Geocoin Review: Tranquility

I am so excited to be putting this geocoin review up on my blog! I had been looking for a Tranquility geocoin to add to my collection and with a trade and a spontaneous purchase, I now have two! Once I received this coin in hand, I knew why so many collectors like it and try to "get 'em all"! It is a very detailed and beautiful (that seems like the best adjective...so hard to describe) design. When I looked at my two very different Tranquility coins, I noticed that the one with the translucent enamel (the Green Giant Nickel) showed so much more of the detail and design than the German Gold. The German Gold was made with more solid enamels which cover up part of the design. By just changing the enamel from translucent to solid gives a whole different feel to the coin.



I knew right away that I had to learn more about this coin and share it's story with others. And it seemed like perfect timing as it appears that a new 2009 version is underway! I was fortunate to be able to correspond with Paula of CinemaBoxers who is the artist behind this wonderful coin. Below you will find the specifications for the Tranquility as well as my interview with Paula. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did putting it together.

The Specifications:

Coin design by Paula of CinemaBoxers - some colour combinations contributed by other artists.

Minted by Castle Coins and Pins and originally released September 2007

Specifications: 2”, 3.5mm thick, trackable

Unique icon

Versions: Total to date is 38 (from my limited research) - click here for a list of the names of each edition Tranquility Geocoin Version List

ELTADA: Can you confirm that there are 38 versions of the original Tranquility Geocoin?

Paula: Honestly, I have no idea how many were created in all. I designed several versions, but had no idea about the creation of others. I don't know what all is out there other than the ones I designed, or the ones I own - which isn't many surprisingly! I still like those first ones the best - the colors I used were ones I put alot of thought into, and even those colors are 'symbolic' for the coin, which makes them special to me.

E: The wording on the back of the coin is "The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature." What is the source of this text? And how do you feel it fits in with the theme of this coin?

P: The source is a quote from Anne Frank, and I absolutely felt the quote fit Geocaching, and the spirit of the coin. It's all about being outside, and everything working together in unity. I personally know when I'm feeling unhappy, all I need to do is step outside, get some fresh air, and take it all in. The coin was about bringing all things together, but in balance.

E: Could you explain some of the details on the Tranquility that aren’t quite as obvious? For example: the front has North and South America depicted on it – how did you come upon the decision to use these continents vs. others?

P: As I said above, I wanted to include LOTS of details without it being busy, or cluttered. It was hard to pull off, but I wanted to include so many different elements. You will see Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Sun, Moon, Stars and Planets, the continents, Chinese symbols, and even more. As for continents, I wanted my own 'home' location on the coin. There WILL be the globe on the new Tranquility, but it will be very different. =) I believe that the Tranquility coins will always be about balance, regardless of the theme of the coin.

E: Which is your favourite Tranquility version and why?

P: My favorites (I have two) are the Copper Artist Edition - No enamel. Just metal. And the Two tone Black Nickel and Gold - so flashy! Im not as big on the enamel versions, UNLESS the details underneath the enamel can be seen clearly. The glows are my least favorites for that reason - it covers up all the details! The Tranquility was a design I wanted people to pick up and examine, and LOOK for more. I didn't want it to be a 'one glance' coin - I hoped people would keep looking over it, and I like a coin that's interesting to feel as well - when you run your finger over it. I tend to like the metal versions for that reason mainly.

E: Where did you receive the inspiration for this design?

P: I really couldn't tell you - it wasn't just ONE thing. It popped into my head one day - the idea of designing something nature related. I always prefer coins that symbolize something, and that include lots of detail, but, for that, I'll move to the next question....

E: I discovered during my research a quote from you that the initial design of the coin evolved and grew as you worked on it – can you tell us a bit about that?

P: I started the Tranquility as a simple 1 1/2 inch enamel Geocoin. Originally, it was just the center and the animals. But... it wasn't enough. So, I added a ring. The coin kept evolving, and growing on its own... when I would add something, I would get an idea to add something else, it just took on a life of its own, and I kept working until I finally just KNEW it was complete. I always do design first, then add textures in after I'm done - so that was it, I worked, detailed, then added textures to the final design. You should see the original art - its pretty interesting to look at the original PSD file - the layers show the evolution of the coin. I should make a YouTube video of the layers.... it shows the coin growing, and evolving when I flip through in order.

E: That would be pretty amazing to see! Let me know if you do post it on YouTube! ;) So there is a 2009 version in the works…will this be a complete departure from the original Tranquility or will we see similarities?

