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Esperanto Geocoin


Jackalgirl

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First, the coin design:

 

shapeimage_4.pngshapeimage_5.png

 

This could be the first Esperanto Geocoin (though maybe not; ernie is working on one too). I'd like to find out whether there's enough of an interest to support making this (and I'll also be asking non-geocaching Esperanto enthusiasts if they're interested). Also, please note that I'm still seeking approval from lernu.net (a really great site for Esperanto students) and haven't shopped it by Groundspeak yet, either. I'm just at the stage of gauging interest.

 

To that end, though, I'm asking for pre-reservation reservations (in other words, really tentative reservations) for this coin.

 

There is no guarantee that it'll be made, but if it is, you'll be on the reserved list.

 

The regular edition would be gold (with green enamels). There may also be a copper plating as well as a satin silver plating.

 

The price will probably be between $8.50 and $9.50 -- though that is a totally rough estimate, since I haven't gotten mint quotes yet (and am still discussing with a particular vendor whether the coin will actually be made at all).

 

If you're interested, please shoot me an email (kat at-sign grafikato dot com) with the subject line of "Esperanto Geocoin" and let me know:

 

1 - How many

2 - What plating(s)

 

(If you don't specify plating, I'll assume gold)

 

I will make sure you get regular updates as to its progress -- whether there's enough interest, approval for the art, etc.

 

Translations: the front says "trackable at geocaching.com" (in Esperanto). The back says: "geocaching together without sticking to The Script" (in so many words) on the top, "Let's go geocaching" in the middle, and "easily, naturally, equally" along the bottom. (The actual wording may change a little to correct grammar; I'm not really a terrific Esperantist.)

 

The green star is a major element for the Esperanto movement, and I've included some Victorian-style ornament to harken to the Esperanto movement's birth in the late 1800s. Most of this detail is done in various levels of recessed metal under IHE translucent greens (the coin will be all 2D and 1.75" in diameter).

 

Now, a little more about the background for the coin and its design (sorry, it's going to be a minor novel here):

 

If you haven't heard of it, Esperanto is an artificial, auxiliary language created in the late 1800s. It has 16 rules of grammar and is amazingly easy to learn. The idea behind Esperanto was that it would not supplant a person's national language, but rather be a language you could pull out of your pocket if you wanted to talk with someone whose language you didn't speak (and who didn't speak yours). It was (and still is) promoted as an alternative to designating a national language as a primary language, because there's a lot of emotion attached to national languages (as well as a lot of cultural, historical, and ideological baggage that people might object to).

 

I like the idea of this a lot. It also helps me out because, again, I'm undisciplined (read: lazy). I would rather learn ONE language than have to learn several. National languages are difficult!

 

The main thing I encounter, when I talk about Esperanto, is something along the lines of this (usually said in a snotty tone): "but we already HAVE an international language -- it's called 'ENGLISH'."

 

And this is true, to a point. English is the international language of commerce. If you want to get business done in an international sense, it behooves you to know English. And if you want to travel around the world, you'll be able to get by in English.

 

But that's it: "get by". Because the international language isn't fluent English, it's what I like to call "English by The Script". There are Scripts that people know: "How to Book Someone a Hotel Room". "How to Sell an Airplane Ticket". "How to Tell Someone How Much He/She Owes You and How to Present Change". International travelers should recognize this: it's relatively easy to get around using English as long as, essentially, you're limiting your conversation to the buying of goods & services (and if you have a problem that is a very common problem).

 

If you're trying to handle something that is not in The Script, though, you're in trouble. Have an uncommon problem? Trying to pay for the tickets in a nonstandard way? Trying to find someplace cool off the beaten path? Get ready for frustration.

 

And forget trying to talk about anything meaningful, such as someone's favorite art or music (and why), the history of the place you're in (unless it's part of the guide's Script, of course), or favorite places to go caching, or anything like that. Totally forget it. English is a really difficult language to learn -- it's hard enough to learn The Script.

 

So that's why I like Esperanto. You can get fluent in it extremely quickly. I've been able to have decent and interesting correspondence with people from France, Czechoslovakia and Russia without having to know French, Czech, or Russian (or having to puzzle through possibly tortured English). I think that it's a good idea, though I don't think that it will ever really take off unless it gets its hooks into the mechanism of commerce. In general, people won't take the time unless they have to -- I'm talking here about a broad, world-wide use of Esperanto, mind you. There actually is quite a following, enough to support large Associations and conferences and courses the world over*, and to support the "Pasporto Servo" (in which Esperantists will put you up in their house for free while you're traveling, just to have the opportunity to talk with you).

