Virtual coins

[+ThePetersTrio]

Hello,

 

I'm new to geocaching and have been falling in love with so many coins....I fear a new expensive hobby....

 

I've noticed a few cachers take pictures of their beautiful coins, laminate them and send them out into the world while keeping the actual coin with their collection. That way they don't get lost or stolen and people can still log the icon.

 

Is this considered poor form? I'd love to buy some coins from ebay but of course my favorites go for around $30 each. No way I'd want to part with them if I spent that much coin.

 

 

So...please share your opinion on the subject.

 

Thanks!

[+Mauison]

See these threads:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=147285

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=167992

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=174479

 

Personally, I don't like them but to each their own. If you don't want your $30 coin getting stolen, don't set it free. There are cheaper coins out there under $10 (and cheaper) that make great travelers.

[+Frozen Buns]

best place to buy coins for under $10 would be geocoinstore.com, Oakcoins, hogwilds, geocoins and a bunch of other places, they have coins for $4.00 when they are on sale. Drill a hole in the ones you set free and put a king ring thru it with a laminate sheet stating the coins mission. Good luck

[+FluteFace]

Personally, I don't care for copied coins and will probably never release one that way. We have a local couple that releases copies, but they usually include in the name of the coin that it is a copy. I just feel a bit let down to find a copy . . . most coins present so much better when they are in your hand. Even a good photo doesn't do them justice.

 

I haven't released many coins, but when I do, I drill a hole in them and attach a metal cable with an extra tag so there's no question what it is meant to do. Drilled coins seem to last longer in the wild, and if done right, the hole takes little away from the art.

[+fairyhoney]

But then, Maybe not for the drilled holed coins . It's a hit and miss type of thing. Some of the "copies" are done in very tastefully.

[+Kealia]

I was gonna "Markwell" you but I see Mauison has already done so. Searching for "coin replica" should bring up many threads on this subject.

 

I don't normally refer people to older threads, but this one just goes round and round and I've never seen anybody on either side of the fence change their mind. What you read there will give you an idea of the thoughts on this topic.

[+ThePetersTrio]

See these threads:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=147285

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=167992

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=174479

 

Personally, I don't like them but to each their own. If you don't want your $30 coin getting stolen, don't set it free. There are cheaper coins out there under $10 (and cheaper) that make great travelers.

 

Many thanks and sorry for asking about a subject that has been beaten to death in the past....

 

*note to self* "search" is my friend.

 

And my plan after reading the above threads is to buy some lower cost travellers and save the spendy ones for my collection. Thanks again to everyone for the replies.

[+fairyhoney]

I was gonna "Markwell" you but I see Mauison has already done so. Searching for "coin replica" should bring up many threads on this subject.

 

I don't normally refer people to older threads, but this one just goes round and round and I've never seen anybody on either side of the fence change their mind. What you read there will give you an idea of the thoughts on this topic.

 

Ah, O.K. . . . I'm on the fence rail . You could say that Ii straddle it .

[+Droo]

"Is it considered poor form?"

 

The wonderful thing about Geocaching is that there is a form, and many forms at that, for everyone. Many consider urban caches bad form and only caches that require a hike worthy of consideration. Others don't want to waste more than 7 minutes of effort in finding a single cache. To each his own and there is room for all.

 

The same applies to geocoins and travellers, IMO. If someone is willing to pick and move a washer attached to a homemade TB Dog Tag with a valid tracking # then someone is willing to move a coin proxy.

[+papasurf]

What I don't understand about the "coin copy" issue is - how can a person place a copy/picture in a cache to be discovered while ALSO taking the original to events and allowing it to be "discovered"?

 

I've seen this a few times - the "copy" is in a cache getting "discovered", while the original is at an event miles away ALSO being discovered. It just doesn't seem "right" to me somehow - but I'm still quite new to all this.

[+Lazer]

I've seen copies in some caches, its not quite so thrilling to open the cache and see the coin only to discover that its a copy, but I suppose it still counts regardless.