Jump to content

Preference - Trackable or Serialized?


USN-Ret

Recommended Posts

I have an idea for a coin design that I hope to finalize in the coming months and mint possibly just after the new year. I'm not a big time coin enthusiast, really just starting to pick up a few geocoins. So I'd like to pick a few brains if I could to find out what the community likes to see.

 

The coin would be bronze or copper, likely with an antique finish, 3D and round (rather "coinish", point of fact). I don't want to give away other details of the design, so please don't ask.

 

Is there a preference in size, say 1.5" vs 1.75"? I understand sometimes design/art drives size, but other than that, does size matter?

 

Is it preferable to have the coin trackable? Granted, I have less than 200 finds, but I've never seen a coin in the wild, and it seems they're collected more than passed.

 

Would it be preferable to have a coin serialized; to be able to know you have "coin number 25?"

 

I assume the fewer coins minted, the more desirable they become. If this were a design I wanted to use over again, would having a limited run with the year minted on the coin maintain that "rareness?" ("I have a 2008 USN-Ret coin, only 100 minted!") That way, perhaps another year could be minted with little change, yet still be considered a limited run and maintain that collectability/desirability.

 

TIA for your opinions/suggestions.

Link to comment

To sell it and really discuss the coin here it needs to be trackable. Since you are asking about what is preferred that can be set off to the side until you make a decision on what you are doing.

 

Now for my answers:

 

Most cachers like to have coins that are trackable, be it to keep or release. A trackable coin that is unactivated is more valuable that one that has been activated. Can you do both the tracking number and the serialized number? Size is not a big deal and you are only talking about 1/4th of an inch. Is it going to be cheaper for you to make the smaller coin? If you plan on doin another coin in future years you could have them design one side that you will reuse each year and have them make a spot that you can have the year engraved and the other side of the coin can be a different design each year.

 

maldar

Link to comment

 

To sell it and really discuss the coin here it needs to be trackable. Can you do both the tracking number and the serialized number? Size is not a big deal and you are only talking about 1/4th of an inch. Is it going to be cheaper for you to make the smaller coin? If you plan on doin another coin in future years you could have them design one side that you will reuse each year and have them make a spot that you can have the year engraved and the other side of the coin can be a different design each year.

 

maldar

 

I dunno - can I do both serialized AND tracking number? I suppose that would be a question for the mint. Not so much concerned about the cost savings on the size - I could go as large as 2" I suppose. Yes, smaller would be cheaper, but I wasn't so much looking at the cost (and not planning to sell so much as release, trade or gift) as looking to produce a coin that would be desired and sought after. So I'm looking to see what do you prefer?

 

The concept and design would be unique, and the sides related closely enough that (at least in my vision) I wouldn't want to substitute them. I suppose then, it may be best to do a limited run and then retire the design.

Link to comment

Just had a quick peek at your profile - 166 caches and only 2 coins . I just turned 100 caches today but I have moved /discovered well over 200 coins. A good %age of these admitidely were at a couple of events that I attended but just today in 8 hours I moved /grabbed 6 coins.

My opinion for what it's worth-

Size - any size at all it doesn't matter to me . I like small "micro" coins that can be put in a 35mm film canister and I also like the big coins like these -

Quadrant coins

Trackable - yes . I like to see where a coin has been and how far it has travelled . As an example I returned a Travel Bug to it's owners this weekend that had travelled over 37000 miles heres the link to the page - Tutter the TB

Serialised - Yes . I have coins that are of a run of 500 coins . In my opinion it makes them just a little more special and they are trackable-Northern Ireland coin run your mouse over the picture and you cansee both the "SHARKS" trackable number and at the top the serial number (in this case 1 of 500)

Edited by Beefy4605
Link to comment

I can tell you from my experience selling coins so far that size only matters when the design is specific enough to need a larger coin. Other then that it doesn't matter.

The trackable/non-trackable issue can vary too. Personally, I have found that many people, even though they probably won't send the coins out in the wild, enjoy the tracable aspect perhaps to make each coin unique (as no tracking number is used twice so in a way it's like numbering them without an order!) For myself, with exeption to our first coin, all of our coins have been trackable due to needing to be to sell them in these forums. If you don't intend to sell the coins here, don't worry about it as much. People enjoy a non-trackable coin alot if the design is to their liking!

In the end, people love coins that are unique and personal coins are usually just that! Hope your designing goes well and have fun with it! It's my favorite part of the process!

Link to comment

Just had a quick peek at your profile - 166 caches and only 2 coins . I just turned 100 caches today but I have moved /discovered well over 200 coins. A good %age of these admitidely were at a couple of events that I attended but just today in 8 hours I moved /grabbed 6 coins.

 

 

Must have been a really quick peek - 166 regular caches, plus mutli caches and a couple virtuals for a total of 172 finds. And I think you mistook the icons for a pair of "Unite for Diabetes" travel bugs for coins - I've found no coins. My finds are spread from N Carolina to California, but found no coins in the wild. Just unlucky, I guess.

 

And your vote is for trackable AND serialized. BTW - I was looking at a run of between 100 & 200 coins.

Link to comment

Just had a quick peek at your profile - 166 caches and only 2 coins . I just turned 100 caches today but I have moved /discovered well over 200 coins. A good %age of these admitidely were at a couple of events that I attended but just today in 8 hours I moved /grabbed 6 coins.

 

 

Must have been a really quick peek - 166 regular caches, plus mutli caches and a couple virtuals for a total of 172 finds. And I think you mistook the icons for a pair of "Unite for Diabetes" travel bugs for coins - I've found no coins. My finds are spread from N Carolina to California, but found no coins in the wild. Just unlucky, I guess.

 

And your vote is for trackable AND serialized. BTW - I was looking at a run of between 100 & 200 coins.

It's been a long day - it's 22.03 hours here and I've been up since 05.30 this morning . Yes it was a quick look and I got confused :)

Link to comment

Yes you can do both trackable with 'serialized' numbering but you're going to pay additional for the engraving.

 

You're asking alot of tough questions (that many have asked before as they have got started) which can not be answered easily because the 'tastes' here are extremely varied.

 

If your design is a good one no matter trackable or not, no matter serial numbering or not, you'll have people wanting your coin.

Link to comment

i am one of the nay-sayers that contends tracking numbers add a sense of false value to a coin. i don't care one way or the other if they are trackable. i buy adoptable coins and i trade trackable coins for non-trackable coins.

 

somewhere along the line, trackable, even though one never plans to release a coin, attained this false value. so far no one can tell me why!

 

that said, i do like serialized numbers.

 

when i get my coin finalized it will be non-trackable. no point in paying GS for a number that i don't care about and as tsun said, if the design is strong enough, people don't care if a new coin is trackable or not.

 

make them, make the best metal AE or LE, only send out a few to collectors and then make the rest of the coin world beg for them. that seems to work for several folks. :)

 

rsg

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...