What Are Collectable Geocoins?
When I first started geocaching, I had no idea that there are actually TWO types of geocoins: trackable and collectable. It wasn’t until I doing research for the EatStayPlay.com Geocoin that I discovered the difference!
Back in April, I wrote an article all about what trackable geocoins are and how they work. But, since then, I’ve realized that many people might not actually know the difference between a trackable geocoin and one that you collect.
The difference (in a nutshell): A collectable geocoin typically does NOT have a tracking number on geocaching.com. While a collectable geocoin might move from cache to cache, its movements are not able to be tracked on geocaching.com.
Some collectable geocoins DO have an ID number. That ID number is like when an artist makes prints of a painting and says: Print #127 of #230. While knowing that a collectable coin is part of a limited edition is really neat, I think that the ID number would cause confusion with people thinking that the coin is trackable!
Designs (and materials) vary from coin to coin. A standard geocoin is a minted, metal coin that can range in size from a dime to the size of a silver dollar. While most people think ah, “coin=round” that’s not necessarily the case. A “coin” can be in any shape and even be three-dimensional with raised portions.
4 Tips For Your Collection
1. Collect non-trackable coins.
There are a bunch of non-trackable coins available for personal collections. They range from minted coins, to wooden nickels, to plastic tokens, to signature items. (Not sure what a signature item is? Keep checking back, I’ll do an article about that soon!)
2. You should only collect unactivated trackable coins!
If the coin is already activated, then the owner is expecting it to move from cache to cache. Trust me, coin owners get really frustrated when their TRACKABLE geocoin ends up in somebody’s shoebox collection under the bed never to be seen again!
(I just found an article where the author said that any time she finds ANY geocoin in a cache, it goes into her personal collection. Not cool!)
3. Collecting activated trackable coins.
I know I just said to only collect unactivated trackable coins. But, the exception to that is if YOU are the owner of the coin. ESP Boss has two coins from our original EatStayPlay.com Geocoin minting that he has kept. They are activated and he is the owner, but the coins remain in a frame on the office wall.
4. “Collect” the coin by discovering it.
Unlike finding a trackable item in a cache, taking it and moving it along, you can mark the trackable item’s number as “discovered” on your geocaching.com profile. That means that you are saying that you’ve seen the item but are not responsible for moving it along. I know of several geocachers who have an online “collection” of geocoins that they have found. This is perfect if you don’t want the responsibily of moving a coin or if you only cache occasionally. By discovering the coin, you can show the coin on your profile without getting angry emails from the coin owner when you haven’t moved it in 4 months!
Readers Weigh In:
- What types of geocaching items do you collect? Coins? Signature items? Etc.
- Have you ever had somebody “collect” your trackable?
- Do you move trackable items or do you “discover” them? Which do you prefer?
Find Your Geocache
July 22, 2010 @ 3:11 pm
[…] Your Geocache';tweetcount_cnt=0;Collectable Geocoins Rotary International collectable […]
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July 23, 2010 @ 3:22 pm
This was a good article. Could have used this information when I first started geocaching. I, too, WAS one of those persons that collected coins from caches – mainly because I could not figure out the proper way to “log” the coin or travel bug. I figured that you entered the info in your log of the cache and that was it. Did not think about the serial numbers.
Fortunately, I eventually figured out how to “properly” log a coin or travel bug and sent any coins/bugs that I may have collected back into circulation and on their may way. The logging instructions on geocaching.com were not very clear as to what to do.
Have recieved a few “nasty grams” from coin/bug owners in the past, or other cachers for that matter as to “proper” or “improper” logging techniques. Think I have been doing everything correctly now for I haven’t recieved a nasty gram in quite some time.
I enjoy moving coins/bugs from site-to-site. To me, that’s all kinds of fun. Now the only coins I “legally” collect is what I buy from geocaching.com or spread items such as your geotokens.
Again, a very good article – nice and short and to the point.
