We often get asked: How much does it cost to make a geocoin. Here are the basic costs spelled out for you!
22222 Multi-Event Coin - All The Versions
Here are all 18 versions of the epic geocoin for this epic day!
Fall of 2021 we asked Avroair if he would like to partner with us for a February 22, 2022 multi coin project. He said yes, so we forged ahead and developed a fun design for others to choose their own enamel colors and metal finishes.
We produced 18 versions in total, including one for Geocaching HQ, two for the Cache Crates and one retail version for Cache Advance.
Purchase our three versions while they last!
Soft Enamel vs. Imitation Hard Enamel
There are two main processes for the enamel, or colors, for the production of coins and pins. They are called ‘soft enamel’ and ‘IHE’ (Imitation Hard Enamel). While the underlying metal base of the coin or pin is the same, these different methods for the enamel can make a very different looking coin or pin. Either process is great and it really comes down to personal preference.
Let’s take a look at both:
Soft Enamel
When creating a soft enamel coin or pin, the enamel is laid in the recessed areas and put through ovens to bake the enamel hard. The enamel is only added once in this process which means when dry, the enamel clings to the edges and recesses below the metal die line (that stops the enamels from mixing). This creates a dimensional look, meaning the paint is at a lower level than the metal borders surrounding each color. If you rub your thumb over your custom soft enamel pin you will feel the metal ridges.
Hard Enamel
For hard enamel coins and pins, not only is the enamel added over several times raising the enamel higher, it is heated at a very high temperature to harden and cure the enamel. It is then polished smooth so it can be at the same level as the metal die lines. If you rub your thumb over a hard enamel lapel pin (also known as cloisonné coin or lapel pin) it will feel smooth and you will not feel the metal borders/ridges.
The Wrap Up:
You can see these two processes produce different looking results. Take a look at any coins or pins that you may have and note if you prefer the smooth IHE process or the more textured soft enamel process for you next project.
We look forward to working with you!
How Do I Make a Coin?
Firsts
The Whale Tail is the secret code name we used for a project commissioned by Geocoinfest 2018 in Seattle. It’s a nice little (but amazingly hefty) tag featuring a whale’s tail sticking out of the water as the rest of the beast is submerged diving under. This whale tail is special because it is drawn in the Native Art motif of the Pacific Northwest.
100 Coin Contest Winners!
Written by J.D. Parkman
The Contest
Holding a contest, a real contest based on content instead of a random drawing or something similar, is hard. Coming up with the idea is easy enough, and it does take a little effort to get the word out but it is not that difficult. It is great fun to see the number of entries come in as the contest progresses. Then comes the time to judge. It gets very real very fast my friends, and hard. More on that in a bit, but first let us recap and set the stage.
Compass Creek Designs is a new company, an off-shoot of Cache Advance. It is not unusual for a new company to introduce itself with a splashy announcement or discount coupons. We chose a third option - The Zany Contest. Our contest winner would receive a 100 piece set of coins of their design (on the front, our Compass Creek “Common Back” on the, uh… back). We received nearly 200 entries through our brand new website. Nearly 200 entries that will need to be narrowed down to just one. Perhaps we should have gone with the splashy announcement.
In order to complete the judging the entry data was stripped of any identifying information and submitted to the judging committee of Lisa and me. We went through the entries separately to narrow down the submissions. When we compared notes we discovered each of us had nearly 200 winners. Yep, holding a contest is hard.
Then something interesting happened. As we went through the entries it became apparent the submissions fell into three categories – Personal, Organization, and Challenge Medallion. Indeed, after a lot of work and review, we got to a winner. If you must know who that is now, you can scroll down and peek ahead. Otherwise, enjoy with us some of the reasons why it was so hard to pick a winner.
Personal: This category ranged from the “Why would I not want a personal Geocoin?” to the detailed level of “I would like 100 custom coins to celebrate over two decades served in the United States Air Force!” We had cachers wanting coins to honor other cachers for their dedication to this game. “I nominate ____ cacher” was the most touching in that regard. Within this spectrum we had entries to celebrate weddings, people and pet memorials, as well as celebrating profound personal achievements for health and well being.
Organization: Many of the submissions for organizations were made by people that were not part of the organization save being a member, but wanted to recognize what that organization did for them, their area and Geocaching as a whole. There were submissions from Board Members as well of course. We can tell you that there are a lot of organizations doing a lot of good for our game.
Challenge Medallion: We did not expect this to show up on the radar as much as it did for the contest. What we are calling a Challenge Medallion would be something very similar to a military, police, or fire department coin that does not rely on a tracking number. Turns out many of our Geocaching family work within this world and recognized the contest to be an excellent opportunity to spread their goals via the coin.
Results
The natural development of the three categories spoke to us. So much so that we decided to award a winner from each of the three categories, all receiving a 100 coin package. Yep, holding a contest is hard. Here are your winners and their entries!
Personal: Danny Bays
“I have had a series of geocachers at The Lost River Cavie in Bowling Green Kentucky for a number of years. I believe they are the most popular caches for the area. They have been logged over 6000 times and found a lot more than what the logs reflect. I go walking there almost daily and often run into cachers on the trail. I always go out of my way to show them the park and usually buy them a parting gift from the gift shop. If I won the coins I would give the coins to cachers I meet at the park. Of cours I would keep one or two for myself.”
Challenge Medallion: Martha Ellen Joy – CAMO Ministry
“We are a ministry that works with our US Military at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ. We are a non-profit group and coins are very significant to military personnel. It would b great to be able to recognize them with a CAMO coin. We are not a caching group though my wife and I are. Thanks for reading this and letting us enter.”
Organization: Corey Davis – Geocaching Academy
“The goal of Geocaching Academy is to educate any and all who want to learn about Geocaching. We have tough dozens and dozens of classes over the years for State Parks, scouts, municipalities, libraries, law enforcement and more. Geocaching Academy is currently rebranding with a fresh new logo and website design. 100 custom coins with the new logo would be one of the absolute best ways to help spread the word and make more people aware of our mission.”
Thank You
We would like to thank each and every one of you who entered our contest. The submissions were great. It was an honor to have your stories shared with us!
Lisa and I found it extremely difficult to award just one winner in each of the three categories. Did I mentioned that contests are hard?
J.D.
