Custom GeoCoin

[shroomAzoom]

Landsharkz can't come close to Oakcoins price. But they're just so helpful, it pains me. Anyway, I have contacted Oakcoins to tell them we're going ahead with our coin with them! They'll take a look at the design and offer some suggestions. I've sent them a cleaner version of the front of the coin and an additional idea for the back (including the Sleeping Giant) just to make our coin stand out a bit from the plain trees and water version.

I had a suggestion yesterday for a different slogan "Caching in the Land of the Sleeping Giant" that I wanted to put out there. If there are any other suggestions besides that and "Caching North of Superior" let me know. We've still got a few days to nail the design down.

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[Juicepig]

how about "Superior caching and above!" 

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

   Well I have to say that I like the latest design the best...the giant looks good and just seems to make it a Thunder Bay thing, and may also help it's travels for people passing through town and want to take a little sample of T. Bay to show friends. 

[Mechman]

Any better image we can get for the lake superior square?  I've heard a few "What is that?" questions...I like the back with the Giant too.

On another note....has anyone approached KBM or other outdoor type business that sell GPSs to see if they would be interested in purchasing some perhaps as a promo to give away with new GPS purchases?  It would introduce new GPS owners to geocaching locally.

Mech.

[shroomAzoom]

Yeah, I know what you mean about Lake Superior, kind of. I don't know that even if we oriented it north to south (as opposed to the angle its on) that there would be much more recognition. Either you know what the lake looks like and can see it by itself as the lake, or you can't. I had a couple questions about it myself, but when I tell them what it is, I get an "Oh yeah! Of course, there it is" kind of reaction.

Would there be any interest in having the round NWOG logo on shirts? Maybe just put the front of the coin on a t-shirt or something?

[shroomAzoom]

Just an update. Oakcoins has the mint take a look at the art and provided this back for us to proof. Here are the changes I can see:

Front: The outside edge has been made slightly thicker. Doesn't bother me, and it was probably done to make a sturdier edge. The "signal" coming from the satellite is thicker, again to make the die sturdier. The Lake image needs to be smoothed and I have communicated that.

Reverse: The text around the edge is stamped in a slightly thicker font, again to make a solid imprint with the die. The "box" around the tracking numbers has been changed to reflect the required size. I have asked that the sides be rounded off as in our design. Most noticeably, the scene with the giant, sun and trees has been rendered differently. I asked about it and they explained that they were trying to provide a cheaper pseudo 3D effect with a 2D die. I explained that we wanted the contoured gradient (like a coin in our pocket has.) They will do that in the next sample (just wanting to save money, but at the expense of the design.)

To get an idea of how thick the coin will be relative to the diameter. It will be as thick as the height of the box around the tracking numbers.

Please take a look at this proof to see if I have missed anything, especially the spelling and such.

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[Mechman]

Looks good to me!  Nice work.

[hunter-killer]

Nice can't wait. To heck with those residents of North Western Ontario, Glad we live in Nor Western Ontario.

[shroomAzoom]

So, Sara from Oakcoins got back to me again today and satisfied me that they understand what we intend our coin to look like and I have given her the okay (via email) to go ahead! 

I assume that she will invoice me tomorrow, and as soon as I pay her, the coins will be minted. Four weeks from then, they should arrive. So, it looks like we're on track for having our very own custom trackable, limited edition NWOG geocoins for the Spring Cache Challenge! Woo Hoo!

[shroomAzoom]

So, this really makes the coin thing seem "real" to me. I got a photograph of the reverse of the coin from Oakcoins today and it looks pretty sharp. The mint misinterpreted how the water was supposed to be rendered, so I sent those comments back (and asked for the "texture" on the background to be removed-don't know how it got there in the first place.) Anyway, the coins are coming along, and that's pretty cool! Thanks everyone who has paid for their coins (and everyone is all settled up, so that's fantastic.) Now, we just play the waiting game...



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[hunter-killer]

Son of a gun Boyko, that is excellent and it is nice to see that you are trying to get it as close to perfect as you can prior to them striking the first coin. The NWO geo coin from thought to reality.

[shroomAzoom]

I sent Oakcoins an email this morning, because it's been about 10 working days since they sent back our changes to the mint. Last time, it took about 10 days for the mint to make the dies. Anyway, they did get die work back yesterday, but they weren't pleased with it and asked for more changes.

Darren,
 
Sorry - I just got photos from the mint yesterday of the new die, but I think it is worse than the first. I am waiting to hear if they can fix a couple of things on the second die, but I won't hear back from them until tonight or tomorrow morning. I'll let you know.
 
Sara

Two weeks until the SCC. I hope they're here for it.   

[shroomAzoom]

Here's the die for the coin. It's looking a lot better this time around. Where the left side of the Giant meets the raised edge of the coin isn't quite what we asked for, but it looks fine to me. Sara (from Oakcoins) recommended that we keep the fine texture that was on the previous version, but somehow, the mint left it out on this iteration. Taking a look at other "antique" finishes on coins, the fine grit does look nice. Anyway, just keeping you all in the loop.

Just after I posted this, I got another email from Oakcoins. It sounds like they can add the fine grit to what we see here and start with the coins. We may get them in time after-all! 

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[shroomAzoom]

And the bad news is, the coins won't be in Thunder Bay by May 2nd.

The mint requires 12 days for production, then there is shipping time on top of that. Sarah from Oakcoins has given us the option of canceling our order if we want. I think that we've put all the time and effort into it so far, let's continue with it.

Perhaps when they arrive we can have a little pub night event to un-box them together and then start our geocoin race.

Sorry about that everyone. I know it's disappointing. It would have been really cool to have the coins at the SCC wrap up, but I guess that's how the cache gets muggled sometimes. 

[Get_Off_The_Paved]

        Well I guess if the coins can't make it for the SCC then well thats out of our control, the cost of perfection.  So I don't see the problem with a "pub night event" to get the race started, So when the coins are ready then, so are we.