20 digit code?

April 22, 2012

Just as usual, I'm sure that this has already been discussed, but I am not able to find the answer.

I just was given a coin from a CITO I went to today and it seems to have an alpha-numeric, 20 digit code on it. I'm not sure what exactly to do with it and the park that ordered them (300 of them) isn't sure of the specifics of TBs, let alone the details about the code.

Any ideas?

11.2k · April 22, 2012

Just as usual, I'm sure that this has already been discussed, but I am not able to find the answer.

I just was given a coin from a CITO I went to today and it seems to have an alpha-numeric, 20 digit code on it. I'm not sure what exactly to do with it and the park that ordered them (300 of them) isn't sure of the specifics of TBs, let alone the details about the code.

Any ideas?

I thought maybe I could find information on the event cache page, but I don't see it listed on your profile. Have you not logged the event cache yet?

11.6k · April 22, 2012

Any ideas?

Was it GC3D1B6? The description said "There (should) be Lost River Cave trackable path tags available", then the Cache Owner made a note that "Lost River Geocoins are in". So now I'm confused, too. What you may do (if any of this sounds familiar), is to contact the CO.

Edited April 22, 2012 by kunarion

8.8k · April 22, 2012

Try the pathtag site. It doesn't say anything about geocoins.

April 22, 2012

Sorry, I haven't had time to do a proper log, but yes that is the right one.

And I'll check out the pathtag site even though it says "Trackable at geocaching.com" right above the code. I can get a hold of the one who ordered them so I might try to contact the company as well. I'm really hoping that they didn't pull one over on a state park. Especially one that places their own caches and has tried to integrate with the hobby/sport as much as they have.

11.2k · April 22, 2012

I'm really hoping that they didn't pull one over on a state park.

I doubt that's the case. Check things out and let us know the status.

11.6k · April 22, 2012

Sorry, I haven't had time to do a proper log, but yes that is the right one.

Why don't people do even the slightest logs (present company excluded, of course )?! The cache page mentions pathtags, Geocoins, people wanting both, yet has zero logs about anybody getting either coin, nobody seems to have activated any coins, and there don't seem to have been any coin photos posted anywhere.

I wonder why nobody knows what the coin's code means?

Edited April 22, 2012 by kunarion

April 22, 2012

No luck on pathtags.com.

11.6k · April 22, 2012

No luck on pathtags.com.

If it's imprinted "Trackable at geocaching.com", it isn't a pathtag, it's a Geocoin. The number is a tracking code, to be used if/when activating the coin for travel.

April 22, 2012

If you wouldn't mind then, please explain how this 20 digit code is used? There aren't any breaks or dashes and the field for entering a trackable code won't accept ones this long.

Thank you

11.6k · April 22, 2012

If you wouldn't mind then, please explain how this 20 digit code is used? There aren't any breaks or dashes and the field for entering a trackable code won't accept ones this long.

Thank you

Try this page:

http://www.geocaching.com/track/activate.aspx

I'm able to enter well over a 100 character code. Is there a cache log, or a coin page, or a photo? Anything that details the kind of coin you have might be helpful. It's tougher having to guess the coin you're asking about.

11.6k · April 24, 2012

I'm able to enter well over a 100 character code. Is there a cache log, or a coin page, or a photo? Anything that details the kind of coin you have might be helpful. It's tougher having to guess the coin you're asking about.

I had tried it on my Android browser, and seemed to have no limit to code length. Tried again on a Win XP PC (IE8), and there's a 10 character limit to the tracking code. So that sure doesn't allow the entry of a 20 character code.

Is there any other code on the coin? Around the edge?

Edited April 24, 2012 by kunarion

May 5, 2012

Solved! So this was actually pretty basic, just poorly constructed.

With a 20-digit code (or anything larger than 12), the first 6 digits are the tracking code, the second 6 digits are the activation code, and the remaining 8 digits (in this case only numbers), don't seem to mean anything at all. Perhaps the remaining is something internal to the manufacturer like a batch or order number.

