+kc8hnz Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 I was thinking of having some coins minted up, but am wondering what the average price per coin is. For those that have had coins minted by various companys, what has been your experiance? Quote
+Dr. Whoever Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 (edited) We have had three coins minted within our group and the prices ranged for trackable coins from $3.92 - $5.27 each. Edited October 13, 2006 by Castle Man Quote
+onesearching2find Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 It really depends on how many "options" that your coin has and how many that you make. I made 60 trackable coins for my boyfriend's birthday and they ended up costing almost $10 each. The fewer coins that you make the more expensive that they are a piece in part because you are dividing up the set cost of the mold over a fewer number of coins. We are considering having the same coin re-minted with an icon and for 250 coins the cost would be about $5.00 a trackable coin in part because we would be using the same mold. It also depends on if they are trackable and have an icon. Tracking on geocaching.com costs $1.50 per coin. Personally I would have any coin be trackable, but I place all (or almost all) of my coins "in the wild" so tracking is most of the fun! If you chose not to have tracking numbers I am sure there still are people who would be willing to trade coins with you. I wish I could have made 250 so the coin could have had an icon and also we would have had some to trade. I was only able to make a few trades because I had 5 metals made so we had to keep one of each and I put a certificate for a new, unactivated coin in each of the 50 caches I placed for his birthday. I had hoped that the coins would be traveling, but so far only 2 that I have seen are. So we decided that while I am doing cache maintenence this fall I am going to pick up the remaining certificates and replace them with activated coins. That way people will still get to enjoy the coins, but hopefully they will travel. To get back on topic, when I was thinking about having a coin made I did notice that if you had an idea for a coin that the manufacturer thought was marketable they would make the coins at no up front cost and then would have rights to sell the coin. At least that is how I understood it. Good luck with your project! Quote
+AtlantaGal Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Coins I have minted have cost anywhere from $3.30 to $6.87 each. Obviously the higher price end were trackable and a low quantity minted. Quote
+CacheHunters42 Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 The above link is only one minter. Your best bet is to contact the minters for quotes. You will see that there is a decent price difference between some minters. Quote
+Rattlingcrew Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Complexity of the design, Size and finish have a lot to do with it as well. On bigger coins, freight becomes a serious cost factor! Glen Quote
+Twin Peaks Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 We have only produced 1 coin so far. (2" with cutouts, 3d on both sides, a foto inlay with epoxyfinish on 1 side) The cost of that personal coin (trackable with its own icon) ranged from $6.45 to $6.85 each (depending on the type of metal) if you order 500 or more. The airtight acrylic case+ box added another $0,30 each. A less complicated design costs you less, of course Quote
+Team Sand Dollar Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 The cost will vary greatly depending on options and mint and quantity. Submit your coiin to the different mints for a quote. This is really the only way to get a good estimate. Team Sand Dollar Quote
+Mama Cache Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 This has really informative informaion on making and minting coins. I though it was interesting, I hope you do too. Everyhing you wanted to ask about making a coin....but were afraid to ask Quote
+Mandollyn Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 My most recent price quote, for a new coin I/we are designing, from the minter I used to make MY coin is: Bass base - color on 1 side only - 1 3/4 inch = 500 coins @ $4.50 each. That makes $2250 without custom icon, but trackable on GC.com Quote
+avroair Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 The coins I mint run from $3.97 (500 coins)-$4.88 (100 coins) Cost factors: • number in mint run --- the more you mint the more price breaks you get • metal finish --- some metals run more in costs • an icon on gc.com --- $250.00 • trackable on gc.com --- minimum 250 ($1.73 per coin (etching and tracking number) • size of the coin, obviously 1" coins take less metal than 2" coins • you will also have to factor in design fees, shipping fees and 2d or 2d die costs depending on the vendor • some minters use higher quality processes than others, which costs more • various enamels and epoxy coatings could also bump up the prices Yes, there are lots of things to consider. Quote
gregfred Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 I have looked at several minters but CH Quality coins has the lowest price so far-check the website and do your own investigation-good luck Quote
