South African Geocoin

[+cincol]

Hi All

 

Is there a uniquely South African Geocoin available for purchase anywhere? If so, where can I get hold of one? The only one that I have been able to trace so far, in the USA, is the "2006 South African Signal Coin" which I have purchased.

 

Any information would be appreciated.

 

Happy caching.

[+mousekakat]

Not sure if this one is what you're looking for or not, but maybe...

 

 

 

It is someone's personal coin, but the image on the back is definitely from the South African neck of the woods

 

They can be purchased here

 

Naomi

[+LeonW]

Hallo Cincol,

 

The owner of the " Big Five South African Geocoin" is - NotBlonde - and he is the topic originator "Join us in Facebook" a few topics down from your posting:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=175922

 

Contact him to enquire about his beautiful coin, I am proud owner of two for my stash. Read the following link about his coin and the surprise when it was already produced.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...eocoin+Big+Five

 

The "Huskies Geocoin" is also a beautiful coin - contact the "Huskies" through the forum's PM.

Edited November 26, 2007 by LeonW

[+Carbon Hunter]

Also I heard eragonsaphira talking about local coins.

Seen the SA coin / Huskies coin / Adreneline coin - all with SA theme. Plus the Signal SA coin with the balloon.

[+eragonSaphira]

Hi cincol,

 

Yes, we have started to manufacture South African GeoCoins. We are still in the early stages, but our first coin went into production. This coin is more of an exhibition piece for Gold Reef City Mint, which is our partner and who mints the actual coins, and ourselves as the adventurists starting the initiative. The coin is currently up for pre-order on the GeoCoins South Africa site, and we hope to have the first coins within the next 2 - 3 weeks. The Neighbour of Leap Year's Day Bash will be the official launch for the coin. We're also planning to keep this coin rather special by only minting 500 of these coins in total. If the coin is well received, we plan to do something special with the last 20 or so coins minted, but for now, that is a surprise.

 

The next coin will have a complete South African feel to it. My current idea regarding the back side of the coin is currently on the GeoCoins South Africa website, but I still need to speak to geocacher_coza, as I rather like what he uses on his site for the SA Geocaching logo. Maybe we'll implement something around that.

The idea for the front side is currently the big five but we haven't finalised that yet, as South African has some other truly unique things.

 

The main idea regarding the South Africa GeoCoin venture is to enable (help with the process and subsidise) local South African cachers to mint their own coins. We are not there yet, but the eragonSaphira and GRC Mint geocoin is the start.

 

Hope this information is useful.

[+cincol]

eragonSaphira

 

Thank you. I ordered 4 - 1 for me and 3 for other cachers - on the day that the newsletter came out, but due to you using the payment system that you do, I could not process the payment internationally. You do not accept PayPal payments either. I eventually called Carbon Hunter who placed the order for 5 coins with you and he will be collecting them at the Bash.

 

Good luck with the venture and I look forward to many more coins coming our way - AND a compatible payment system as well.

 

Happy caching

 

cincol

[+Wazat]

I want one...... OK here is the next question.... how do we get to have our own minted....? What are the costs...?

[+eragonSaphira]

We are still getting to the part where we will be able to mint local SA cacher coins. Currently I do not have the approximate costs for you, but I'll have it soon enough (after we receive the first batch of eragonSaphira and GRC Mint Geocoins).

 

The eragonSaphira and GRC Mint actually uses two different ways of doing the coin. The eragonSaphira side is rimmed 2D die (raised border with sunken text) with high detail imagery like the CrystalFairy GeoCoin, the GRC Mint side of the coin uses the standard 3D coin type Dies, like the Big 5 Geocoin. This way we can gauge costs on various methods of minting, assisting us in creating cost guidelines. I'll update the site as soon as we have these.

 

Now regarding minting local cacher coins, my ideas are the following (not quite sure how naive it is, but I won't know until I give it a bash)

 

Subsidised coins:

1. We sell eragonSaphira geocoins until we have enough capital to mint the SA coin 1.

2. We sell the SA coin 1 until we have enough capital to mint SA coin 2.

3. We sell the SA coin 2 until we have enough capital to mint SA coin 3. SA coin 1 continues to sell and generates extra capital.

