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da Vinci Coins - On Sale Now


Redwing_dave

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I've been fascinated with the life, works, sketches and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci for virtually my entire existence. Naturally, when a popular historical fiction novel hit the shelves, I gobbled it up like most of the rest of the world. Several "Me Too" novels, nonfiction books, theories, and religious commentaries followed closely on the heals of the book I'm referring to (I don't think I need to name the book here, I'm pretty sure you all know what I'm talking about). I think the thing that fascinates people most about Leonardo, is that his life was truly a mystery. We know a lot about him from his letters, sketches, etc. We are surrounded by the inventions of his infinite mind, but often don't even realize how important they are to us, because most of his inventions never made it farther than a sketch and written theory (usually using mirror writing) during his own lifetime. Despite all that we know, there is far more that we don't know.

 

A few years back, I planned an intricate multi-stage Puzzle Cache based on the life and works of Leonardo Da Vinci. It was planned to be a difficulty "5" with some super-swag at the end for anyone that could actually figure out the puzzles. I spent nearly a month planning out every detail (I know, I'm a bit insane :) ). Then, a couple days before I submitted the cache for approval, someone placed a physical cache about 250 feet from the starting point of the puzzle. This may seem like no big deal, but the starting coordinates were essential to every facet of the puzzle. To make a long story just a bit shorter, I ended up scrapping the whole cache and all my work. Until now it has been burning in the back of my mind like a red-hot x-acto knife. In attempt to relieve some of this burning pain (it really does hurt :P ), I allowed the idea to mutate into something that could be depicted on a set of encrypted geocoins and solved anywhere in the world, regardless of location. Meanwhile I await the demise of the nameless cacher who stole my coordinates (okay, he didn't really steal them, but what can I say, I'm insane remember?). Your chance to TRY to solve the puzzle is very near. (dramatic pause, and then on to the details I know you all wish I would have put in the first two paragraphs instead of bending your cyber-ear for the last 5 minutes :laughing: )

 

Coming Soon!!! How was that for a dramatic entry?

 

The da Vinci Coins - 3 Geocoin set:

 

Details:

  • 3 geocoins, sold as a set
  • Trackable on geocaching.com
  • 335 of each coin
  • Some Limited Editions - accessible by solving all or part of the puzzle
  • 1.5" or 1.75" - waiting to see proof details vs. affordability
  • Unique prefix
  • At least 1 unique icon (possibly one for each coin). Waiting for pricing...I want to try to keep this affordable to the buyers

I think that's all I want to say right now. I don't want to take all the mystery out of it!

 

Okay one more tidbit - I'm aiming to have these ready by mid-April, so I can sell them at the same time as the Original Stash Anniversary Geocoins mentioned HERE, so that you can combine shipping if you so wish.

 

And here's the sneak peak I promised:

vitruvianpeak.jpg

 

Stay tuned to this thread for additional details and possibly some more "Sneak Peaks"

 

-RD :laughing:

Edited by Flying Spaghetti Monster
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Just for something to think about...

 

I would be a little cautious - that art has some SERIOUS copyright 'watchers' right now due to the DaVinci Code. Maybe something inspired would be better, but Id be very careful using the actual art to produce the coins.

 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of copyright might be on something like this. After all, even if daVinci could have put a copyright on any of his works, they'd have expired hundreds of years ago. As far as I know, you can't re-copyright something, only extend a copyright.

 

Heck, the rights to Peter Pan have finally expired (has anyone noticed the glut of PeterPan sequels suddenly?).

 

I'm not saying that there aren't people out there keeping a careful eye on copyrights associated to daVinci, but his actual works just couldn't be owned by anyone else right now. ...could they?

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Just for something to think about...

 

I would be a little cautious - that art has some SERIOUS copyright 'watchers' right now due to the DaVinci Code. Maybe something inspired would be better, but Id be very careful using the actual art to produce the coins.

 

The sneak peak was an image used for drafting the coin only. The actual image will not be used. I would be interested to know who holds that copyright now. All the searching I did lead to the conclusion that the image is public domain. Da Vinci certainly didn't copyright it, and as far as I know, Dan Brown holds no legal power over the image. If you have more info I'd be very interested.

Edited by Redwing_dave
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Well, I do know that the Vitruvian Man is owned by the Galleria dell'Accademia Venice Italy, and its usually required to get permission.

 

(Art History buff speaking!)

 

Im all for the DaVinci Coins, don't get me wrong - but I would just be cautious over the images. They are indeed protected. Public Domain means I can use it as a screensaver or a Desktop Image, but I can't make money off of it.

 

The Louvre owns the Mona Lisa, etc..

 

The reason I mention is, on Cafe Press several years ago, a debate came up over using altered DaVinci works for bumper stickers, T shirts, etc... and the general 'judgement' was it was a risky venture.

