HandsomeBoys Homemade Geocoin

[+bedfordboys1]

Can we make out own coins out of round wooden blanks like the old wooden nickel? My wife is a real good crafter/ painter.

[+Go JayBee]

Can we make out own coins out of round wooden blanks like the old wooden nickel? My wife is a real good crafter/ painter.

 

 

If you read the "pinned" topics above, I think you will find the answer to your question.

 

 

If you just want to make a non-trackable signature item, the sky is the limit...but that subject does not belong here., sorry.

[+firennice]

Perhaps.. it is pricey to buy all the tracking numbers, icons, etc... but you could.

Edited June 29, 2010 by firennice

[+Jackalgirl]

Another way to do it would be to buy a few sets of Travel Bug dog tags and to use the numbers on your nickels/wooden sig items. Each sig item you make has to have its own unique number (and you can't then attach the dog tags to something else) -- the rule is one tracking code per item.

 

I suggest this because it's less expensive than geocoin tracking numbers. For those, the minimum purchase is 50 codes at $1.50 a pop (and if you want a unique icon, it's another $150)*. So if you're talking about a very limited number of trackable coins, using travel bug numbers is usually a lot easier to deal with (and easier on the wallet).

 

*As of my last understanding. You can get the full skinny in the pinned minting thread at the top of the Forum.

[+donfixit]

I have the same idea. In fact I have already made one. (In trackables search "The Worlds Largest Geocoin" to see it.) I got the tracking number from an EATSTAYPLAY coin that I got. (That is another story, but lets just say I will never do that again.) The problem with it is that it still shows up in caches as an EATSTAYPLAY coin with their logo or icon. I don't want to give them any more free advertising.

 

I am a machinist so I work with metal every day and I too would like to make one or two of a kind geocoins not a batch of 50 or more of the same thing. Because they are one of a kind I could not get prier approval for each coin. Is there any way I could get some geocoin tracking and activation numbers that have the generic "gold coins" icon without actually buying the geocoins?

I don't want to use travel bugs because I would like for it to show up in the cache inventory as a coin instead of a bug.

 

OR;

Can someone tell me where to get some REAL CHEEP geocoins that I could get and use the numbers on my own coins?

They must not have a custom icon.

Thank You,

Don

[FunkMaster-T]

I too have started creating my own coins. I sliced a 1 1/4" dowel into "coins" and have been using the rotary tool to carve out a design. Looks alright...still working on perfecting it...I think I am looking at going the travelbug route as there is no way I can make 50 identical coins, nor do I think I want to. I like the fact that each one will have its own "identity" and "personality". The TB price is a lot more practicle for those individual coins. For mass printings, yes the geocoin tracking numbers make sense.

[+Bhob]

there are three data items to consider here

 

1. the GC.com assigned name

this is determined when a geocoin design is submitted for approval, and the codes purchased

this name will be associated with the trackable item for the rest of its life

examples - "Travel Bug Dog Tag", "World Travel Geocoin", "Czech Republic Flag Tag", etc, etc

this is the name that shows on your trackable items page tab on your profile

you can also see this name by hovering your cursor over the icon on the trackable item page

it also shows on the page where you make a log entry

there is a minimum number of codes that must be purchased in order to get a custom name

this number has changed over time (I think that is currently 100)

in the past, items that did not meet the minimum were given the name "Personal Geocoin"

there may have been other default names that were used, that I am not aware of

I have seen instances where the "Personal Geocoin" name was upgraded to a custom name

 

2. the owner assigned name

this is determined by the item owner at activation time

it can be changed by the owner at any time, via the edit screen for the item

this is the "public" name for the item - it shows in a members inventory, in a geocache inventory, etc

 

3. an icon

initially assigned at the same time as #1 above

all trackables have an icon

some have a generic icon, and others have a custom icon

if a particular item starts out with a generic icon (eg the gold coin with a cent sign), it can be changed (upgraded) at a later date, by paying the fee and submitting the graphics for the icon

 

so . . .