I'm really not sure why this was done and how they expect that every cacher that finds this coin will be able to figure that out (though just using the first 6 to log it isn't that bad), but it at least is now registered.

And for the record, since the OP, I've had some time to do proper logs for that trip.

11.2k · May 5, 2012

Solved! So this was actually pretty basic, just poorly constructed.

With a 20-digit code (or anything larger than 12), the first 6 digits are the tracking code, the second 6 digits are the activation code, and the remaining 8 digits (in this case only numbers), don't seem to mean anything at all. Perhaps the remaining is something internal to the manufacturer like a batch or order number.

I'm really not sure why this was done and how they expect that every cacher that finds this coin will be able to figure that out (though just using the first 6 to log it isn't that bad), but it at least is now registered.

And for the record, since the OP, I've had some time to do proper logs for that trip.

Excellent! Thank you for teaching us all about the code. It might come in handy some day.

May 5, 2012

No problem. Hopefully there's enough search-able terms that it will be easy to find once it is buried.

11.6k · May 5, 2012

With a 20-digit code (or anything larger than 12), the first 6 digits are the tracking code, the second 6 digits are the activation code, and the remaining 8 digits (in this case only numbers), don't seem to mean anything at all.

That's exactly what I was just about to say. .... NOT!

Congratulations on deciphering the code! If you can post a photo of the coin (code itself should be obscured), I'm sure it will help others when they find something similar -- or if they find one of those coins in a cache.

Does it have only numbers? Trackables lately have mostly letters, which creates a problem for people who'd like numbers. One recent post topic was a request for a TB with (I think) the number "23" in it, for a trackable tattoo.

June 7, 2012

The pattern is as follows: (Number Letter)

LLNNLNLLLNLLNNNNNNNN

And I'm not sure what more a picture might do, but since you asked...

8.8k · June 7, 2012

Is it the date of the event? Coordinates? I am going to move this to the geocoin forums, someone there might be familiar with this.

June 7, 2012

Nope, not the date, and the last 8 numbers are actually just 4 numbers repeated. Either way, the mystery on how to activate it and log it has been solved so I'm not too concerned about the miscellaneous numbers. Thanks for all the help.

1.1k · June 7, 2012

It sounds like they had a coin made without clear instructions to the mint. If you have more than one coin is the activation set of numbers the same?

8k · June 7, 2012

It sounds like they had a coin made without clear instructions to the mint. If you have more than one coin is the activation set of numbers the same?

I agree. I don't think that the activation code should have been on the coin itself. Someone made a mistake along the way I'd guess.

June 7, 2012

I don't have more than one, but I might be able to get a hold of someone else who has one.

Though once it is activated, is that an issue any longer? Can it be re-activated to another account?

And this was done by a park trying to be extremely supportive of geocachers coming to help clean up the area. There should have been no expectations from the mint of the customer of what is normally seen in these situations. In my opinion, the mint caused this one.

June 14, 2012

The pattern is as follows: (Number Letter)

LLNNLNLLLNLLNNNNNNNN

And I'm not sure what more a picture might do, but since you asked...

LOL the 20-digit code is what you get from Groundspeak when ordering trackingcodes

LLNNLN = trackingcode

LLLNLL = activationcode

NNNN NNNN = reference number for icon and coin, you can find number looking at filename of the custom icon. If you order an icon later, filename will be "NNNN.gif", otherwise generic icon is "23.gif"

For example my Platons Atlantis has #4755

Usually all 4 blocks divided by a separator (";" or "," ... not sure) when getting codes from Groundspeak.

Do not know why you get the reference number 2 times, maybe first one is reference for coin design and second for icon.

Like one design but two icons (because of two different versions) it would be 12341234 and 12341235

Edited June 14, 2012 by wenzelbub

July 27, 2012

Thank you for giving us the final answer.

I've never seen one like this and honestly, why does Groundspeak do this? Perhaps that was the original way, but nowadays the 6-digit code is by far more recognizable.

Either way, thank you for closing this mystery completely.

20 digit code?

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