P: There IS a 2009 version! It's similar, yet very different. In my opinion, I've come a long way as a designer since I did the original Tranq, and I'm taking some things I've discovered and have applied them to the new Tranquiltity Geocoin. It will be recognizable as a Tranquility to those collectors who loved the original, but it will be VERY different as well. The theme is different, overall, yet, balance is still the main focus. Everything in balance, and working together. So, it's hard to explain, but the coin will be VERY different, yet, still a Tranquility!

E: Inquiring minds will want to know who will be minting the new coin and when the projected release date will be – can that information be shared?

P: I'm still working on the art, wrapping up some elements, and making sure it can be done how I want it done - so, some decisions need to be made still before we have an expected release date. I'm hoping for a summer release however - I'm pondering a September release to keep it in line with the original... I will absolutely keep people in the know about its status!!!

E: Is there anything else that you think of that people might want to know about the original or 2009 Tranquility?

P: Just that I'm very proud, and I love the coin. I never had any idea of HOW well it would be recieved. I loved it, and believed in it, but I'm thrilled that people seem to enjoy it as much as I enjoyed designing it. The coin is ENTIRELY original, the design literally just came from one idea after another, which is what contributed to the 'ring' design it has. I really think its important that people know that this one was really one I LOVED working on, and was really close to my heart. On that note - I personally love the new Tranquility, its all the things I loved about the last, but more. I wanted it to be 'obviously' a Tranquility Geocoin - but I knew it had to be entirely different - so, thats what I focused on when working on the art. I'm really hoping the collectors 'connect' to this coin the way they did the original - there are more hidden/relevant symbols in the new than in the last, so it will be fun to see people look at the coin, and pick them out. And.. last but absolutely not least - Thank you to the collectors for making this coin so special!

And thank you to Paula for sharing this beautiful design with us! I mentioned in an email to her that it is obvious from the answers to my questions how much the Tranquility means to her and am appreciative of her time in showing us. I am eagerly (as I am sure others are) awaiting the new 2009 Tranquility!

My Geocoin Collection

For awhile now I have been struggling on how to keep track of my geocoin collection. I had different lists going (in Excel) but I wanted an easy way to put them up on the web for others to browse. Of course, there are a few really good sites out there where you can create and post your lists but they either cost money, aren't accepting new collectors (why?? weird) or don't show pictures. I have a bit of skill in designing webpages and doing some simple html coding but I needed a spot to do it.

So I found Google Sites. Of course, I am a "google girl" - I have a few gmail accounts, a blog, a few online documents, etc. so it was natural that I would use them for my collection site. This is actually kind of neat because you can create a website with very little experience. It's easy to use and looks good. There are not tons of options for customizing but that's ok because I did all the coding off-line and uploaded it myself in html view. There are some tags that Google Sites doesn't recognize but for the most part, it works really well.

I am even able to put up pictures of my coins and links to my activated coins, profile, this blog etc. If you would like to take a look at my collection (please do!) then click here. Should you want to create your own and need some advice/help, please let me know!

Geocoin Review: Grodan Frog

The first personal coin that I traded for was a Grodan Frog from Karin (grodan & fiabus) herself! This little guy is just adorable! I wanted the nickel finish (I seem to gravitate towards nickel and silver) and this is the one that glitters...an added bonus!



I was stunned at how cute this coin was when it arrived and I held it in my hand. It's a very simple design but a wonderful personal coin. I just had to learn more about it from the cacher who created it. First, the geocoin details:

Official Geocoin Name: grodan - Personal Geocoin of grodan & fiabus
Commonly Known As: Grodan Frog or grodancoin or frogcoin
Size: 1.5” diameter, 3 mm thick
Finishes/Minting Numbers: No remint - 100 Copper, 100 Nickel/Glitter, 50 Antique Gold/Translucent
Trackable?: Yes, own icon, own prefix (GF) GF stands for grodan & fiabus
Produced by: Personal Geocoins

And now a short interview with Karin (grodan)...

ELTADA: Is this your first geocoin?

Grodan: Yes, it is

E: Personal coins are a different kind of geocoin that represents a cacher. With the understanding that “grodan” means “frog”, how do you feel this coin represents you as a cacher? (for example, why did you pick a frog to represent you and how did you come up with this image versus a more traditional image?)

G: Our cachername is grodan & fiabus where grodan is the female and fiabus the male, grodan is what we used to call our daughter when I was pregnant with her because we didn´t know if it was a boy or girl we were having. Since then I have been kind of hooked on frogs so it was the natural choice for my cachename and later for my coin.

