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We're fairly new to geocaching, but does this seem right?


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We recently traveled to NC to visit a family member who introduced us to geocaching (kdogg) for weedogg's 4th b-day!! We are from Ohio and have only ever found 1 TB or geocoin so we were excited to see so many in Wilmington, NC. We went to the Gemini Hide with two of our buckeye kids and found replicas copied and placed on wood coins instead of the real coin with a note saying that this person is keeping the real ones for himself and passing these along. :laughing:

 

Does this seem wrong to anyone else? I don't want to spend money on a geocoin and start it around for others to enjoy if one person is going to collect them all for himself and send off wooden imitations??

 

Like I said, we're NEW to this... only 10 found so far but the most exciting thing is finding the really cool coins that DO something or Look wicked cool. My brother just showed us one with a SPINNER!! But to find a copied oic of it on a wooden coin would ruin that!

 

So, should I just move on, or out the person doing this?? :santa:

 

Thanks!!

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I am kinda' new to caching, 137 finds. But we just ran into our first coin klone last month. Although the person tried real hard to make it look like the original coin it was not the same for me. I know that I buy coins that I keep in my collections because I think they are too precious but I don't send out klones. I save them to take to cache events so people still get to see and discover them. Sometimes I will buy two identical coins and keep one in my collection and one I put out for traveling.

I've seen laminated paper copies of the coins being circulated. That is just a piece of trash in my book.

 

The collecting of icons seems to be a new aspect of Geocaching that I just don't get.

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Does this seem wrong to anyone else? I don't want to spend money on a geocoin and start it around for others to enjoy if one person is going to collect them all for himself and send off wooden imitations??

 

I may be reading this incorrectly but it sounds like you think someone is taking coins they find out of caches and replacing them with the replicas. More likely, they made replicas of coins they purchased and therefore own. It might not be fun to find these, but it's their coin and they have the right to send out copies instead of the real thing.

 

However, people who send out replicas are probably doing so because a fair amount of coin travelers do go missing so just be aware if you decide to send out geocoins. You might want to check out the geocoin forum to see what people do to help prevent coins from ending up in private collections. But beware - coin collecting can be a real addiction :laughing: !

Edited by mertat
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I'm not really into coins that much but i do, on occasion, come across a few which i think are unique and/or, are very nicely made. I'll sometimes log these because of their quality. I understand why some people send out copies and i don't really think of it as being wrong, but they aren't the real deal and won't ever get logged by me.

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We recently traveled to NC to visit a family member who introduced us to geocaching (kdogg) for weedogg's 4th b-day!! We are from Ohio and have only ever found 1 TB or geocoin so we were excited to see so many in Wilmington, NC. We went to the Gemini Hide with two of our buckeye kids and found replicas copied and placed on wood coins instead of the real coin with a note saying that this person is keeping the real ones for himself and passing these along. :santa:

 

Does this seem wrong to anyone else? I don't want to spend money on a geocoin and start it around for others to enjoy if one person is going to collect them all for himself and send off wooden imitations??

 

Like I said, we're NEW to this... only 10 found so far but the most exciting thing is finding the really cool coins that DO something or Look wicked cool. My brother just showed us one with a SPINNER!! But to find a copied oic of it on a wooden coin would ruin that!

 

So, should I just move on, or out the person doing this?? :laughing:

 

Thanks!!

 

The "coin" you found in the cache was made by the original owner of the coin, who didn't want to release it.

 

Personally, I don't like "copies" of coins.

 

Some people will drill a hole and attach a tag, like what I've done below, to keep the coin from being "collected."

 

2007-coin2.jpg

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If the actual owner of the coin is sending out the replicas it is cheesy. Either keep the coin in your collection or send it out and take your chances.

 

If someone who isn't the owner is doing this, it is despicable and outright theft of someone else's property. I think their account should be banned for this behavior.

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Hey,

 

The thing to check would be if the owner of the coin made the copy or someone else did if you really want to know...

I have even made some replacements for coins as well as travel bugs at the request of owners (either something was missing or damaged)...typically geofriends in the area, but I have replaced/repaired tbs for cachers I do not know personally.

 

As a coin/travel bug owner, I have had several go missing (coins and travel bugs...it comes with the territory and I just except it as fact---sad but true; coins/travel bugs will go missing) and have needed to make replicas/replacements. After having a couple of my coins go missing right after I placed them in their first cache I dropped them in (different caches...not all in once cache) I have made a couple into replicas/replacements. I figured why let the coin just die...why not keep the "spirt" of the coin alive and send out a replica (or as I call it a Pseudo-coin)...but I clearly have that stated on the coin page.

