Newbie - please point me

[luvmyfam444]

to the thread explaing what geocoings are...I've read the topics that are pinned @ the top & read where they're tradeable & such but that's all I've gathered....

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

to the thread explaing what geocoings are...I've read the topics that are pinned @ the top & read where they're tradeable & such but that's all I've gathered....

They are special coins, like the commemorative coins you see from places like franklin mint. They are sometimes stamped with a tracking number to move around like a Travel Bug, or they can be a personal coin that someone made that is not trackable. If you look in the tRADING thread, many of those who post there will have links at the bottom of their post to a gallery od what they own. You will see many examplae there.

[+PengoFamily]

Here's an excellent definition of a geocoin provided by wikipedia;

 

A geocoin is a metal coin minted in similar fashion to a medallion, token coin or military challenge coin, or a wooden nickel, for use in geocaching. Some geocoins are trackable on the internet using a serial number and website address engraved on the coin.

 

Personal geocoins are a personal signature item bearing the geocacher's handle and personal design, similar to a heraldic device. Geocoins are often minted by caching organizations and as fund-raisers for geocaching events.

 

They may be placed in geocaches to be found by others and kept as trophies, moved from cache to cache like a Travel Bug, traded, given to other cachers like a calling card, or merely sold and collected.

 

Trackable Geocaching.com geocoins are imprinted with unique codes and tracked via the geocaching.com website. An icon, sometimes unique, is shown on the geocaching website beside a cache the geocoin is in or the inventory of any cacher holding one. Icons will also remain in the inventory of cachers who log the 'discovery' of a geocoin's number without physically removing it from a cache. Icon collecting is an associated hobby. Many people bring geocoins with unique icons to geocaching events so that others may see the coins and use the tracking number to collect the icons online.

[+nashuan]

Well-put PengoFamily. To Luvmyfam444, I'd like to clarify a couple of small points. Tracking numbers are purchased (and then inscribed onto minted coins) by coiners to make coins trackable - like a serial number that makes that coin unique from any other. These tracking numbers cost the coiners money and in some cases, coins are made without these numbers. These non-trackable coins become signature items for that person or that organization, kind of like a personal calling card. They are still collectable and people trade them back and forth, leave them in caches as trading trinkets or as gifted items for the next lucky cacher to find.

 

The ones with tracking numbers are used as "Travel Bugs". They get moved from cache to cache and logged in as they go (hopefully). Each TB gets its own web page where you can track its journey. I happened to pick one up yesterday, whose owners are from Germany. This particular coin is called a "Come Together" coin. There are actually two halves that the owner splits up and sends in different directions with the hope that they will eventually be re-united. The one I have has been over a lot of the USA, and its "sibling" is currently in Australia.

 

[+nashuan]

Check out this thread to see some of the signature items (not always coins) that people come up with. Many of these are really innovative and very well done. keep in mind that most of these are being made in somebody's garage. Just scan throught the pages and you'll see the pics pop up.

 

Signature Items Thread

[+Droo]

I wonder if the page you're looking for is Geocoin FAQ or maybe How to log a geocoin. You can find both from the Trackable Items tab under the Geocoins section.

[luvmyfam444]

Sooo I think I've got it - there are geocoins that are a TB & will have a code on there to be logged & moved on & NOT kept...then there are geocoins that are just items folks put in so you know where they are from & they CAN be taken just to collect for fun -

 

So I came across 2 wooden coins the other day - just glanced @ them that they were SO & SO from WI...I thought it was essentially the calling card saying I found this cache...and kept looking for a metal coin (I'd seen those kind pictured) that would be the geocoin that was listed alongside the coordinates. So those 2 coins were probably not collectable but trackable & I missed them. Guess I need to pay more attention!