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The Mega Wales, Welsh Slate Geocoin

Eclectic Penguin

By Eclectic Penguin
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Eclectic Penguin

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This is to announce that we're well down the road into designing and producing what we feel proud to be our very first 100% Welsh Geocoin - and that includes everything from the materials, manufacture and designs on the coin!

 

A Geocoin 400 million years in the making - made from genuine slate rock mined in North Wales.

 

slate01.jpg

(bottom 2 coins included to show scale)

 

The Geocoin is roughly 48mm (about 1.8 inches) in diameter and is a hand crafted polished circular disc of slate rock that been laser etched with the design of a welsh dragon on one side (from our national flag) and another Welsh/Celtic design on the other side. The laser etched pattern itself is far more distinctive and bright than the photographs indicate.

 

What makes this coin special though is that, despite the fact that the design on the coins may be the same, each and every coin is unique. Because its hewn from naturally occurring slate rock, each coin has minor blemishes that actually accentuate the coin's appearance - for example, little tiny silvery flecks of minerals that catch the light at certain angles, or slight differences in colour across the coin's circumference.

 

slate02.jpg

 

We're currently looking into making two variations.

 

The first is shown in the first picture and features what's commonly known as The Prince of Wales feathers. A heraldic symbol strongly linked with Wales. On the sample coin, the words ICH DIEN on the banner are missing but will be on the final.

 

slate03.jpg

 

The second is shown above - a more simplistic Celtic design, but having shown these samples to many folk here in Wales and also to friends further afield, probably the favourite of the two designs at the moment!

 

The coin, as mentioned previously is made from Welsh slate, will be packaged with the seal of the Wales Craft Council as a guarantee of this fact and is hand crafted by a Welsh business who specialise in crafting quality products made using slate as a raw material.

 

The Mega Wales Welsh Slate Geocoin series will have their own unique icon and will have a serial number starting with WA.

 

These coins are being produced to raise money for the Mega Wales 2011 event which next year is being held in Swansea in South Wales on July 31st.

 

At present we're looking at producing a run of 50 coins. The reason for this is simple - we realise that a hand crafted coin of this nature is probably going to be more of a collector's item rather than a regular swap item purely due to the cost of manufacturing and hand crafting. We don't have a final cost at present but personally, I'm looking at a possible final price of £12.50 per coin (roughly $19.50 US Dollars)which I appreciate is quite a bit more than a regular Geocoin, but perhaps something that'll attract a specialised market who appreciate hand crafted material like this.

 

Speaking now as the person responsible for all the Geocoins produced for Mega Wales 2011, I would now like some feedback before I commit to commissioning these coins as I'm branching out into so much new territory here in producing these coins - for the first time completely on my own*.

 

Firstly, I'd like to point out that although they're fund raisers for Mega Wales - I want these to be something anyone would see and like and would like to think that these would appeal instantly to an international market. Past coins I've designed and worked with, have done so - I hope this one does too.

 

I'd like to ask you - does this new venture for me as a coin designer and us as the Mega Wales 2011 organisers appeal to you and is it something that you'd be interested in buying into at the cost I mentioned earlier?

 

Also, which design do you prefer if you were to consider buying - the feathers or the celtic pattern - or would you buy both?

 

As I mentioned previously, this is brand new territory for me as a coin designer, for the first time launching a coin completely on my own so feedback would be appreciated.

 

 

*Despite going out with just local companies with this - Oakcoins are still strong event sponsors and we are still producing many new coins to support the event through them, including a new one that I hope to announce here very soon!

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Eclectic Penguin

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yep im in for either or possibly both, any idea of sales date and where we can get them

 

I'm working as fast as I can with regards to getting these into full production. Tracking numbers (starting with WA for Wales) have now been bought directly by me by phone from Groundspeak but won't be available until Wednesday. That's the earliest I can then hand these codes to www.identilase.com who are the local craft company making these for us, and from then on there'll be a delay of about a week or so before coins can practically be made available due to the hand crafted nature of these items.

