Coin Not Activated?

[+geofamily30728]

Hi, my family and I joined as premium members on geocaching.com last night. Today we found a trackable coin but when we put in the identifying number from the coin it says that the coin isn't activated. Is it possible that I'm doing something wrong? Or is it possible that the person who purchased the coin forget to activate it? If that's the case is it ok if we activate it?

 

Thanks so much!

GeoFamily30728

[+briansnat]

First make sure you aren't doing something like mixing up a 0 and O, or l and 1. If you aren't then I guess the coin is yours to do what you want with. If you want to activate it and send it along, fine.

 

You will need the activation code though. If it's not with the coin, some of the major coin manufacturers have

a way to get the activation code for coins the make Example.

[+IBcrashen]

First off make sure you are putting in zero and one instead the letters L & O, those numbers are small. Even 6`s and G`s can look the same.

 

Cachers do put in un-activated coins as trade items sometimes, it might be one. Does it include the slip of paper which says where to get the activation code? If so it sounds like it was left as a trade item. You could always contact the previous finders of the cache and see who left it and ask them.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

Hi, my family and I joined as premium members on geocaching.com last night. Today we found a trackable coin but when we put in the identifying number from the coin it says that the coin isn't activated. Is it possible that I'm doing something wrong? Or is it possible that the person who purchased the coin forget to activate it? If that's the case is it ok if we activate it?

 

Thanks so much!

GeoFamily30728

 

Are you sure that you typed in the numbers correctly? Some of those coins have really tiny numbers.

 

Some cache owners will place unactivated coins in caches as FTF prizes. If that was the case, it's your's to keep. Each coin will have a tracking number (on the coin itself) and a TB number. Check the cache listing where you found the coin and see if it indicates that there was *supposed* to be a coin in the cache then use that number to look it up.

[+wavector]

Hi, my family and I joined as premium members on geocaching.com last night. Today we found a trackable coin but when we put in the identifying number from the coin it says that the coin isn't activated. Is it possible that I'm doing something wrong? Or is it possible that the person who purchased the coin forget to activate it? If that's the case is it ok if we activate it?

 

Thanks so much!

GeoFamily30728

 

As near as I can tell that geocoin is a keeper.

 

The cache you found the geocoin in was last visited in October, 2008, at least that is what the online log shows. No one has mentioned leaving a geocoin, which isn't that unusual, many are left by people who may not log the cache until much later.

There is no record of a travelling geocoin in that geocache but that isn't unusual either, many people drop off trackable items and fail to log them properly.

Make sure you have checked the numbers and confirmed that there is not a I or an l for a 1, an O for a 0 or vice versa, a B for an 8 or something like that.

If you can find a code and activate the geocoin then it is probably a nice item left behind by another geocacher. If you can't activate the geocoin then it may be a number problem.

If an unactivated geocoin is in a cache then it is usually treated as a trade item but it can be hard to tell if they are activated sometimes.

If it is a trade item then it is usually considered to be worth about $8.

If you go back to that locaton you could add a nice item in return for that nice gift or you could enrich another cache you find down the road. If someone was particular about getting a nice item added to the cache in return for the geocoin they would probably have mentioned that in a log.

It is a very cool thing to find.

Sounds like you guys are having fun!!!

 

Way to go on picking up trash, that is also very cool!

[+geofamily30728]

Thanks so much for the help, everyone. I had three other folks read the number to me just in case I was putting in the wrong number. They all read the numbers the same.

 

There was a small note with the coin and it is signed by two people (who's names I can't find on geocaching.com). The note says, "Found 7 Jan 2009. Placed geocoin, take to another cache" There is no activation code so I guess we'll just take it to another place tomorrow without activating it. Right?

 

Thanks!

Rachel

[jholly]

Thanks so much for the help, everyone. I had three other folks read the number to me just in case I was putting in the wrong number. They all read the numbers the same.

 

There was a small note with the coin and it is signed by two people (who's names I can't find on geocaching.com). The note says, "Found 7 Jan 2009. Placed geocoin, take to another cache" There is no activation code so I guess we'll just take it to another place tomorrow without activating it. Right?

 

Thanks!

Rachel

 

Sure. Eventually someone will find it and activate it and move it along if we are lucky or activate it and put it in their collection if we are not so lucky. You can check with coincodes.com and the other vendors listed in the resource area to find the activation code.

 

Jim

[+Len & Cheri]

Hi, my family and I joined as premium members on geocaching.com last night. Today we found a trackable coin but when we put in the identifying number from the coin it says that the coin isn't activated. Is it possible that I'm doing something wrong? Or is it possible that the person who purchased the coin forget to activate it? If that's the case is it ok if we activate it?

 

Thanks so much!

GeoFamily30728

 

I found an unactivated coin this week. The person who out it in the cache also left instructions in the online log how to register it, so now I have my 1st Geocoin. Really cool of them to do that. I would try to activate it if I was you.

Edited January 10, 2009 by Len & Cheri

[geoclegg47]

So, what do you do with a geocoin?

[+Len & Cheri]

So, what do you do with a geocoin?

 

Each Geocoin/Travel Bug has it's own homepage and shows where it has traveled. It also may list what it's goal is, but not all of them have a specific goal.

 

If you find a Geocoin or Travel Bug you generally take it from that cache and log on it's homepage that you have it, you then are required to place it in another cache and log that on it's homepage as well. You may never keep an activated coin! You probably want to read the threads in Geocoin/Travel Bug forums to get a full understanding.

Edited January 11, 2009 by Len & Cheri

[+wavector]

Thanks so much for the help, everyone. I had three other folks read the number to me just in case I was putting in the wrong number. They all read the numbers the same.

 

There was a small note with the coin and it is signed by two people (who's names I can't find on geocaching.com). The note says, "Found 7 Jan 2009. Placed geocoin, take to another cache" There is no activation code so I guess we'll just take it to another place tomorrow without activating it. Right?

 

Thanks!

Rachel

 

Hi Rachel

The note with the geocoin changes things but not a lot!

I looked at your area and there isn't much activity.

I see a log by tashabrooke and they are new geocachers so they might have found an unactivated geocoin and moved it without knowing it could be activated. There is only a little other activity but nothing that would indicate where the geocoin came from.

If it is trackable at this website it should say "track at geocaching.com" or "trackable at geocaching.com", if it doesn't say that it might not be trackable.

Most geocachers finding an unactivated trackable item will trade it out the cache and activate it as well. If you can find the activation code and activate the geocoin then I would do that before placing it back to travel, an unactivated item cannot be properly tracked. You could leave a note on the cache page and someone might respond.

Good luck and that is a good find, I hope you can figure it out.

 

There is a contest where you could win a nice prize by following around trackable items. It gives you a little idea on how to use the links to follow the adventures that others have and see what has happened, you might enjoy this trackable armchair geocaching adventure. Here is a link..."Nice spot here for a bit of butty munching"