 

Everyone has their own feeling regarding coins/tbs (Move vs Discover, Original vs Copies, Coins at Events vs No Events for a Coin...etc) and I respect those feelings and try to make it clear on my tb pages in case someone comes across a coin/tb of mine and wants to verify that at copy was created by meself (as the owner) or someone else.

 

I even have a couple coins that I think are really cool and want to keep...so I made a replica for those coins and sent that out to travel. We are all going to come across copies at sometime and I think that some of the copies (at least how someone made a replica as a coin owner---I in no way endorse taking/stealing someone's coin/tb and making a copy because it looks cool---it is someone else's coin/tb afterall) are just as creative as the coin itself.

 

I do agree with Mertat...geocoin collecting can (is) addicting...but all the coins in my collection I have purchased with my own money!!! I know the feeling of having a coin/tb stolen (and yes I do know at least two of the coins that have gone missing were stolen---the others I can only assume were lost by mistake) and don't want others to feel the same way.

 

Later,

ArcherDragoon

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...So, should I just move on, or out the person doing this?? :huh:

 

Thanks!!

 

If they are the coin owner they can replicate the coin and send out the copy. It's all good. They should say on their tracking page that the coin is a copy though.

 

If they are a random finder, they are stealing. Simple as that. Out them to the real owner and then move on. Don't sweep it under the carpet.

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If the actual owner of the coin is sending out the replicas it is cheesy. Either keep the coin in your collection or send it out and take your chances.

 

The thing about coins is that once it's gone, it's gone.

 

Coins are about the coin. Travel bugs are mostly about the mission.

Edited by BlueDeuce
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If a coin has gone missing, I can see an owner making a copy and sending that out, but if the owner still has the coin, sending out a copy is a form of "have your cake and eat it too". They want to keep the coin safe, but they want to get the travel and logs.

 

Either keep it in your collection or take the risk and let it travel. I know some people think that the paper copy is okay as it allows the cacher to "get" the icon - but few cachers care about coin icons now that there are thousands (?) of them. They want to fondle the actual item.

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I was disappointed to find a laminated sheet with a color photocopy of the 2006 CITO Geocoin. They say in the description, "This is a copy of the coin so if it gets lost we can replace it. Geocoins can be spendy so I hope everyone understands why we are letting copies travel." Fine, but I was excited to see my first actual geocoin and feel its heft in my hand.

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If the actual owner of the coin is sending out the replicas it is cheesy. Either keep the coin in your collection or send it out and take your chances.

 

The thing about coins is that once it's gone, it's gone.

 

Coins are about the coin. Travel bugs are mostly about the mission.

 

Coins can also be about the mission. Sure, the icon can be cool (I will freely admit that many times I look for coins because of the icon)...but I have been more than happy to be part of a coin's mission/goal (a couple coins as well as replacements with great missions have been through my hands).

 

Now, unrelated to the quote above...

My opinion:

As far as making "fake coins"...I freely admit to that in my previous post; to each their own, but I also am sure to clearly state that in the description (with the understanding that there are cachers that do not like "fake" coins-I respect that and understand their disapointment should they find a "fake" coin when they may have been expecting the real-deal). I guess I just enjoy living vicariously through my trackables (real, fake, replacements...etc). Again, this is just my opinion and we are all welcome to feel different.

 

Later,

ArcherDragoon

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I'd like to see a "wooden" replica. How do you make one? If you just make an impression by whacking with a hammer, won't it be a mirror image? Are they cut circular like a "wooden" nickel?

 

A photo copy or a tracing not too hard to do, but how does one make a wooden replica? Seems it would take a long time.

 

Thanks in advance!

 

RATTLEBARS

Edited by Rattlebars
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Ok, so maybe replica isn't the right word? They just made color cpoies of both sides of the coin and modge podeged them to both sides of a wooden nickel. The one is supposed to change from green in the middle to a smiley face so the person tried to type/write in the space. changes to smiley.. In their defense, I did see that they were the original owners, they DID NOT steal it from spmeone else, I was just really disappointed to find it to be a "fake" and I wasn't sure if I should even take it out let alone log it. My kids made me do it! LOL They are really getting in to this, but they love to log finds and see where they go...

