bugs out there and you would be shocked at the number of cachers who don't log them, and pick them up and move them to another cache. A few of my "missing" travellers recently were logged again when a cacher who knew what they were doing came across them in other caches.

I did write everyone in the cache log after I dropped the coins and they either said they did not take it, did not see it or they have not responded.

May 22, 2006

I know some people are right down stupid and thieves about coins. I have a cache I place coins only in and it is not an easy cache to get either but some idiot went and stole the coin out that I had placed in it and has never logged it out or anything. Bad thing is I actually know who has it and they are being a jerk about it and refusing to acknowledge my emails about it. Anyhow I rant about it too but what can you do.

So my personals that I will let travel will have a hole drilled in them with a tag attached.

A friend of mine had one of his England Eggs taken from a cache in less than 24 hours after placing it in a cache in Chicago and never logged still. So now he is defacing his coins before placing them in the wild as well.

May 22, 2006

This is a problem that in a way you have brought on yourself. You have made your coin so hard to get that it has become more sought after and therefore more likely to be taken.

Hopefully whoever took the coin will seek permission to keep them but not everyone plays fair.

Team Sand Dollar

Using your logic, a bank that gets robbed brought it on them-self because they don't give out money. I person who is attacked brought it on them-self because they were in the wrong place. The house that gets robbed brought it on them-self because the owner forgot to lock the back door. Does blaming the victim make sense in these extreme examples? Of course not, then why would it make sense regarding a few cheap coins? It does not.

Banks and houses have locks on their doors, most caches don't.

May 22, 2006

The Tag reads: Jeep'en Jumpers GeoCoin. This is a Traveling Coin For Everyone to Enjoy! Please Be Sure To Share.

May 22, 2006

I have yet to find any coins in my area :cry:

Edited May 22, 2006 by Prothos

10.1k · May 23, 2006

I'm a bit bummed out. I picked up two rather unusual geocoins and put them in a geocoin exchange cache. It is not an easy cache. Within a week, both had been plundered. This is a sad commentary on geocaching. I'm bummed out.

May 23, 2006

This is a problem that in a way you have brought on yourself. You have made your coin so hard to get that it has become more sought after and therefore more likely to be taken.

Hopefully whoever took the coin will seek permission to keep them but not everyone plays fair.

Team Sand Dollar

Using your logic, a bank that gets robbed brought it on them-self because they don't give out money. I person who is attacked brought it on them-self because they were in the wrong place. The house that gets robbed brought it on them-self because the owner forgot to lock the back door. Does blaming the victim make sense in these extreme examples? Of course not, then why would it make sense regarding a few cheap coins? It does not.

I did not mean this as a bad thing. Only that the harder it is to get a coin the more tempting it will be for someone to take it. It is just human nature to want something that others don't have. So that the fact that your coin is so hard to aquire only makes it that much more desireable.

Additionally when I requested a trade you wrote me that your coins were not for trade. I accepted that and knew I would probally never have your coin in mine or my dads collection. The only way your coin or any ones coin will end up in mine or my dads collection is with permission from the originator.

Others will not give up so easily so your released coins become a goal so that they can have your coin in ther collection. Some collectors just have to have them all.

Team Sand Dollar

4.4k · May 23, 2006

Well I have had the pleasure to meet you and finally let go of one of your beautiful coins.

We did have fun with it.

It is still in one of my geocaches.

But it is not mine.

I am a collector and would never keep one that was not specifically traded or given to me.

Even though they are hard to get it is still never worth the taking.

Nor is it right.

One will show up one day.

Just like this one did.

Thanks ajayhawkfan for placing your geocoin in my geocache.

I appreciate it.

I have had a person holding onto one of my coins for over 2 years now finally e-mail me back and say they were going to get it back out there.

It is one of those older rare USA coins and to me it is just as valuable as any coin.

Back then there was only 2 coins I knew of USA and the other one.

I still do not have one of those either.

I think everyone knows which one.