4. We sell the SA coin 3 until we have enough capital to mint SA coin 4. SA coin 1 and SA coin 2 continues to sell and generates extra capital.

5. When enough capital is generated from selling the SA coin 1 and SA coin 2 (and maybe SA coin 3), we launch the first subsidy for minting a geocachers coin. (Not sure how we'll decide who to mint first, but we'll figure it out). We'll probably try to subsidise about 50%-60% of the coin (maybe more, depends on sales).

For subsidised coins, terms and conditions will apply (like we have the right to sell the coin through our website)

6. Now the profit generated from selling the subsidised coin thourgh our website will be used to first cover the expense of manufacturing the coin(1. the 50%-60% subsidy, 2. the 50%-40% paid by the cacher whose coin it is), this way, it will enable us to subsidise more local cacher coins. Manufacturing costs include creating the dies, the raw materials used to mint one coin. After all these have been paid, the cost price per coin will boil down to the manufacturing costs per coin.

7. After the initial manufacturing costs of the local cacher coin has been completely recovered, coins will sell on a royalty basis. Thus from the profit generated from the coin we'll pay royalties to the owner of the coin (probably once in every two months).

8. Subsidies will probably only be available to South African cachers at this stage.

9. Remember that this is still new and there are lots of detail I still have to figure out, so the above ideas and guidelines may change without notice, however the latest information will always be on the GeoCoins South Africa site.

 

The unsubsidised method is easier to explain:

1. We calculate the cost of manufacturing the coin and hand it to the cacher.

2. The cacher will consider this and if he likes to proceed, he will be responsible for paying the total cost.

3. We mint the coin and hand it over to the cacher.

 

I know you would have liked to know more about cost, but this is as much info as I can give at the moment. Hope it helps.

[+QFC]

With you selling more coins though your site, you are going to have to look into opening a non SA paypal or something account so you can be paid by international customers.

 

As a far as I know international people can not pay into and SA paypal account (FICA or something to that effect).

 

Should be lots of fun to sort out.

 

Nice work!

[+eragonSaphira]

With you selling more coins though your site, you are going to have to look into opening a non SA paypal or something account so you can be paid by international customers.

 

As a far as I know international people can not pay into and SA paypal account (FICA or something to that effect).

 

Should be lots of fun to sort out.

 

Nice work!

Setcom seems to be working 100% for a lot of overseas customers. I think cincol should verify his credit card. That was the suggestion that Setcom support gave me when I told them about the problem he was experiencing.

 

I would have loved to rather use Paypal as it is known and loved, but thanks to FICA, it will not be possible, unless I get myself a Swiss bank account.

[+cincol]

I have a Platinum VISA card and I use PayPal and other Internet related payment systems regularly with it so I do not know what verification you are referring to! Secondly, I would say that common etiquette would have been to tell ME first what was communicated to you about MY affairs before publishing it on this Forum.

[+eragonSaphira]

I have a Platinum VISA card and I use PayPal and other Internet related payment systems regularly with it so I do not know what verification you are referring to! Secondly, I would say that common etiquette would have been to tell ME first what was communicated to you about MY affairs before publishing it on this Forum.

 

I have to apologise to you.

 

I did not mean to say that you have problems with your credit provider or that anything was wrong with your credit card at all. This is a terrible misunderstanding. The first time I wanted to buy from the www.geocacher.co.za site using Setcom, I had to verify my credit card on Setcom as well. "Setcom is the problem", not you or your credit card or your bank... It is the supposed Setcom security features. If you like I can forward you the mail.

 

The reason I posted the comment was because other customers might experience the same problem as you and me, when trying to use the gateway. I was actually to try and be helpful, but I guess I should have taken the time to write a better post.

 

I am at fault here and I apologise for any inconvenience I have caused.

[+cincol]

Apology accepted. For the record PM was also received from eroganSaphira as well.