Geolympix Puzzle Tokens

[+BaSHful]

I have recently retrieved one of these tokens from a cache and am trying to find out as much as I can about them. Also know as PuzTox (plural), PuzTok (singular), AAND or Aluminium Alpha-Numeric Discs. I believe there are 10 different ones, all in different colours. I believe they were created for the 2012 Oxford Geolympix and can be used to create/solve puzzles.

 

So.....

1) Is the above accurate?

2) What are the 10 different colours?

3) How many were released?

4) Do all of the tokens of the same colour have the same information on them? (I figure the answer to this ought to be "Yes" or they would be no good for puzzle solving.)

5) How do I find examples of the 9 I have not yet seen?

6) What else is there to know about these tokens?

[+The Jester]

I have recently retrieved one of these tokens from a cache and am trying to find out as much as I can about them. Also know as PuzTox (plural), PuzTok (singular), AAND or Aluminium Alpha-Numeric Discs. I believe there are 10 different ones, all in different colours. I believe they were created for the 2012 Oxford Geolympix and can be used to create/solve puzzles.

 

So.....

1) Is the above accurate?

2) What are the 10 different colours?

3) How many were released?

4) Do all of the tokens of the same colour have the same information on them? (I figure the answer to this ought to be "Yes" or they would be no good for puzzle solving.)

5) How do I find examples of the 9 I have not yet seen?

6) What else is there to know about these tokens?

Never heard of them. You might get a better response asking in the forums covering England.

[+MartyBartfast]

I know some of what you wrote is right, the rest I don't know so can't say whether it's right or wrong.

 

As The Jester says you'd be better off asking in the UK forum.

 

or contact "Simply Paul" who's the brain behind them.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the United Kingdom and Ireland forum.

[+Amberel]

2) What are the 10 different colours?

I am in possession of a black one, but that's all I can answer :-)

 

Rgds, Andy

[+MartyBartfast]

2) What are the 10 different colours?

I am in possession of a black one, but that's all I can answer :-)

 

Rgds, Andy

I've had a black one and a purple one.

[+Gackt]

I had a full set from the Geolympix, so I should be able to answer many of the questions, but I cannot easily now. I have sent them on their way through little FTF prizes in caches. I did take a photo of them before I started to send them on their way, but could take me quite some time to search it out.

 

1) Yes.

2) Black was one, as Andy stated. There was Green, Blue, a Pinky colour, then my mind is cloudy.

3) Don't know.

4) Yes.

5) Short of me finding my photos, try asking Simply Paul as MartyBartfast suggested, or one of the other event organisers or helpers. Dr Solly was on the stall at the event with these and the Geocoins.

6) AAND is the preferred name for these now. If you use one of the other names you mentioned above in a cache listing then the cache will not be approved. That goes for even if you are not using one to set a puzzle cache with, I used the original name for them once just to say I was leaving one in as a FTF prize and I was asked to change to AAND.

[+BaSHful]

Thanks for all the responses. Looks like Simply Paul is my best bet....

[+Simply Paul]

I have recently retrieved one of these tokens from a cache and am trying to find out as much as I can about them. Also know as PuzTox (plural), PuzTok (singular), AAND or Aluminium Alpha-Numeric Discs. I believe there are 10 different ones, all in different colours. I believe they were created for the 2012 Oxford Geolympix and can be used to create/solve puzzles.

 

So.....

1) Is the above accurate?

2) What are the 10 different colours?

3) How many were released?

4) Do all of the tokens of the same colour have the same information on them? (I figure the answer to this ought to be "Yes" or they would be no good for puzzle solving.)

5) How do I find examples of the 9 I have not yet seen?

6) What else is there to know about these tokens?

Hello and thanks for the questions.

Groundspeak banned the use of the phrases 'Puz*le Token, Pu*Tok or Pu*Tox' so please don't use these on cache pages or logs(!) Well done for getting away with it here though. The Frog is, however, happy with them being called AANDs/Aluminium Alpha-Numeric Discs, so I will refer to these as AANDs here if that's ok

 

1) The above is all correct, but many AANDs have been used 'in the wild' as stages of multi-caches and letterboxes too. The original idea was they'd be ideal for puzzle cache setting and finding (much like finding a TB with the data, but with over 200 of each colour in the wild, perhaps easier?) but they've been used in all sorts of ways. A cache can be set with one colour, two colours (Black Northings, Green Westings?) or any combination up to a full set - but then, unless you've seen at least 9 and have the numbers recorded somewhere, it'll be an evil pig of a puzzle! Why only 9? Because if A=0 on one, 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 on others, you can deduce A=4 on the missing colour, since no colour has the same value for any letter and number combination as any other colour. Makes sense I hope

 

2) The colours are Black, Blue, Red, Purple, Pink, Gold, Bronze, Aqua (light blue), Green and Forest (dark green).

 

3) We bought 2000 for the Geolympix, but were actually supplied more. So 200+ of each colour were made. Almost all of them are 'out there'; we have a handful left. Lots were 'seeded' into caches both before and after the Geolympix and they've been given away at lots of events too. Around 400 were handed out at the 2012 NW Mega, for example. Something over 1000 were supplied to cachers as part of our Geolympix Champions supporters packs too.

 

4) You're correct: Each Red is the same as every other Red, and so on.

 

5) Keep your eyes open while caching! I dropped a few dozen while caching across the north of England and Scotland last summer, and hopefully those 1800+ which are in circulation aren't just sitting in kitchen draws. Ask other cachers at events. If you see me in the wild or at an event, ask me for one as I try to have some freebies on me. As a last resort, I can sell you any you want for £1 each (£10 for a full set - pop the spare you have in a cache, or set a cache with it, being sure to include AAND in the title?) with that money going towards running the 2016 Geolympix (29-31 July 2016 at a location in the SE; Bucks, Beds, Herts area). Some of the combination data is online too, I believe, so you might find an image search useful...