Anyway sorry to hear people can't do the right things.

May 23, 2006

Yeppers, Disappearring all over Colorado Springs. Went to get a UK coin this weekend and it was gone, I had to email the owner and tell him. I bet he was hot, as I would of been.

May 23, 2006

Mine are all drilled & tags attached but have still had one go missing. However I mustn't say anymore as I have already been told off in a thread I opened that i was apparently flogging a dead horse

1.4k · May 23, 2006

When I was home on leave from Iraq in March I almost found a Ajayhawkfan geocoin in a cache along the coast in a old WWII navy bunker, which to say the least was a well chosen place for a coin . Beautiful sight of the ocean too! I opened the ammo can and would you know it, no coin! Someone drove a long distance to get the coin only leave nothing in trade but a signature . I was going to leave one of my coins there in trade but decided against after finding nothing. It was a nice drive despite not finding the coin .

May 23, 2006

High theft rates have always been a problem for geocoins. Even when there was just the big two, they disappeared. I have about 80 out, over half are now MIA. Glen

May 25, 2006

I know that opinions are like....noses; we all have one, so here's mine--- I enjoy collecting the icons associated with geocoins. I did record a few at an event, but felt that they were somewhat "tainted" since I didn't really "find" them. I have been known to go to a cache just because a coin is shown as residing there. I try to trade a coin for a coin when I do that and I also try to get the coin back in circulation quickly because I know others do the same thing. On that note, it infuriates me when I go to a cache that shows having a coin there and then it isn't there. That is theft. Whether you view it as being brought on yourself or you say that you relinquished ownership when you released the coin or whatever viewpoint you have, it boils down to somebody "Playing dirty pool" as my grandmother used to say (I am chuckling as I recall that memory) I don't like that people have to resort to placing tags on their coins. I agree that it defaces them. Most coins disappear because people that know the rules (the rules of decency and fair play, not just the "unofficial" rules of our game) simply take them. That is what angers me the most. Somebody who knows the rules simply purloins the coin. Granted, a small percentage are muggled, but let's face it, I have DNF'd my share of 1 star hides, how many caches are really stumbled upon by unassuming muggles and just the geocoins are taken with the cache and the remainder of it's contents being rehidden? I have a small number of coins that I am hesitating in releasing them as I fear that they will be money that I spent for someone to add to their coin collection. Will they have an asterisk next to the coin saying that "this coin really belongs to The Peanuts, but I STOLE it from a cache and now I have it forever"? Probably not. If I do release any of my coins, I hope that they can be enjoyed by as many others that enjoy getting another icon for their collection, but I am fully prepared for their journeys to be cut short by some dirty pool player!

May 25, 2006

I think there are always expectations of geocoins being stolen... but I see them as "extra challenge" to complete their missions (ok, if your coin mission is to travel as many places as possible.... then just don't expect to ever see it again).

That's why I almost always buy 2 of the same coin... 1 for caching and 1 for viewing...

May 26, 2006

I have begun xeroxing or scanning mine and laminating them, so if they are taken they are not getting my coin, just a number. It has been working very well so far.

May 26, 2006

I have begun xeroxing or scanning mine and laminating them, so if they are taken they are not getting my coin, just a number. It has been working very well so far.

heh. There is an entire thread for that

May 26, 2006

We have a coin that went to Iraq and back, has over 14,000 miles on it. Someone placed it in a cache a couple of days ago, and when a friend of ours went to pick it up, it seems to have been taken from the cache, and not logged. We are trying to track the coin down by contacting the people who placed it, and the people that found the cache after that. Hopefully, it will show up. We were planning to retrieve it, and retire it framed with it's bug sheet. :lol:

May 26, 2006

We picked up our first ever geocoin from a cache yesterday, and as soon as I held it this feeling of possessiveness came over me! All of a sudden I understood what the big deal is about coins, and why they go missing so often. Oooh! It's so beautiful! Shiny, heavy, well-traveled. But I know I can't keep it, so I took pictures of both sides for my TB files. The urge to become a collector was strong, but I'll ignore the gold-greed urge and turn it loose at the next suitable cache. Well, I'll have to, now, 'cause you'll all be checking my profile to make sure I do :laughing: .