 

I'd love to set up a pre-payment for these on our on-line shop but PayPal are still playing silly games with us at the moment, unfortunately in setting up a formal non-profit making account for Mega Wales 2011. :)

 

So when available - as soon as possible and I'm working hammer and tongs to get these coins made now!

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Eclectic Penguin

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Update: 100 slate Geocoins ordered with the manufacturer (50 of each design) and 100 tracking codes (starting with the prefix WA) ordered from Groundspeak. Production should be complete by the beginning of next week.

 

...however sales may be delayed slightly with an ongoing hitch with PayPal that Mega Wales 2011 are struggling to resolve on the online shop.

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Eclectic Penguin

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I met with Identilase Ltd. tonight to pick up the first two samples of the final batch - they start cutting slate tomorrow and all 100 coins will hopefully be made by Friday.

 

One good thing - for those who like the feathers design, a much better and sharper design has been produced for the final batch!

 

slate04.jpg

 

One minor difference from the images displayed here and previously shown - we're dropping the outer circle right at the edge of the coin - even a misalignment of 0.2mm of the machinery can cause this to drop off the edge of the coin.

 

As mentioned previously no two coins are the same due to the natural material they're hewn from and the fact that each disc comes from hand cut slate - which when cut naturally, can vary in thickness. Welsh slate is also famous for an effect called "clouding" where slight differences in reflectivity and brightness across the face of even a disc this size - but there's no guarantee every coin will exhibit these effects.

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Eclectic Penguin

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Everyone who wants one or more of these will get what they order - and in a timely manner too. As these are being produced by a company based about 6 miles from where I live, I can change and increase orders accordingly. I'm amazed at how well they're coping with what really is several day's work for them just before Christmas - indeed, they've taken on an additional labourer this week just to enable these (and another personal project...) to be made as quickly as possible.

 

There is no reserve list - everyone who has posted here and expressed an interest will get a message from me the day they become available. Everyone who orders one or more will get what they want.

 

For what its worth - we're also experiencing a technical difficulty with the payment mechanism on-line shop at the moment which we hope to have resolved within the next few days.

Edited by Eclectic Penguin
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Eclectic Penguin

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Just to keep folks in the loop - we've hit a minor delay in the creation of the coins. We're experiencing exceptionally unseasonable weather at the moment - snow* and lots of it which has delayed the delivery of a drilling tool essential for the creation of these coins. It should have arrived last Thursday but as yet there's no sign of it.

 

Unless someone objects, I'll send a PM to everyone who has posted an interest in these coins a day before posting here that they're available - that will give anyone who has expressed an interest a head start. Should we quickly sell out, I'll also quickly order more - though the designs may change/be added to on future editions.

 

* I know that snow is traditionally associated with Christmas - but not usually here in the U.K. I don't think I've ever seen a white Christmas - and with current freezing conditions most of the snow that fell over the weekend and yesterday will probably be on the ground on Saturday.

Snow - and lots of it (for British weather)

Edited by Eclectic Penguin
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Toojin

+Toojin

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Unless someone objects, I'll send a PM to everyone who has posted an interest in these coins a day before posting here that they're available - that will give anyone who has expressed an interest a head start.

Not an objection, just a request... if you could send an e-mail instead it would be greatly appreciated...

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Eclectic Penguin

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I'll email then, and take the pain if a few folk object - it'll be a one off and I'll make that clear when I do.

 

Practically, they're looking good to be available very early in the new year now...

 

One further headsup - the moment these new slate Geocoins become available, quite a number of new Miner's Protector Lamp Geocoins will be also available via the same online shop - both lit and unlit versions. There were 250 made in the original run and proved very popular indeed this year and sold out quickly, with the final ones sold in this year's Mega Scotland event, now nearly 6 months ago.

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Tennessee Jed

+Tennessee Jed

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Unless someone objects, I'll send a PM to everyone who has posted an interest in these coins a day before posting here that they're available - that will give anyone who has expressed an interest a head start.

Not an objection, just a request... if you could send an e-mail instead it would be greatly appreciated...

 

Ditto on this! I don't know how to work this new forum format.

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