 

6) Other things to know... They make ideal swaps (£1 value) and sig items. They're lettered A-K (no i to avoid confusion) and numbered 0-9. Each main "letter = number" combination also has nine more letter/number combinations around the reverse, unique to each colour. Each also has its own slogan on the reverse and all share the 2012 Oxford Geolympix logo on the front.

 

Future plans! If we can show Groundspeak how they're being used in practice 'in the wild' and prove they're not a commercial product (the Geolympix didn't make any money on them, it was always the idea to give lots away, anyone can make their own version as it's only the number combinations - A=1, B=2, C=3 or whatever which needs to be unique to each colour, etc) then we hope to have more made for the 2016 Geolympix, to be given away to every visitor. These will still use the same colour/letter/number combinations but have new slogans and the new Geolympix 2016 logo on the face side. Depending whether Groundspeak can be convinced to allow the name P**k or P**x, or if we have to stick to AAND, this will probably be on the front to replace where the 2012 version says 'Geolympix Puz*le Token', since that phrase is on a naughty list and/or a bit unwieldy.

 

I hope that answers your questions. If you have more, ask away!

[+Seaglass Pirates]

Oh I did wonder. I was given a fist full of them. Still have them in case any info came to light. If we are talking about the same thing. They look well made with funky design thingys on them lol. I am going to dig them out now and have a look again. Then read what you wrote so it sinks in this time.

 

Oh was gonna post an image of the ones I have but that would probably illicit some *insert a derogatory word here* PM, and would also undermine the game some what. I shall continue to clutch them in our swag bag along with acres of pa ... oh not allowed to mention them either. Erm well they lie next to and in between those that shall not be named and these that cannot be written about and next to that which must not be uttered.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Seaglass Pirates

[+Hold3]

I have 3 or 4 of these at home that I found in a few closely hidden caches. Never worked out what to do with them so took photos and will be planting them back in different caches.

[+Simply Paul]

Thanks Hold3, you're doing the right thing by keeping them in circulation if you don't want to use them for cache setting.

[Dave from Glanton]

Groundspeak banned the use of the phrases 'Puz*le Token, Pu*Tok or Pu*Tox' so please don't use these on cache pages or logs(!)

 

Just curious...what's so offensive about the Phrase "Puz*le Token", when referring to a token-like thing which is used for puzzles, which caused Groundspeak to ban the very mention of the term?

[+Simply Paul]

Groundspeak banned the use of the phrases 'Puz*le Token, Pu*Tok or Pu*Tox' so please don't use these on cache pages or logs(!)

Just curious...what's so offensive about the Phrase "Puz*le Token", when referring to a token-like thing which is used for puzzles, which caused Groundspeak to ban the very mention of the term?

I did asked this question, along with many others, several times in 2012 and never received what I felt were satisfactory answers. Unfortunately the launch of AANDs was 'muddied' by a cacher getting irate with a reviewer when they wouldn't publish on first request - it got heated and personal and I fear the name got 'tainted' then. It has also been suggested P****k and P****x sound a bit like brand names - rather than just a short-hand version of the full name you almost gave - and not unlike a certain small geocoin-like item trackable on a site other than GC.com... Whatever the reasons, the only compromise I was able to negotiate with Groundspeak was that we could refer to the former P****x as AANDs, and since a rose by any other name smells as sweet...

[+CCFwasG]

Having just looked at an AAND cache, and never having heard of it before... how will we know IF/WHEN we actually find one?? We may have overlooked one in the past but certainly haven't seen anything resembling the vague description(s) in the past few months or more! Can someone post a photo with the numbers blurred out perhaps?!

[+Gackt]

[+Simply Paul]

I've sprinkled AANDs from Scotland to the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, and many points in between. I note when in my logs, and around 1000 were given away at various Mega events across 2012 - hopefully they found their way into caches and not just kitchen draws. The 2016 versions may not be aluminium, or discs, so I'm going to have to go back to Groundspeak to discuss their name!

[+eowynk]

I am a geocashing newby and im learning loads. i assume some of these coins are still in cashes around the uk. i really want to find some as there are a few cashes near me that you need them for to solve. Also an new 2016 version please tell me more. Also im trying to find out if there are any groups near me that i could maybe join. I have been cashing the buckinghamshire area.

[+Bear and Ragged]

sniped >< Also im trying to find out if there are any groups near me that i could maybe join. I have been cashing the buckinghamshire area.

 

Keep an eye out for Events. There's a 'regular' event for Beds, Bucks and Harts cachers...

May be worthwhile checking facebook, more UK cachers on there, than the UK forums these days.

 

BBH Christmas Event > http://coord.info/GC656MM

 

Next planned Event seems to be 20 Jan http://coord.info/GC65B9X

Edited January 3, 2016 by Bear and Ragged

[+Simply Paul]

There's a meet in Milton Keynes tomorrow (Tue 5th of Jan) or there's a BBH facebook group if you use that social media platform. As for AANDs, I've a small handful of 2012 versions to give away (2016 will use the same number/letter/colour combos) at meets. I also have some partial sets left which can be bought to help fund this summer's Geolympix. They'd cost £1 per AAND and the biggest set I have has 8 of the 10 colours in it, I think. If I can find a pack of 9, you can work out the other colour's number/letter combos, as it'll be the 'missing' ones from the set. I hope that makes sense