What IS Geocoin? (dumb question from newbie lol)

[+EmzyJanezy]

Hi there

I'm completely new and only started geocaching yesterday!

Having seen and dismissed coin shaped items in the caches I came across I later started to see comments about geocoins but despite googling and looking on this forum I still can't quite fathom what they are all about!

Please can somebody either point me to a post that clearly explains it or let me know?  It looks interesting and I don't want to miss out on all the fun! 

Thank you.

[+EggsTheBest]

HI,

Geocoin is a type of trackable. People usually collect them or let them travel the world. Just another fun thing in geocaching world.

Trackables are objects (coins, tags, etc.) with a unique number, engraved or attached on the object in some way.

If you buy/receive a trackable, you register it with the unique number and activation code on the website, and it goes to your inventory & is listed as your owned trackables (your profile>Trackables>right column). Then you can either keep this trackable with yourself (take it to events to show off :D) or release it to travel. If you choose to release, you simply put it in one of found geocaches (you'll have an option to drop off trackable when writing a log) or simply give it to somebody else (good option if you know a cacher who is about to travel to a different state/country). 

If you find a geocoin in a cache, you can enter the code on the website and "discover" it - you'll see its description, goals, stats - and it will be listed under your discovered trackables in your profile. You're not supposed to take it and keep for a long periods of time, trackables should move from cache to cache.

The difference between geocoin and travel bug is mostly just appearance. Geocoins are more often used for building collections than releasing them to travel around the world.

Hope that answers your question.

Edited April 8, 2018 by EggsTheBest

[+EmzyJanezy]

Thanks very much!

I was just getting confused because I assumed it was like a trackable but then everybody seems to just be buying them and collecting them so I thought perhaps I'd got it wrong.

I'd be worried people would just keep them because they're rather attractive.  Does this happen a lot?

Also, in the end, are you able to ask for your geocoin to come back to you, or do you have to accept you'll never see it again.

Sorry for all these questions - I suspect they're kind of basic haha!

[+Iantheodore]

Thanks, this helps me too!  But now we picked up a geocoin (and a travel bug) yesterday.  I posted that we had it, but today we dropped both off into 2 different caches.  I don't know how to let people know that it is now in a new cache and I no longer have it.

[+EmzyJanezy]

That's a good point.  Because otherwise people will think its still with you!

Hopefully somebody will help us out lol

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, Iantheodore said:

Thanks, this helps me too!  But now we picked up a geocoin (and a travel bug) yesterday.  I posted that we had it, but today we dropped both off into 2 different caches.  I don't know how to let people know that it is now in a new cache and I no longer have it.

 

This works on the cache page (the cache where you dropped a coin).  You may make a new log such as a Note Log, or edit your Found It log.  Select the coin from the list at the bottom of that log, select "Drop", and submit the log.

Here's a help file about it:  https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=30&pgid=151

[+drneal]

another comment...if you find a geocoin or another trackable in a cache, you don't need to trade for it....it is not treated like swag (all those goodies some people put in their caches for other to trade for.)  Feel free to take it and move it along on its journey.  I will sometimes leave unactivated coins in caches I put out for the first to find...just check to see if the coin is activated (using the tracking number.)  As for collecting geocoins, that's a whole other topic.

 

 

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[+GeoCharmer81]

To clarify a bit more, a "discovered" log is if you've seen the coin (AKA trackable) and don't take it along to drop elsewhere. If you do take it, that would be a "grabbed it" log. When you put a trackable into a cache or Event, that  is a "dropped it" log. Collecting can become rather addicting!!!

[+noncentric]

4 hours ago, GeoCharmer81 said:

To clarify a bit more, a "discovered" log is if you've seen the coin (AKA trackable) and don't take it along to drop elsewhere. If you do take it, that would be a "grabbed it" log. When you put a trackable into a cache or Event, that  is a "dropped it" log. Collecting can become rather addicting!!!

To clarify a bit more:

• "Grabbed it" is if you take it from a location other than  where the TB page says it is
• "Retrieved" is if you take it from a location that matches where TB page says it is

Again, as kunarion also posted above, there are Help Center articles to learn more about trackables. There is also information about trackables in the app, under "Help and About" --> Trackables.

[+Iantheodore]

Thank y

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Thank you everyone for all your useful information.  Much appreciated!