 

(I watched - was not involved)

 

So... just a heads up. The artwork could be modified to keep you safe, but just be careful. Most of those Galleries frown on people making a profit when they may be missing out! :)

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Just for something to think about...

 

I would be a little cautious - that art has some SERIOUS copyright 'watchers' right now due to the DaVinci Code. Maybe something inspired would be better, but Id be very careful using the actual art to produce the coins.

 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of copyright might be on something like this. After all, even if daVinci could have put a copyright on any of his works, they'd have expired hundreds of years ago. As far as I know, you can't re-copyright something, only extend a copyright.

 

Heck, the rights to Peter Pan have finally expired (has anyone noticed the glut of PeterPan sequels suddenly?).

 

I'm not saying that there aren't people out there keeping a careful eye on copyrights associated to daVinci, but his actual works just couldn't be owned by anyone else right now. ...could they?

 

This captures the essence of my question. I know that people, organizations, or museums physically own or claim the rights to the hard copy of the original Da Vinci notebooks, but I could not find any evidence of a copyright to the images contained in those notebooks.

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Well, the images are the property of whatever 'Gallery' or 'Museum' owns that individual image. But, to sell them, you usually need permission from the owner.

 

While many people do reproduce the images, and get away with it - I would just be cautious. Again, great idea for coins, but I do know there are always risks with using any known artwork without making it 'inspired by' etc.

 

And, honestly - allthough DaVinci is no longer with us, obviously - the artwork is still 'copyrighted' to him, or whoever legally owns the works being used. Its up to them to decide who CAN or can NOT use images, and if they want to charge a license fee.

 

Please don't take it personally - Im an artist myself, and have dealt with some copyright issues. (I had a photograph I owned made into a 'watercolor print' that someone was selling. Was pretty miffed.)

 

After all was said and done, I received a healthy license fee for the use of the work. (And the print was promptly discontinued.)

 

The people who 'own' Betty Boop not too long ago were going 'sue happy' getting everyone who had unlicensed Betty Boop products. Was pretty ugly.

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As an example specifically using DaVinci - if you view the Illustrated Version of The DaVinci Code - it has photos of many of the famous works in it. Including Vitruvian Man.

 

In the back - permission to publish the work, and photo credit was given.

 

Just be careful - it would be really easy to modify the work and make it inspired - but your own - so you would have no risks at all. :)

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As an example specifically using DaVinci - if you view the Illustrated Version of The DaVinci Code - it has photos of many of the famous works in it. Including Vitruvian Man.

 

In the back - permission to publish the work, and photo credit was given.

 

Just be careful - it would be really easy to modify the work and make it inspired - but your own - so you would have no risks at all. :)

 

PM sent. Hopeful to engage in a discussion.

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Just because one owns an image, it does not mean that one owns the copyright to the image. If I buy an original piece of art, I cannot sell reproductions of it without the permission of the copyright owner (creater of the work).

 

Copyright protection does not last forever - althought protection either has, or has been proposed to extend beyond the original ~100 years afforded in US copyright law.

 

It is my understanding that public domain does mean freely reproducible, even for a profit.

 

Cinemaboxers is correct though - be careful about any image used, there may be other factors at play. (For the examples of Cinamaboxers and Betty Boop, the images are clearly protected by copyright - due to their young age)

Edited by tokencollector
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I am a huge lover of Renaissance artwork. Da Vinci was an absolute genious and a very interesting character. Good luck with these coins. I hope you are able to go through with them and not have problems with copyrights. I would definately buy some. Can't wait to see the final product!

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Great news!

 

After some correspondence with CinemaBoxers I'm confident that this set of coins will go forward as planned, with a couple new twists that will actually make the project better overall. :rolleyes: Stay tuned for dates and additional "sneak peaks. Still hoping to have these ready for a mid-april sale. Thanks CinemaBoxers.

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...someone placed a physical cache about 250 feet from the starting point of the puzzle. This may seem like no big deal, but the starting coordinates were essential to every facet of the puzzle...

 

Did you ever contact the cache owner and ask if they would move the cache or something so you could create yours? 300 ft rule right. They could move theirs without approval as long as it's not more then 100ft and then you could place your puzzle cache.

 

Just a thought... :rolleyes:

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...someone placed a physical cache about 250 feet from the starting point of the puzzle. This may seem like no big deal, but the starting coordinates were essential to every facet of the puzzle...

 

Did you ever contact the cache owner and ask if they would move the cache or something so you could create yours? 300 ft rule right. They could move theirs without approval as long as it's not more then 100ft and then you could place your puzzle cache.