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July 23, 2010 @ 4:17 pm
I collect coins, sig items, and pathtags. We have several trackables out in the wild, some are moving some are not. When you release a trackable you have to realize you may never see it again. Everytime I get a log that one has moved it’s a happy surprise.
When I go to events, I tend to discover trackables. When I find them in a cache, more often than not I’ll move them along. I prefer moving them if I can.
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July 23, 2010 @ 4:39 pm
I like this geocoin comment because as owner of many coins I know how it feels when you put a track able out there for everyone to enjoy and it goes missing before it ever moves I get very angry . These coins and TB are not cheap if you want to collect them buy them . It really makes me mad when some people try to ruin our game .
Papasnapdragon
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July 23, 2010 @ 6:41 pm
I collect geocoin icons. Easy enough to do, all you do is track the ones you find in caches on geocaching.com by either discovering them or moving them. Once I have the icon, it’s pointless for me to keep the coin, so I move it along. Preferably to trade it out for another coin whose icon I don’t have.
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July 23, 2010 @ 7:25 pm
** We have 12 Trackables – 4 Geocoins (1 EatStapPlay Coin) and 6 Travel bugs and 2 Cachekinz.
— We’ve had 2 Travel Bugs Muggled (aka Stolen) from caches that were muggled and disappeared. 1 Signal Geocoin that has been “collected” by an unknown cacher.
We enjoy watching all the travels.
We’ve moved along 153 Geocoins and 213 Travelbugs, so I’d say were movers.
We met some great cachers when we retrieved Round trip Elmo TB and delivered him back home to its owners after being on the road to Austrailia and back on an 8yr journey.
As far as collecting, No we enjoy moving them as we travel.
LisaandDarin
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July 23, 2010 @ 8:36 pm
I have many coins out there and some are traveling but many are stolen! I still put them out there but I would like to know the name of the person who says they keep ANY coin they find! You can not share them for discovery because then I would know since it is registered to ME! I am sure most cachers would also like to know who this person is. I like when my coin makes it to Europe as they seem to stay active as opposed to here in the USA! What does that say about us?!
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July 23, 2010 @ 9:58 pm
Between my account and my wife’s we have about 200 activated geocoins. Some have been released into the wild but most are kept in my collection.
In the search for a signature item I came across “pathtags” that cannot be tracked on geocaching.com but can be logged on pathtags.com Unlike geocoins pathtags are purchased 100 at a time and you expect that whoever finds it will keep it for their own you just hope they will log the tag so that it will show up on your map. Pathtags look like a one inch geocoin with a hole and a 7 digit number on the back
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July 23, 2010 @ 10:58 pm
As for muggled trackables
I have released 4 TBs and 10 geocoins and currently there are 2 TBs and 3 geocoins that are still in the game. One of the geocoins was in a cache that was muggled but all of the rest were “collected” by someone.
Im terrible at moving TBs (they seem to get hiden away somewhere) so I usualy just write down the number and do a discover.
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July 25, 2010 @ 8:34 pm
I got into geocoins and travel bugs so much I had a few made. The Pony Express Sesquicentennial geocoin IS trackable (and collectable) and the American Red Cross geocoin that IS Trackable. I aalso have my own personal pathtag. I did my own designs and since I live in the city where the Pony Express started it seemed like a natural fit. Email me if you would like to own one of my coins for EITHER collection or for travelling.
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February 20, 2011 @ 8:55 am
Thanks for that, I was a little confused why there was a field on my trackable coin on geocaching.com giving me the option of “collectable”. I guess this is a new feature? Either way I dont think I want my coin collected – Its fun to see it keep popping up all over the place. I’ve got one thats left its English come and has made it to sunny Spain! (geocaching name: kirgy)
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March 2, 2012 @ 9:45 pm
A few folks earlier said people steal geocoins released into the wild. What do you all recommend to prevent this? Thanks!
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July 27, 2013 @ 10:43 am
Thanks for this! Earned some geocoins doing the City of Roseburg, OR Parks and Rec geocache series and didn’t know the difference when I went to activate them. Cheers and happy caching!
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