May 27, 2006

We picked up our first ever geocoin from a cache yesterday, and as soon as I held it this feeling of possessiveness came over me! All of a sudden I understood what the big deal is about coins, and why they go missing so often. Oooh! It's so beautiful! Shiny, heavy, well-traveled. But I know I can't keep it, so I took pictures of both sides for my TB files. The urge to become a collector was strong, but I'll ignore the gold-greed urge and turn it loose at the next suitable cache. Well, I'll have to, now, 'cause you'll all be checking my profile to make sure I do .

GET THAT COIN BACK IN A CACHE!! :huh:

May 27, 2006

We picked up our first ever geocoin from a cache yesterday, and as soon as I held it this feeling of possessiveness came over me! All of a sudden I understood what the big deal is about coins, and why they go missing so often. Oooh! It's so beautiful! Shiny, heavy, well-traveled. But I know I can't keep it, so I took pictures of both sides for my TB files. The urge to become a collector was strong, but I'll ignore the gold-greed urge and turn it loose at the next suitable cache. Well, I'll have to, now, 'cause you'll all be checking my profile to make sure I do .

GET THAT COIN BACK IN A CACHE!!

Not all coins in caches are meant for travel. Check to make sure it doesn't have a mission or goal to travel. When I place coins in a caches it's for the finder to keep. If you find one that i've left, keep it.. or keep it moving, its up to you.

It's kinda funny though, you may end up with the coin from an Ebay auction coming back to you. I've seen it happen.

Canadian 0329

May 27, 2006

Good news! I went to the cache in WI that you dropped a coin in and it was still there. I traded for my WI Penninsula State Park campout coin. Don't worry, your coin will be back in an other cache soon. Great coin!!

May 28, 2006

Good news! I went to the cache in WI that you dropped a coin in and it was still there. I traded for my WI Penninsula State Park campout coin. Don't worry, your coin will be back in an other cache soon. Great coin!!

GREAT COIN!!!! I got to see it just now, and it is very cool. The coin was placed in a cache that I placed, and I am quite proud that you chose to place your coin in one of my caches. A friend went out and retrieved it last night, and just showed it to me. It is a great coin, and I can assure you that she will move it on, maybe not today or tommorrow, but soon.

zuma

keep on cachin in the free world

May 29, 2006

I also placed a geocoin a Hoxie Scout Geocoin,TBVDHW, 4-6-06,it took a trip to GCKNCR.on 5/25/06 Igot the news it was not in the cache.What a bummer that is.Less then 50 days out.now it looks like I'll not be putting any more coins out.We thought geocaching was about sharing your favorite locations,trinkets,and coins.We also have another coin logged by someone,and he's held it for over a month.

May 29, 2006

Good news! I went to the cache in WI that you dropped a coin in and it was still there. I traded for my WI Penninsula State Park campout coin. Don't worry, your coin will be back in an other cache soon. Great coin!!

I'm glad you like it. Thank you. You have the choice of either keeping it or sending it on it way.

May 29, 2006

Good news! I went to the cache in WI that you dropped a coin in and it was still there. I traded for my WI Penninsula State Park campout coin. Don't worry, your coin will be back in an other cache soon. Great coin!!

I'm glad you like it. Thank you. You have the choice of either keeping it or sending it on it way.

:rolleyes: I'm confused. Only after you receive public praise for your coin, do you give a cacher the option of keeping one of your coins?

When you placed the coins in the caches mentioned in the first post of this thread... did you leave a note attached to the coins, stating that if people took the coins they needed to contact you to ask permission to keep the coins?

It is possible, I agree that is unlikely, that the people have taken coins from caches and not bothered to read the phrase "trackable at geocaching.com" Since I haven't seen an up close picture of your coins, I don't know if the phrase is even included on your coin. Therefore, they may not know about geocoins and their trackability.