 

Thanks for all the feedback!!

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At the rate these coins are stolen I really don't blame owners for sending out replicas. Maybe if these thieves waste enough time chasing replicas they will lose interest and move on to mugging old ladies.

 

I don't blame them, but drilling a hole in them seems to deter "collecting" by some. I suppose that it doesn't look so good to open up your coin book all proud at a meet with coins with holes drilled in 'em....

 

I think it's silly to send replicas out, but that's just IMHO. And I guess that's what makes the sport fun for everyone.

 

:wub:

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Here's my take on the whole thing....

 

I like to move trackables and I could care less what they are. That said, I hafta admit that most replicated coins are kinda disappointing. I have seen a few that were really neat and well done too. One was so good I couldn't tell at a glance until I picked it up and the weight was wayyy wrong.

 

Here's the way I look at my own coins.... I have been given or traded for 95% of my collection. They ALL have meaning for me so I won't release them into the wild. I'm quickly tiring of the discovery thang at events, but STILL, I own the tracking numbers (80+) that are sitting there doin' nuthin'.

 

I had an idea to send replicated coins out to travel while taking the actual coins to events to be discovered which was pretty much universally panned even though I don't totally understand why anyone would care.

 

My latest idea is that I will probably leave my coins at home taking them off the discovery circuit and just attach the tracking numbers to some regular TB type items and release them. I'm not asking anyone's permission to do this. The tracking numbers belong to ME and they will be attached to a real traveling item. Point taken from this thread though that the coin page should say that it is just the tracking number being utilized for a regular TB item. Personally, I'd rather see idle coin tracking numbers used in that fashion than some of the disappointing replicas I've seen.

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Here's my take on the whole thing....

 

I like to move trackables and I could care less what they are. That said, I hafta admit that most replicated coins are kinda disappointing. I have seen a few that were really neat and well done too. One was so good I couldn't tell at a glance until I picked it up and the weight was wayyy wrong.

 

Here's the way I look at my own coins.... I have been given or traded for 95% of my collection. They ALL have meaning for me so I won't release them into the wild. I'm quickly tiring of the discovery thang at events, but STILL, I own the tracking numbers (80+) that are sitting there doin' nuthin'.

 

I had an idea to send replicated coins out to travel while taking the actual coins to events to be discovered which was pretty much universally panned even though I don't totally understand why anyone would care.

 

My latest idea is that I will probably leave my coins at home taking them off the discovery circuit and just attach the tracking numbers to some regular TB type items and release them. I'm not asking anyone's permission to do this. The tracking numbers belong to ME and they will be attached to a real traveling item. Point taken from this thread though that the coin page should say that it is just the tracking number being utilized for a regular TB item. Personally, I'd rather see idle coin tracking numbers used in that fashion than some of the disappointing replicas I've seen.

 

You know what I just thought of, would be to have a Letter after the tracking number designating that it's a copy. Maybe an "X". That'd make it pretty clear.

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Here in PA, we have some coins that are very hard to find. The Allegheny GeoTrail coins can only be earned by finding six unique caches. I've earned one, and it's special to me, but I'd like to send it out for others to see or discover. Problem is, there is a person (and I use the term loosely) who has been raiding caches in the area, taking all the coins and TBs for his 'collection'. I refuse to let him add my coin to his stash of stolen property, therefore I'm going to make a copy to send out. At least then, if it gets lost or misplaced, I can make another copy, and keep it moving around. I know that copies are not held in great esteem, but I plan to make the copy look and feel like the real one. I'm using a washer the same size as the coin, and attaching hires scans on each side, laminating them to keep them dry. Sorry, but these coins are just too valuable to throw out there. :wub:

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Does this seem wrong to anyone else? I don't want to spend money on a geocoin and start it around for others to enjoy if one person is going to collect them all for himself and send off wooden imitations??

 

 

As long as the owner of the coin is doing it, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Enough have disappeared to justify this.