 

Just a thought... :rolleyes:

 

Actually 500 ft rule. Cache owner wouldn't budge, and neither would the Admin. Oh well. I probably couldn't even find my notes now anyway. My energy will be nicely used in creating this coin set.

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You don't need permission to use Vitruvian man.. Copyrights expire 70 years after the death of the artist in the European Union. Public domain means you can use it for any purpose, including making a profit. For example, a lot of Disney movies are based on public domain stories. As far as copyrights go, it doesn't matter who owns the original work. Can't find a good link, but here's an OK one:

 

http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectID/9...10/276/136/QNA/

 

Wikipedia seems to think it's PD (if you trust wikipedia).. :rolleyes:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Vitruvian.jpg

 

There seems to be some confusion about this issue though.. I found another page ( http://www.drloriv.com/advice/publicdm.htm ) which claimed that Vitruvian man is still copyrighted. But it also said that "public domain" simply means "everybody's heard of it", and I know that's totally inaccurate.

 

Also, photographs of public domain artwork might be copyrighted. It seems to be a sticky issue, so when using photographs it's probably not a bad idea to get permission.

 

Edit: Here's a good link: http://www.colorado.edu/copyright/fairuse/student.html

Edited by pfalstad
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Actually - copyrights only expire when they are 'issued' to someone other than the creator. An artist has an 'assumed copyright' - which in this instance, doesnt apply.

 

But, the works are indeed protected by the galleries and museums that own the particular works. If this was not the case, no one would need permission or license to use them.

 

The key thing, people OFTEN COPY works of art or reproduce them. The sticky situation is when you use the ACTUAL art. And yes, you can indeed get in trouble for it if the wrong person catches you at it.

 

With works that obviously hold value, you can bet they are protected by copyright. The key is in making the design your own. Inspired by, influenced by, is fine, but you can get yourself in a bad situation over direct copying.

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Time for a little more information, and another sneak peak.

 

As mentioned above, this will be a 3 coin set. The coins will be as follows:

1-Virtuvian Man Geocoin

2-Paris Meridian Geocoin

3-Knights Templar Geocoin

 

Above, I shared a partial peak at Coin #1. The front of Coin #2 will be based on the Arago Medallions that mark the Paris Meridian, one of the meridians used prior to World standardization to the Prime Meridian. The Paris Meridian is also referred to as the Rose Line (although this is likely an incorrect reference). You're likely familiar with theories about the Rose Line, and what da Vinci's possible associations were with this geographical marker. If not, its time to start looking into it. Here is a picture of an actual Arago Medallion outside of the Louvre (and a sneak peak of what to expect from coin #2):

Aragomedallion.jpg

 

One question for those of you still interested in this coin set. Would you prefer a separate icon for each of the 3 coins (3 coins = 3 coins) at an added cost of approximately $1 per set, or would you prefer to save the buck and just have one icon for all 3 coins?

 

Thanks for your input. Watch for another sneak peak in the next few days.

 

-RD

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Time for a little more information, and another sneak peak.

 

As mentioned above, this will be a 3 coin set. The coins will be as follows:

1-Virtuvian Man Geocoin

2-Paris Meridian Geocoin

3-Knights Templar Geocoin

 

One question for those of you still interested in this coin set. Would you prefer a separate icon for each of the 3 coins (3 coins = 3 coins) at an added cost of approximately $1 per set, or would you prefer to save the buck and just have one icon for all 3 coins?

 

Thanks for your input. Watch for another sneak peak in the next few days.

 

-RD

I think that if it's going to be a 3coin set needed to solve a puzzle cache, make it one Icon - not about saving $$$ but it's just cleaner in my opinion. :D

 

{I'd say go Avalanche but we all know that isn't going to happen - The are going to have early tee times this year}

Edited by Chooch72
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I can wait to post about these in the "What was in your mailbox" thread!

:blink:

 

Hopefully you meant that you "CAN'T" wait. Otherwise I feel deflated. :blink:

 

Don't feel deflated Dave. These will be awesome and will have many fans, such as us. Love Leonardo and love learning new things about him. The man was a genius in every sense of the word!

 

One icon - and are you looking for them to be puzzle related? That would be :D .

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I can wait to post about these in the "What was in your mailbox" thread!

:blink:

 

Hopefully you meant that you "CAN'T" wait. Otherwise I feel deflated. :D

 

Don't feel deflated Dave. These will be awesome and will have many fans, such as us. Love Leonardo and love learning new things about him. The man was a genius in every sense of the word!

 

One icon - and are you looking for them to be puzzle related? That would be :D .

 

Thanks!