E: What made you decide to mint your own personal geocoin?

G: I thought it could be good to trade them to get more nice and beautiful coin for my collection.

E: What advice do you have for cachers that are interested in having their own personal geocoin minted?

G: It is good to go through a company if you feel unsure of how to deal with mints and designs and shipping and so on. And remember that if you sell them yourself there are a lot of extra costs to remember, like paypal fees and postage costs.

E: Do you feel it is any more difficult to mint a coin if you are located outside of the US? Why or why not?

G: I don´t feel there has been more difficult because I live in Sweden, no, e-mails are fast all over the world.

E: Was there anything that surprised you about the process of creating your own personal geocoin?

G: No, not really. Because I used the knowledge of Rusty at Personal Geocoins so he did the job. Maybe how well he knew what I wanted the coin to look like, seems like he understood at once when I told about a change.

E: With the vast array of choices for finishes and effects on a coin (metals, glitter/glow/translucent, shaped/round, size/thickness, etc.), how did you decide which you would use for yours?

G: That was hard, but I had some metals and colours in mind, green for a frog, and I knew I wanted one glitter, shaped was easy since I collect animal-shaped coins, size was supposed to be micro but it felt so small when measured so I went with 1.5 instead, for the other two I spoke with Rusty and he came with advice, some taken and some not.

E: Is there anything else you would like to share about the Grodan Frog?

G: Only finish left for sale and trade are the copper. Since our cachename is grodan & fiabus there is also a fiabus coin, (shaped like a sitting cat - because fiabus comes from my husbands cat Fia that is playful (busig)) called fiabus - Personal Geocoin of grodan & fiabus. The plan is also to make personal coins for our kids but that is not in the real close future, maybe sometime next year.

My many thanks to Karin for sharing her story about her personal geocoin.

"Fab"ulous Holiday Cache

Now that it's December, I feel the need to highlight this nifty cache idea. Last year, my first holiday that I have been caching, I found a cache with some friends in the Unionville area placed by a family team called Fababoo (GC178GD). Where it is, is not as important as how it was put together.

Don't get me wrong, I have been known to find a micro or two and I know there are TONS of cachers who enjoy quick caches that boost their numbers. Many like the find more than any other part of geocaching and thus a fast, lamp skirt micro is right up their alley. But I really enjoy the process of finding the cache. Locations that are beautiful or interesting get me hooked right from the beginning. And this can be hard in an urban area.

This cache in particular interested me because it was in a nice conservation area smack dab in the middle of a suburb. It had lovely trails and even though we went out on a REALLY cold day, we had a blast exploring the park. It held a very nice surprise though at the end. Winter caching in Canada can be a bit like cheating as you follow the geo-prints right to GZ, but as we peeked inside the cache, we found these lovely custom ornaments. The cache owner stocks up his cache on a regular basis so that anyone who visits gets to take home a wonderful keepsake. I can't say that I have seen a nicer signature item and you can tell a lot of work went into them.

Fababoo has been stocking the 2006 and 2007 caches regularly and there is rumour that there may be a new one (or perhaps more than one??) placed in honour of 2008. I hope to get out and find the 2008 to add another cache to my find list, another memory to my geocaching adventure and maybe if I'm lucky, another decoration for my tree.

Thanks to Fababoo for a "Fab"ulous series of caches!

Geocoin Review: 2007 Compass Rose

The Compass Rose (2007 edition) is one of my favourite geocoins. I was lucky enough to receive a black nickel version through a mission (see the picture of mine below). The compass rose geocoin has many versions and finishes -- not the most of any geocoin but quite a few.

The one unveiled in 2007 had seven finishes...satin gold, black nickel, antique bronze, polished gold with polished nickel wheel, antique silver with polished gold wheel, polished nickel with polished gold highlights (limited edition), and antique copper with polished nickel highlights (only one made). Though there is a lot of information out there on this geocoin series (check out www.compassrosegeocoin.com), I felt that there was even more to know, so I contacted the designer of the 2007 edition (the one I own) -- YemonYime. He was gracious enough to let me interview him to learn a bit more about the design, how it came to be and his impressions of the process.

ELTADA: Could you tell me a bit about how you came to design the 2007 version of the popular Compass Rose?

