found a non trackable coin

[+golfchick]

I've found a geocoin yesterday but it not trackable, someone hasnt placed it as a gift as its from 2006 and looks quite old too but I also cant remember which cache I received it from as did quite a few. Do lost coins still exist in the system? What shall I do with it? cheers

[+The Blorenges]

It sounds interesting.

 

If it's not trackable then it won't be in the geocaching.com system. Can you tell us more about it? How do you know its date? What's written on it? Could you put up a photo of it, please?

 

MrsB

[+LadyBee4T]

If it's not trackable then it was left as swag and it is yours to do with as you please. Trade fair or trade up as always for swag. Just because it is from 2006 doesn't mean that it isn't swag. I have a lot of nontrackable coins from 2006 and 2007 that I leave as swag occasionally. Also some of the very early coins are trackable on other sites. The early Texas coin comes to mind. Post a picture if you can or describe it more as many will be curious to see what you found. Congratulations on a cool find!

[+Kochibu]

How are you supposed to know it's not activated though so you exchange it with other swag?

[+Droo]

How are you supposed to know it's not activated though so you exchange it with other swag?

Most excellent question!

 

People who leave unactivated coins in caches NEED to include a card or note saying it' a gift and how to go about activating it. But few actually do. However expecting to find an unactivated coin in a cache is about as common as finding a $10 or $20 bill in a cache.

[+Droo]

I've found a geocoin yesterday but it not trackable, someone hasnt placed it as a gift as its from 2006 and looks quite old too but I also cant remember which cache I received it from as did quite a few. Do lost coins still exist in the system? What shall I do with it? cheers

Lost or missing coins remain in the system. That space on the server has been bought and paid for and as yet Groundspeak doesn't have someone (that can change) yet to police the bandwidth and clear out the dead weight..... photos uploaded a decade ago, archived caches that were never published, they are all still there.

 

A good rule of thumb is that everything taken out of a cache is SWAG and needs to be traded for .... fairly and with something of equal value. The exception to the rule is the presence of a TRACKING CODE and the words "Track on Geocaching.com", all else is swag (bears repeating).

 

Edit to add.... exception to the exception: unactivated coins, though few and very far between, cause a huge problem as they are trackable and thus not swag but because they're unactivated (invisible to the grabber in the field) they become swag. Very confusing. And then when you discover back at the computer it was swag all along and you do get to keep it but you didn't leave anything in return for it.... oyveh' the worry if not the outright guilt. Oh what a lovely gift that is.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Droo

[+Landsharkz]

We occasionally leave unactivated coins in caches. We leave them in the factory stapled plastic pouch with a sticker with the activation code and another sticker that says 'With Complements of Landsharkz'. Is this clear enough that it's an unactivated trackable do you think?

[+LadyBee4T]

The rare times that I have found an unactivated coin in a cache and thought it was a traveler, I have paid it forward. Meaning if I can't go back to the cache I found it in or have no idea which one it was, I leave the trade items in the next cache I find that can hold all the "stuff" I want to leave. Whether that stuff is a coin or other great swag.

[+labrat_wr]

I've found a geocoin yesterday but it not trackable, someone hasnt placed it as a gift as its from 2006 and looks quite old too but I also cant remember which cache I received it from as did quite a few. Do lost coins still exist in the system? What shall I do with it? cheers

 

How are you supposed to know it's not activated though so you exchange it with other swag?

 

without a photo of the coin being available, I guess I am confused on what the question is.

Is it not trackable because it is unactivated or because there is no tracking number?

If it is unactivated (this would be a rare find considering the age), retrieving the activation code would be needed.

If it is Non-trackable, it is swag and should be traded even/up (or paid forward if the cache it was in is unknown) and the coin added to your collection or whatever you choose to do with it.

[+LadyBee4T]

Is it not trackable because it is unactivated or because there is no tracking number?

If it is unactivated (this would be a rare find considering the age), retrieving the activation code would be needed.

If it is Non-trackable, it is swag and should be traded even/up (or paid forward if the cache it was in is unknown) and the coin added to your collection or whatever you choose to do with it.

 

If it is unactivated there is really no "need" to get the code unless the finder wants to activate it or have the code or future use. An unactivated coin is swag just like a nontrackable coin is swag and both should be traded for. Either an unactivated or nontrackable could be added to their collection or whatever they want to do with it.

[+Jarron&Company]

I found a wooden geocoin in California this week that has a tracking number on calif.geocoin.net. It has never been registered on their site. The site has no contact info that I can find. What are the rules here? Can I register it?

[+Eartha]

I found a wooden geocoin in California this week that has a tracking number on calif.geocoin.net. It has never been registered on their site. The site has no contact info that I can find. What are the rules here? Can I register it?

You'll have to ask that question on their website.

[+Ladybug Kids]

I found a wooden geocoin in California this week that has a tracking number on calif.geocoin.net. It has never been registered on their site. The site has no contact info that I can find. What are the rules here? Can I register it?

Sound like you found one of the 2005 California wooden nickels. It's loggable here. Be certain to put a "WN" in front of the tracking number. Once you enter the tracking number, a second page will open where you can log your geocaching nickname and other information. Edited November 29, 2011 by Ladybug Kids

[+Ladybug Kids]

We occasionally leave unactivated coins in caches. We leave them in the factory stapled plastic pouch with a sticker with the activation code and another sticker that says 'With Complements of Landsharkz'. Is this clear enough that it's an unactivated trackable do you think?

We do the same thing for FTF prizes and put the unactivated coin in an envelope with a congratulatory note.

[+Jarron&Company]

I understand the tracking part, but the coin is unowned. I have been to their website, but there is no contact information that works. Do you think it ok to claim ownership? It also asks for a waypoint that starts with GC. What is that? I thought we made our own waypoints on our GPSr's based on caches.

Edited December 3, 2011 by Jarron&Company