 

Just as Leonardo's life remains largely a mystery, these coins will definitely be puzzling. There is one big puzzle that can only be solved by combining information from all 3 coins (that's why the coins haven't been completely unveiled yet...don't want anyone getting a headstart). The first person to solve the puzzle (if it in fact can be done :blink: ), within a predesignated time period will get a free set of Ultra-Limited Edition coins (assuming things go as planned in the minting process). The "Big" puzzle is intended to be difficult, and mysterious. Not straightforward at all...if da Vinci's life and genius were easy to figure out, it wouldn't be so intriguing, right? The intention of these coins is to be intriguing and mysterious in that same difficult way. For those vigilantly watching this forum, there will also be an easier "quiz" that I will post sometime closer to when the coins go on sale. The first X-amount of people that come up with the correct answer for the quiz will be eligible to purchase a Limited Edition version of the coin. That's all I can say about the puzzle and the quiz for now, but stay tuned for more in the future.

-RD

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Thanks!

 

Just as Leonardo's life remains largely a mystery, these coins will definitely be puzzling. There is one big puzzle that can only be solved by combining information from all 3 coins (that's why the coins haven't been completely unveiled yet...don't want anyone getting a headstart). The first person to solve the puzzle (if it in fact can be done :blink: ), within a predesignated time period will get a free set of Ultra-Limited Edition coins (assuming things go as planned in the minting process). The "Big" puzzle is intended to be difficult, and mysterious. Not straightforward at all...if da Vinci's life and genius were easy to figure out, it wouldn't be so intriguing, right? The intention of these coins is to be intriguing and mysterious in that same difficult way. For those vigilantly watching this forum, there will also be an easier "quiz" that I will post sometime closer to when the coins go on sale. The first X-amount of people that come up with the correct answer for the quiz will be eligible to purchase a Limited Edition version of the coin. That's all I can say about the puzzle and the quiz for now, but stay tuned for more in the future.

-RD

 

Excellent! Nothing like a good puzzle to solve and coins that go with that. That's a fun part of caching. Figuring it all out! :D Now really looking forward to these. :blink:

Edited by GPX Navigators
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I can wait to post about these in the "What was in your mailbox" thread!

:rolleyes:

 

Hopefully you meant that you "CAN'T" wait. Otherwise I feel deflated. :rolleyes:

 

oops! :lol:

I indeed meant to say that I can NOT wait! Put me down for two of each metal, including the XXLE and the SDERHTFOOMEXXXLE!

 

(Super Duper Extremely Rare Hard To Find Only One Made Ever Xtra Xtra Xtra Limited Edition)

 

:P

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Actually - copyrights only expire when they are 'issued' to someone other than the creator. An artist has an 'assumed copyright' - which in this instance, doesnt apply.

 

An incorrect statement of copyright law. Copyright is automatic and is assigned to the creator of the work. Copyright can be transferred, but that does not impact the length of copyright time. Copyright period is for a limited time as defined in Section 8 of the US constitution "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The length of the limit is up to Congress - and has been stated in a previous post as 70 years past the death of the creator.

 

To paraprhase a lawer who regularly contributes to a photography forum that I frequent - If you want legal advice, seek it from a professional - not in a web forum. Alternately, (though probably not as "safe") get the facts for yourself from legal documents and case history[my 2¢, not a paraphrased quote].

Edited by tokencollector
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Still trying to make up my mind whether to do 1 icon for each coin (3 total), or 1 icon for the whole set (but all 3 coins would be trackable. As of right now, the estimated price on these coins would be just under $25 per set of 3. This is based on each coin being 1.75" wide. A separate icon for each would add about $1 per set. Anyone else have an opinion on 1 vs. 3 icons?

 

Another sneak peak is on its way soon. (note prices subject to change. as soon as I get things finalized with the icon, I'll post more details on the price.)

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An incorrect statement of copyright law. Copyright is automatic and is assigned to the creator of the work. Copyright can be transferred, but that does not impact the length of copyright time. Copyright period is for a limited time as defined in Section 8 of the US constitution "To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." The length of the limit is up to Congress - and has been stated in a previous post as 70 years past the death of the creator.

 

To paraprhase a lawer who regularly contributes to a photography forum that I frequent - If you want legal advice, seek it from a professional - not in a web forum. Alternately, (though probably not as "safe") get the facts for yourself from legal documents and case history[my 2¢, not a paraphrased quote].

 

This too is not entirely correct - remember, different copyright laws apply to different works, and different timelines. As an artist, Im all too familiar with copyrights - and how they protect me. But, from the standpoint of someone who may be risking a copyright infringement suit - its not worth trusting ANY snippet. As I said, play it safe and make the work your own.

 

There is not ONE single copyright paragraph that is correct in its entirety and applies to all artists or works. While the one above is correct, the one I posted is as well. And honestly - there aren't too many lawyers out there who are familiar with ALL facets of copyright law - so the sources for correct information are pretty much "Check the libraries yourself, and be sure you understand them!"

 

<_<

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