+Nero Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 (edited) The coins I mint run from $3.97 (500 coins)-$4.88 (100 coins) Cost factors: • number in mint run --- the more you mint the more price breaks you get • metal finish --- some metals run more in costs • an icon on gc.com --- $250.00 • trackable on gc.com --- minimum 250 ($1.73 per coin (etching and tracking number) • size of the coin, obviously 1" coins take less metal than 2" coins • you will also have to factor in design fees, shipping fees and 2d or 2d die costs depending on the vendor • some minters use higher quality processes than others, which costs more • various enamels and epoxy coatings could also bump up the prices Yes, there are lots of things to consider. an icon with your tracking is $150. Definitely shop around, send off an email to the different minters and they will give you a quote, some even do the art from roughs or an idea. things to keep in mind, 3d, shaped coins, and larger than standard 1.5" round coins will be more expensive, as will options like epoxy coating, numbering, the number of colors, immitation hard enamel vs. softe namel. and im sure many more things. look at the different minters web sites and they will usually show you what kinds of metal options you have, what colors, and so on. Edited October 13, 2006 by Nero Quote
+Hula Bum Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 As you can see there are many factors, several companies use the same mint (maker) for their coins so the quality will be the same, but there are other companies whose quality is not so great, make sure you are familiar with the quality that they are putting out. Decide what you want- How many Trackable or not? How many colors 3d or 2d What size Then, get bids, shop around, some companies don't advertise as much, but you can still get the best rates from them, you won't know until you call or email them. Quote
+Mandollyn Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 *** !!!NOTE!!! *** When you choose a coin company - make sure you ask if THEY will obtain the tracking codes from GC.com or is it something you will have to do!!! Chances are, they did NOT include the cost of the codes in the cost of minting!!! Quote
+Landsharkz Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 *** !!!NOTE!!! *** When you choose a coin company - make sure you ask if THEY will obtain the tracking codes from GC.com or is it something you will have to do!!! Chances are, they did NOT include the cost of the codes in the cost of minting!!! That's a good point Mandollyn, but if a client is asking for a quote to make a trackable coin with an icon, that is what should be in the quote. Most companies that produce geocoins know that the coin is either trackable or not; if you take your coin production to a company that doesn't 'know' geocoins, then this could definitely be a concern. Quote
+Mandollyn Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 *** !!!NOTE!!! *** When you choose a coin company - make sure you ask if THEY will obtain the tracking codes from GC.com or is it something you will have to do!!! Chances are, they did NOT include the cost of the codes in the cost of minting!!! That's a good point Mandollyn, but if a client is asking for a quote to make a trackable coin with an icon, that is what should be in the quote. Most companies that produce geocoins know that the coin is either trackable or not; if you take your coin production to a company that doesn't 'know' geocoins, then this could definitely be a concern. I certianly agree with you there!!! The company I had mint my coin, www.thecoinmaker.com, has made several geocoins... However, they have never delt with GC.com. I provided them with the codes and they just put them on. Was my coin worth that extra step? Yep! Is my coin high quality? Yep! Would I use this company again? YEP! Quote
+Landsharkz Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 This became a geocoin... There are people who want coins made that have art ready in Illustrator format and others who have a sketch on a dinner napkin (with coffee stains ). Should both be charged the same to have the coin minted? The stage of die art creation isn't just about sending it off to the factory and waiting for a sample; there is often a lot of back and forth and revisions between the mint and the designer to get it 'just right' according to how it was drawn and intended to be represented. Every line and dot gets scrutinized by the designer. The same mint could be used as a lot of other companies, but the final result could be very different. Some companies have professional designers and some don't. You may need their services, you may not. That should be part of your research when you are getting a quote, make sure they offer exactly what you need. Be clear about what's included in the quote and what isn't. Ask lots of questions! Maybe you can go with the cheapest, but ask around with some other companies to make sure you are getting the service you need from the cheapest company. My father-in-law used to say: cheap, fast or good... pick two! Quote
+CoinsAndPins Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 (edited) As you can see there are many factors, several companies use the same mint (maker) for their coins so the quality will be the same, but there are other companies whose quality is not so great, make sure you are familiar with the quality that they are putting out. This is correct, there are several coin brokers that use the same mint, but each broker also has their own style they use to administer the die art and production. This can change the quality of the coin style. It is best to take the time to look through other peoples collections to see what kinds of options and art styles you would like. For the most part, many of the people that have been collecting custom coins for a while can tell which coin was made by which broker based on the different techniques each company uses. Edited October 13, 2006 by CoinsAndPins Quote
+Hula Bum Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Check this link this information has been around for several years This goes hand in hand with above info. Quote
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