 

*French Esperantists actually have an honest-to-goodness castle.

 

I've always wanted to do an Esperanto Geocoin, and I'd like to support lernu.net (any profit I personally make will go straight to lernu.net) -- it's one of the best Esperanto sites out there. At the same time, while I want the coin to promote Esperanto and be in Esperanto, I want it to be about geocaching, too. I think that Esperanto could be pretty useful to geocachers, especially those wanting to strike out in other countries and hang out with local geocachers whose national language they don't know, or whose command of English is not so hot. Because it's just incredibly frustrating to have to focus on the process of communication rather than simply worrying about what you're communicating.

 

Thanks for putting up with that lengthy screed, and I hope you enjoy the coin! If you'd like one, please do let me know!

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I would be interested in some of these coins probably a set of all metals produced. One of my favorite science fiction authors (go figure :P !), Harry Harrison, has been a major proponent of Esperanto use and drew attention to it in most of his books. I keep meaning to do a little bit of research on Esperanto and now have a good website to start with. Thanks!

Edited by scificollector
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I love Harrison's "The Stainless Steel Rat" series. Awesome stuff, and the use of Esperanto throughout is great (and very funny). There's also extensive use of Esperanto in "Blade: Trinity" and, of course, any Esperantist can point you towards "Incubus" (one of the characters in "Blade: Trinity" is actually shown watching it in one scene). "Incubus" is truly, hilariously awful (and stars William Shatner), and the Esperanto is correspondingly bad.

 

It's about darn time that Esperanto gets featured on a geocoin. ; )

 

Speaking of bad Esperanto, I did adjust the graphic:

 

Esperanto-Geocoin(Two-Alt).jpg

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...

This could be the first Esperanto Geocoin (though maybe not; ernie is working on one too). I'd like to find out whether there's enough of an interest to support making this...

Yeah, we'd be interested! I know nothing about Esperanto, really, but I like the design :P I think the gold finish would be marvelous. If you do copper, I don't think shiny would work; antique would be a lot better, IMHO. In any event, I think you can definitely maybe put us down for two or three, sort of :wub::blink:

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I was tweaking and did some minor alterations. So now I have three possible versions for the front. I'm pretty much stuck on v2 and v3 (I think that v3 is more clever). But I could use your opinion.

 

This sounds like a job for a cointest!

 

Here's the deal: from now for an entire week (until 12 noon GMT on 20 April), let me know which one of the following three versions you like best. Sometime after April 20, I'll randomly pull a name from a list of people who provided an opinion. If this coin actually gets made, you'll win a set of whatever finishes are made (probably gold and copper, with satin silver as a possibility or a possible AE version).

 

Here is the art:

 

Version 1 (the original version):

Esperanto-Geocoin(Front)_sm.jpg

 

Version 2:

Esperanto-Geocoin(FrontV2)_sm.jpg

 

Version 3:

Esperanto-Geocoin(FrontV3)_sm.jpg

 

Like I said, I'm leaning towards V3 (though I think I will copy the background foliage from V2 for V3), but sure would be interested in what you think (and, of course, what you'd prefer to own, if you want one of the coins). Thanks bunches!

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I will vote Version 2!

 

The V1 has a bigger design but I do not like the R (in the Esperanto) and how it is on the star! I also do not like that the geocaching is not one word! This may confused some new cachers or future cachers!

 

The V3.... it is a clever version but.....!!!!

 

The A in the Esperanto is not much visible! It will be very easy to read Espernto! If you do not know that you are talking about esperanto and you do not know the language.... you will just think that it is just a strange unknown name or word of an unknown language....

Except that... I do not like the star like that... it is like it is falling or it is about to fall! And I like the tracking number to be in the down middle like V2!

 

It is good that you mentioned about the watermark (graficato)! :D

 

when I first saw the coin I thought it was writen... Africa! :)

 

It is an excellent coin! nice clean design, straight lines, simple dasign with great details to show in transculent color.... :D

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i have had a good look at all three and think that a combination whould be good:

 

tilted star from v3 with smaller star from v2 and like the banners where you can see the tips of the cuts (unlike v3) but again i like the spacing between Esperanto and the banner.

 

if you wont be doing any changes and i had to chose just on the 3 i would say v2

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Version 2 for me also... It is the one that just looks right.