Yemon Yime: After the success of the 2005 Pennsylvania Geocoin, Aaron from CoinsAndPins approached me to do some artwork for him, and we became pretty good friends from there. He would occasionally ask me to "touch up" some of his ideas, and we had a lot of fun experimenting with new enamels and metal combinations. In fact, the now popular translucent enamels were first used on the "Geo-Achievement" series, and eventually incorporated into the 2006 Compass Rose. The actual "compass rose" from that coin was based on real compass rose artwork from the 1500's, and I simply "re-drew" that to be workable for the mint to create an attractive geocoin. The Compass Rose series of geocoins was now quite popular, so when it came time to do the 2007 edition, Aaron once again found another 1500's compass rose and asked me to "enhance" it. Although I'm producing the final artwork for the coin, and constantly tweaking things here and there for maximum effect, Aaron is very involved in the design process as well. These are truly enjoyable collaborative efforts!

E: Information available about the coin states that the Yime-designed Compass Rose is "more visually exciting when minted as a metal image". Collectors will also notice that the back of the coin moved from the geocaching.com logo (on the 2006 design) to a ships wheel - could you discuss these two major elements, why they were chosen and how they impacted the design of the coin?

YY: Well, the actual artwork on those old maps utilized very limited colors because there wasn't exactly a variety of inks at the time. So, I took some liberties and added some depth to the design, and contrast to the colors. Aaron added some textures and glitter enamels to pull off a pretty attractive piece of metallic art! The ship's wheel was all Aaron's idea. It's got a natural "compass look" in and of itself, so I incorporated some altered "flourishes" from the back of the Geo-Achievement coins to give it a very "sea-worthy" feel. It all harkens back to the overall theme of navigation into the unknown.

E: What would you say was the most challenging part of the design process? Did you learn anything from your experience with the 2007 Compass Rose?

YY: Often for me, selecting the right colors is what makes the finished product that much more stunning. You have to keep in mind the brightness of the metal around (and sometimes behind) them. You can really pull off a unique effect if you're willing to take a chance. Either that, or order extra samples! With this project, I gained a much greater respect for how important effective communication with the mint is. There are intricacies in any design that go unnoticed by the mint's die artists unless you specifically point them out when submitting the art. CoinsAndPins does a great job in relaying that information, and the end product is always better for it.

E: Is there anything else that you would like to share about this coin (little known facts, your impression of it's success, etc.)?

YY: I'm truly honored to be a part of what's become a benchmark collectible within the geocoin hobby. I really believe that the success of the Compass Rose series is a testament to the appreciation of quality work in both the design, and the manufacturing. Collectors know that they're getting a well-thought out product that is intended to be above the norm. Well, it isn't exactly a "little known fact" that there will be a 2009 Compass Rose Geocoin...but I can tell you that preliminary ideas are for a real ground-breaker in design and production. You'll just have to wait and see what 2009 has in store!

My thanks to YemonYime for his perspective on this coin. There are so many different things to consider when creating a geocoin, whether it be a redesign on a classic or a brand new idea...it takes thought and an artistic eye. You can tell the Compass Rose has both. Looking forward to seeing the 2009 version!

Neat Stuff: Trackable Carabiner

I stumbled across this addition to the growing list of trackable items for geocaching. It's a carabiner with compass, split key ring and tie loop. With these options, you can attach your GPS or car keys to it so you don't lose them during a hunt. Since it is trackable, you could always set it loose into the world with something attached (but I would use the key ring for that). Using it as a day-to-day key chain would give other cachers a chance to discover you, even if you are out grocery shopping! One note of caution is not to use this for climbing...it is not made to hold weight.

You can find it at http://www.geocoinstore.com/ for $7.00 US plus shipping.

50th Find!

Ok, so 50 finds is maybe not something most geocachers would get excited about, but it is quite an accomplishment for me. I love to go out geocaching but it is difficult to find the time and with a young son, he just can't go everywhere. We love those hunts that take you out into the woods, across a river, into a valley, up the other side, down the path to Grandmother's house...oops! That's a different story.

Now that we have our 50th find, I can start working my way to 100 - not that I am doing it for the numbers...it's just fun to recognize milestones sometimes isn't it?

I am going out with someone new to geocaching tomorrow to show her how it's all done. I haven't checked the weather but I am pretty sure it's going to rain. Everytime I have introduced this activity to someone, it rains. I think it is the ultimate test - if you can withstand a torrential downpour and still be smiling as you wring out your underwear...you are forever hooked.

Next time it rains, you can check back here to see if I am initiating a new geocacher...