 

I think it's cheesy for the government to print up paper money and keep the actual gold locked up in Fort Knox, but hey, thats just me... :surprise:

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Here in PA, we have some coins that are very hard to find. The Allegheny GeoTrail coins can only be earned by finding six unique caches. I've earned one, and it's special to me, but I'd like to send it out for others to see or discover. Problem is, there is a person (and I use the term loosely) who has been raiding caches in the area, taking all the coins and TBs for his 'collection'. I refuse to let him add my coin to his stash of stolen property, therefore I'm going to make a copy to send out. At least then, if it gets lost or misplaced, I can make another copy, and keep it moving around. I know that copies are not held in great esteem, but I plan to make the copy look and feel like the real one. I'm using a washer the same size as the coin, and attaching hires scans on each side, laminating them to keep them dry. Sorry, but these coins are just too valuable to throw out there. :surprise:

 

Why not drill a hole and attach a tag or a lock? It doesn't really affect the coin visually, and then you still get to send out the original.

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Locks are out. no lock small enough to use on a coin is secure. A blow with a hammer, or wire cutters would do it.

 

Drilling a hole would deter a collector who shows his coins, but not one that keeps them for his own enjoyment, and does nothing to prevent it from getting 'misplaced'.

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Locks are out. no lock small enough to use on a coin is secure. A blow with a hammer, or wire cutters would do it.

 

Drilling a hole would deter a collector who shows his coins, but not one that keeps them for his own enjoyment, and does nothing to prevent it from getting 'misplaced'.

 

Sure, you could destroy anything put on a coin. I've just seen tiny little locks on some and thought they were cute.

 

I think that most of the people who would take a coin do so to have a mint coin. I've read many threads here and have yet to find one where someone's drilled coin disappeared.

 

I just can't see "hoarders" wanting a damaged coin - most hoarders I've read about (collecting anything) collect "perfect" things.

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I can understand the disappointment in finding a coin replica, but I understand why a coin owner wants to send out a replica to travel. Around here we have a coin thief who steals coins almost as soon as they are dropped into caches. :surprise:

 

Since the coin owner is making the replica to send out, and as the owner it is their prerogative to do that if they want to, I don't see why anyone should question their decision.

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I can understand the disappointment in finding a coin replica, but I understand why a coin owner wants to send out a replica to travel. Around here we have a coin thief who steals coins almost as soon as they are dropped into caches. :surprise:

 

Since the coin owner is making the replica to send out, and as the owner it is their prerogative to do that if they want to, I don't see why anyone should question their decision.

 

It's only a question because the coin has been turned into a "TB", but you still get the coin icon for "finding" it. I know this is a touchy subject, and most people's minds won't be changed on it.

 

People can do what they want and I'm fine with it. It's just disappointing not to be able to find the real thing.

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To me a trackable is a trackable. I'm there to help the item move along on its mission -- I don't care if it is a McToy attached to the TB tag, a wooden nickel clone of a coin or the real coin.

 

At the rate which coins disappear I'm amazed anyone still releases the real thing. They're too expensive for my tastes to turn loose. My coin collection is small and each one has meaning to me so I activate them and take them to events for the icon hunters to discover but I don't release them into the wild anymore.

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Are you saying that the owner of the Geocoin is sending out replicas? If so, then IMO those replicas should be treated as TBs, not geocoins.

 

Or are you saying that some geocacher is keeping (stealing) geocoins and then sending out replicas of someone else's coins??

 

 

We recently traveled to NC to visit a family member who introduced us to geocaching (kdogg) for weedogg's 4th b-day!! We are from Ohio and have only ever found 1 TB or geocoin so we were excited to see so many in Wilmington, NC. We went to the Gemini Hide with two of our buckeye kids and found replicas copied and placed on wood coins instead of the real coin with a note saying that this person is keeping the real ones for himself and passing these along. :surprise:

 

Does this seem wrong to anyone else? I don't want to spend money on a geocoin and start it around for others to enjoy if one person is going to collect them all for himself and send off wooden imitations??

 

Like I said, we're NEW to this... only 10 found so far but the most exciting thing is finding the really cool coins that DO something or Look wicked cool. My brother just showed us one with a SPINNER!! But to find a copied oic of it on a wooden coin would ruin that!

 

So, should I just move on, or out the person doing this?? :ph34r:

 

Thanks!!

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We have two replica coins floating around, and in the logs we hear nothing but praise for the idea, so the animosity in the forums to this practice in surprising.

 

The reason we do this is because we aren't big-time geocoin nuts. When we get a geocoin it is either a gift, or a FTF prize, or something that makes it more than just-another-coin. So they have some kind of meaning to us, but they are meant to travel. It people weren't such vicious swine as to steal them, we wouldn't have to do this. We have also released coins as is, and we usually include some sort of stern admonition, scolding any would-be coin thieves for even thinking about stealing coins.

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