Travel bugs have had the problem for a long time now of disappearing... and never being seen again. Since a coin is so much more collectable, it stands to reason that it would disappear even more quickly. Not everyone plays the geocaching game the same way. There is no referee at the cache location throwing a penalty flag when a cacher does something that is considered a "foul". It comes down to enjoying the sport as you play it. It only detracts from your enjoyment to worry about how others play the game.

I used to live in Kansas. I was in the Jayhawk Council in Boy Souts... and when I saw the Ajahawkfan coin, I thought I would like to add this one to my collection. After following this thread, I am removing it from my seeking list. I don't think I can handle the baggage that accompanies this particular coin.

July 2, 2006

Well, I'll never buy anymore trackables, 2 of my 3 are already missing, and it's not the newbs that are spoiling the game! I wrote Jeremy a PM asking that a feedback system be put in place so cachers actions follow them, wouldn't it be nice to leave someone a negative feedback if they 'lose' your trackable? Geocaching don't care (no reply from Jeremy), they'll gladly sell you more once they go missing :huh: I'm so disgusted, if I do geocache anymore, I won't touch the swag, or the trackables .... grrrr

Edited July 2, 2006 by Voigt54601

July 3, 2006

Well, I'll never buy anymore trackables, 2 of my 3 are already missing, and it's not the newbs that are spoiling the game! I wrote Jeremy a PM asking that a feedback system be put in place so cachers actions follow them, wouldn't it be nice to leave someone a negative feedback if they 'lose' your trackable? Geocaching don't care (no reply from Jeremy), they'll gladly sell you more once they go missing I'm so disgusted, if I do geocache anymore, I won't touch the swag, or the trackables .... grrrr

The problem with that kind of feedback function is that you are speculating that the last person that signed the log is the one that took your trackable. Isn't it reasonable to consider that a thief isn't going to sign their name to the scene of the crime?

1.2k · July 3, 2006

Got to go, I see number 149 of AJAYHAWKFAN coin was just put into one of my caches. I was just there a couple of days before swapping out coins and now have to do it again. I hope this is one of them you are looking for.

July 4, 2006

Jake, yes I see your point, but there has to be some way to hold people accountable for their fowlups.

Some other guy just took one of my travel bugs, traveling DOWN the mississippi river to N.Orleans .......... from Wisconsin (it was in Illinois going S). Where did he log it in? MICHIGAN!!! I mean, omg. That would so be a negative feedback. I guess when a cache goes missing, or muggled, maybe it's just revenge on that user, a little feedback of their own. *shrug* I'm tired of the morons that show no integrity to the game, tired!

Edited July 4, 2006 by Voigt54601

July 17, 2006

I also had a coin go missing. but here is the funny thing, someone marked that they descovered it but then deleted it. Because that they used the descovered it the coin stayed were it was. the next person that went to that cache says the coin is not there. dont that sound weird to you.

8.1k · July 17, 2006

Losing a travel bug or coin is fustrating, but we have to remember that the 'responsible' coin collectors who obssess over coins in these forums are only a very, very small fraction of the people caching out there. I have had numerous occasions where my coins have gone missing for a couple of months then reappeared in another cache two states away. (with the log entry starting... forgot I had this)... So I would advise to give it some time when your coin goes missing, not everyone caches everyday.

On the other hand, the fair share of coin swipeing, non-logging keepers --- Shame on you! Your self-serving antics only ruin coins for the rest of us (but I imagine that doesn't bother a thief with no guilt). What's the point of owning an 'illegal' coin you can't showcase, trade, (sell) or share with the rest of the cachers?