 

V1 the R is in a weird position

V3 the A is hard to make out. People might be asking what ESPER NTO means :)

 

Thanks... I have heard of this push for an international language before... but I would like to get more familiar with it.

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Nice coin! I personally prefer v2. The star obsures letters on the other 2 versions, making the word at the top harder to read. Although the star nicely lines up with the "A" on v3, someone not familiar with the word might be inclined to think that it is 2 words: "Esper" and "NTO".

 

Thanx for the cointest!

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Thanks everyone for your responses so far!

 

I totally get what you're all saying about the indistinctness of the "A" in V3. I came up with an alternative version, but I'm not entirely convinced that it is distinct enough (at first glance) to pass. What do you think?

 

Esperanto-Geocoin(FrontV3b)_sm.jpg

 

Please make sure you email me if you're interested in one or more of these coins, and let me know what you'd be interested in (e.g., how many of which plating). That will allow me to accurately gauge interest. And if there really isn't enough interest, never fear: I'll send the cointest winner* some cool Japanese 100 Yen-store consolation swag. : )

 

*You don't have to send me an email pre-pre-pre-reserving coins in order to be eligible to win the cointest. All you have to do for the cointest is speak up here!

 

Shameless plug for Esperanto, for those of you wondering just what the heck this coin is about: nice color Esperanto brochures in English, Polish, Slovenian, Swedish, Danish and, of course, Esperanto!

Edited by Jackalgirl
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well, I think I like v3 -- my guess is that there will be just as many people asking "what does Esperanto mean?" on the other versions and the website is there for people to look up.

 

Can the tracking code be centred under the star more?

 

I'll have to play with that some more right now, I don't want to leave too much of a gap (and I don't want to split "geocaching" up like I originally did), but I'm sure I can make some small adjustments. Thanks for pointing that out!

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You know what would be awesome (and I know it isn't my coin) is if you could tilt the plane of the star on version 4 so that the tip of the star near the E would recede back a little bit and the tip near the .COM advanced. I think that would make the star look less like a centering mistake.

 

Anywho I think version 4 does make the A a bit more noticeable. Thanks <_<

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You know what would be awesome (and I know it isn't my coin) is if you could tilt the plane of the star on version 4 so that the tip of the star near the E would recede back a little bit and the tip near the .COM advanced. I think that would make the star look less like a centering mistake.

 

Anywho I think version 4 does make the A a bit more noticeable. Thanks <_<

 

If I did it that way, though, I'd lose the use of the point of the star to make the "A" in Esperanto, which is the whole goal of this particular design. I'm not sure I can do it without messing with the kerning of the rest of the word, and then making the coin look like there's a mistake in spacing. Argh!

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If I did it that way, though, I'd lose the use of the point of the star to make the "A" in Esperanto, which is the whole goal of this particular design. I'm not sure I can do it without messing with the kerning of the rest of the word, and then making the coin look like there's a mistake in spacing. Argh!

 

Been awhile since we heard the word "Kerning" <_<

 

Love the design .....you are right on track with this one!

Edited by JoenSue
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I just saw the new version of V3 but I will stay in the V2!

 

The A in V3 looks better but we do not know how it will look in the metal! we might have a problem there!

 

And I really like the tracking number to be centered and not like that! It shows like the star is losing ballance or something!

 

Of course that is just my opinion! :)

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I LOVE this coin and the reason behind it! I'd have to pick V2 as my favorite and I would love the green/gold combo. That's one of my top three favorites.

 

I like the larger star on V1, but it messes with the wording too much.

 

V3 just annoys me with the tilted star. I would always be displaying it 'straight up' which would put the tracking # off...and that would mess with the OCD part of me. (Same problem with V4.)

 

I wouldn't change a thing about V2 - PERFECT!

 

I hope you do make them. I'd buy a set!

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Howdy, everyone --

 

An update: I'm still in discussion about having this coin made, but I thought it best to go ahead and announce the randomly-determined winner of my cointest:

 

t@ndre!

 

Please PM or email me your address. If I don't end up having the coins made, I plan to send you a lock-n-lock filled with quirky Japanese 100-Yen-store swag, so when you send your email or PM, please let me know if there's any particular theme you would like me to look for (Disney characters, animals, colors, whatever) and if I do end up sending the swag, I'll do my best to find something in keeping with your theme.

 

Thanks everyone for your input: I probably will go with version 2 with some minor tweaks. I appreciate your help!

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