 

you could buy a few geocoins (or other trackable items) that have the cent-sign icon

then activate them, name them whatever you like, and use them on your creations

but you will not be able to change the GC.com name

and you would run the risk of the item owner upgrading to a custom icon, and losing the cent-sign icon

 

I believe that the GC.com minimum purchase is 50 tracking codes

if you are willing to spring for that many, I believe that you could be assured that you would get a GC.com name of "Personal Geocoin" and the generic cent-sign icon

 

you *MIGHT" be able to get one of the various vendors to sell you a smaller batch of codes

(with "Personal Geocoin" as the GC.com name, and the cent-sign icon)

and you may be able to get an assurance from them that they will never upgrade to a custom icon

but they would probably want more that the usual $1.50 per code to do such a thing

[+Bhob]

two additions to my last post

 

1. if you buy codes (from GC.com or a vendor), you are going to need to get each different design that you use approved by GC.com

 

2. I could recommend a vendor that sells inexpensive trackable items that currently have the cent-sign icon

 

but the rules for this forum topic are that specific vendor recommendations are not permitted

if you would like to have that information from me, please feel free to contact me via my GC.com profile (NOT via a forum PM)

[trotterlg]

I am very new, but I purchased 10 trackable coins for $32.00 delivered, I won't say the vendor, but they are easily had in small numbers. PM me if that is legal. Larry

[+donfixit]

1. if you buy codes (from GC.com or a vendor), you are going to need to get each different design that you use approved by GC.com

That is the problem.

If I am making one of a kind coins there is no way to get each coin design approved when I would need the tracking code to engrave it on the coin when I make the coin.

 

I understand that there is the need for the rules. Nothing inappropriate or not family friendly or infringing on someone else's design or counterfeiting etc is made but I don't want to do any thing like that.

 

I could almost go with the 50 coins ( I was thinking maybe half of that or less ) if that is what it takes to get "Personal Geocoin" as the GC.com name, and the cent-sign icon but I still would have the problem of the design approval.

 

...you could buy a few geocoins (or other trackable items) that have the cent-sign icon

then activate them, name them whatever you like, and use them on your creations...

How would this be any different from what I am trying to do except skip the part of actually buying them?

Just buy the tracking and activation codes.

[+Zelanzy]

I'd recommend buying 50 codes from GC.com and just telling them a bit about your project and their thoughts on the approval. The GS folks I've worked with are all real cool down to earth folks and I'm sure they'd give you some creative liberties here. And just be sure to tell them that none of your designs would be offensive, adult natured, or destructive to their logo (which I assume is the case!)

[+WRITE SHOP ROBERT]

1. if you buy codes (from GC.com or a vendor), you are going to need to get each different design that you use approved by GC.com

That is the problem.

If I am making one of a kind coins there is no way to get each coin design approved when I would need the tracking code to engrave it on the coin when I make the coin.

 

I understand that there is the need for the rules. Nothing inappropriate or not family friendly or infringing on someone else's design or counterfeiting etc is made but I don't want to do any thing like that.

 

I could almost go with the 50 coins ( I was thinking maybe half of that or less ) if that is what it takes to get "Personal Geocoin" as the GC.com name, and the cent-sign icon but I still would have the problem of the design approval.

 

...you could buy a few geocoins (or other trackable items) that have the cent-sign icon

then activate them, name them whatever you like, and use them on your creations...

How would this be any different from what I am trying to do except skip the part of actually buying them?

Just buy the tracking and activation codes.

Unless Groundspeak has told you so, I wouldn't discount the idea of getting each of your designs approved individually. As far as I know the design approval process is fairly simple. They may not want to go through it for one by one coins, but yet again, they may be willing. It can't hurt to ask. They could all be assigned the generic name of "Personal Geocoin" or you could get a custom name that they would all share. As far as fas as needing the approval before you get the tracking code to engrave, the process uses drawings to get approval, so you CAN get approved before you make the coin.

 

On another note that I haven't seen mentioned in this thread, there is a rather high theft/loss rate with Geocoins in the wild, and it's even worse for the rarest or most desirable or best looking coins, so if your not willing to accept that your works of art will be stolen(or acidentilly kept) by the first person who finds them(maybe without ever getting a single log) then you may want to reconsider.

[+donfixit]

First of all, I would like to apologize to the original poster bedfordboys1.

I did not mean to hijack your thread but I hope that what I what I am learning may help you too.

 

I would like to pursue the idea of buying the 50 coin tracking numbers from GC.com and I have looked around the site but could not figure out who to contact. It is such a big site that I don't know what I should do. Is what I want on geocaching.com or goundspeak.com or where?