July 17, 2006

So far, I've found that wrapping the coin in one of these cards (I fold them in half to fit in the coin bag thingy, seems to keep them moving:

http://darincowan.typepad.com/geocoins/movenotkeep.pdf

July 19, 2006

So far, I've found that wrapping the coin in one of these cards (I fold them in half to fit in the coin bag thingy, seems to keep them moving:

http://darincowan.typepad.com/geocoins/movenotkeep.pdf

We've been using these as well. A very nice idea, and highly recommended! We print them on slightly-thicker paper than regular bond: 24 lb or 28 lb.

July 19, 2006

So far, I've found that wrapping the coin in one of these cards (I fold them in half to fit in the coin bag thingy, seems to keep them moving:

http://darincowan.typepad.com/geocoins/movenotkeep.pdf

We've been using these as well. A very nice idea, and highly recommended! We print them on slightly-thicker paper than regular bond: 24 lb or 28 lb.

I actually print them on 110 lb cardboard, and not in colour as the ink from my inkjets would run if they got wet, so I use a laser printer.

Edited July 19, 2006 by geoSquid

July 19, 2006

I have put out at least 30 activated GeoQuest with a hand writen note saying the finder can adopt them. Only one response from Monterrey, Mexico. Also put out around 20 unactivated with no thank you or nothing. The later probably went straight to e-bay.

Edited July 19, 2006 by Tennessee Jed

July 19, 2006

Got to go, I see number 149 of AJAYHAWKFAN coin was just put into one of my caches. I was just there a couple of days before swapping out coins and now have to do it again. I hope this is one of them you are looking for.

I am glad you grabbed the coin! It was not one that went missing. :laughing:

July 19, 2006

Good news! I went to the cache in WI that you dropped a coin in and it was still there. I traded for my WI Penninsula State Park campout coin. Don't worry, your coin will be back in an other cache soon. Great coin!!

I'm glad you like it. Thank you. You have the choice of either keeping it or sending it on it way.

I'm confused. Only after you receive public praise for your coin, do you give a cacher the option of keeping one of your coins?

When you placed the coins in the caches mentioned in the first post of this thread... did you leave a note attached to the coins, stating that if people took the coins they needed to contact you to ask permission to keep the coins?

It is possible, I agree that is unlikely, that the people have taken coins from caches and not bothered to read the phrase "trackable at geocaching.com" Since I haven't seen an up close picture of your coins, I don't know if the phrase is even included on your coin. Therefore, they may not know about geocoins and their trackability.

Travel bugs have had the problem for a long time now of disappearing... and never being seen again. Since a coin is so much more collectable, it stands to reason that it would disappear even more quickly. Not everyone plays the geocaching game the same way. There is no referee at the cache location throwing a penalty flag when a cacher does something that is considered a "foul". It comes down to enjoying the sport as you play it. It only detracts from your enjoyment to worry about how others play the game.

I used to live in Kansas. I was in the Jayhawk Council in Boy Souts... and when I saw the Ajahawkfan coin, I thought I would like to add this one to my collection. After following this thread, I am removing it from my seeking list. I don't think I can handle the baggage that accompanies this particular coin.

I missed this before. I don't know what you mean by baggage. I have been very upfront about the coins I place in caches. If you take a coin from a cache, please log it so others don't go looking for a coin that is not there and I know where it goes. I would prefer the coin to be moved on but I understand people do collect, them and if they want to keep the coin, after being logged, they can.

July 19, 2006

It's really heartbreaking when people do that.

I have quite a few coins that I would love to put out

but I refuse to spend my money so some PIG can take it and not move it on

July 19, 2006

So far, I've found that wrapping the coin in one of these cards (I fold them in half to fit in the coin bag thingy, seems to keep them moving:

http://darincowan.typepad.com/geocoins/movenotkeep.pdf

Thank you! I've recently picked up a Texas geocoin as a FTF (how cool!) and we are moving it soon but.. have been concerned that once it leaves our hands we will no longer see it. :laughing:

Printing this out to go with it (and yes I'll tell the owner. We've already discussed how to move it, bagged, bug sheet etc as they'd just left it in a baggie marked FTF.)

Coin Theft

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