How about some specifics on where I should go next.

 

Note to WRIGHT SHOP ROBERT;

I know there is a lot of coin loss, that is one of the reasons why I am trying to do this as cheep as I can. Maybe I should make a coin that address that.

[+donfixit]

This is an update to this thread.

I submitted a reguest to Groundspeak about homemade geocoins and got back the same things that was suggested in this thread. Maybe I could use travel bugs instead of geocoins, the design will need to be approved prior to production, they must say where to track them at etc.

They also said

"Please send the trackable item design when it's ready and we'll provide you with a trackable item order form."

So I made up one coin without tracking numbers and emailed a picture of it for approval.

Their reply was;

"This design will be approved. Please note that I must see all designs for approval, so you will need to email me the designs for each unique design. This is the same process used for all of our geocoin manufacturers. "

This was all done with email.

On the order form was also a phone number to call in the order instead of faxing, snail mail or using email and PayPal.

So I called in the order hoping to talk to a person to get some clarity as to how much I can change things before they require me to resubmit as new design.

After playing answering machine tag for a couple of days I must say that Zelanzy is right that they "are all real cool down to earth folks."

What they were most concerned with is to be sure that they are family friendly and protecting there logo.

I am just writing words on them now but IF I start using graphics then I will need to get them approved.

 

Anyway, I now have 50 geocoin tracking codes ordered that will show in cache inventories as "Homemade Geocoin" with the generic "gold coin with cent" icon and enough "creative liberties" so I can put another cachers name on and give as a gift or make one in honer of a life milestone etc. without needing to get approval for every little thing.

 

I'm one happy camper. Or should I say cacher?

[+goosefraba1]

Do you have any pictures of your sample coin I love to see personal art.

[+donfixit]

For one thing, I don't know how to put a picture in the fourm but you can check out the first one I made and used an EATSTAYPLAY geocoin that I got for the tracking numbers. It is about 3.1 inches in diameter.

http://www.geocaching.com/track/details.aspx?id=2867595

There is not much to see, just some words stamped into a round peice of metal.

Donfixit

[+Eartha]

I hate to burst your bubble, but the largest geocoin (so far) is the size of a manhole cover. Actually, it IS a manhole cover. Seriously. There's a thread here somewhere about it.

[+Eartha]

The World's Largest Geocoin Thread.

[FunkMaster-T]

A while ago I had said I would post a picture of the homemade GeoCoins I was creating. I tried to find the old thread, rather than starting a new one but was unsuccessful. I finally have some (albeit blurry) photos I can post and wanted to hear your opinions on them...

 

A little history...My caching team consists of Myself and my two sons (ages 5 and 2). Collectively we are known as The HandsomeBoys. I started creating these as we don't have alot of money to buy coins but wanted to have our own special item to leave behind. The three faces on the one side represent the three of us. The back side of each coin has been somewhat different on each one. depends on how the Muse takes me, I guess.

 

I bought myself a length of 1 1/4" wooden Doweling and, using my chop saw, cut it into "coins". Then I used my rotary tool to carve away everything that didn't look like a Geocoin...lol...They each take me about an hour or so to carve (or 2 1/2 beers) and I have only created a few thus far. So far I have only been using felt pens and the like to add any colour to make some of the details "pop" although I would like to use some thinned down paints to create some sort of wash in the end.

 

Just wanted to hear the opinion of some of you "experts". I apologize for the blurry pics but these were the best I could do...Funkmaster-T (AKA Daddy Handsome)

 

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PS: As a little side note, on a different one that I had made, we attached a TB I had won at an event and relesed it and it just logged it's first travel almost 200 miles away...we are kinda excited...teehee

 

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Edited August 19, 2010 by FunkMaster-T

[FunkMaster-T]

Ok...not really sure what I did wrong there...I am using PhotoBucket if any one has any advice!

 

 

 

(Tried a direct link to see if that helps...I am a bit of a computer idiot so I apologize for the hassle)

Edited August 19, 2010 by FunkMaster-T

[+Droo]

Those look like fun sigitems..... and the best part is that you have fun making them and leaving them behind. For less blurry photos use the macro setting (flower icon on most P&Ss).

[+Eartha]

Merging duplicate threads.