2005 ALASKA GEOCOIN

Approximate Actual Size
(Eisenhower Silver Dollar)
(39 mm or ~1.5 inches)

Coins will be single color when minted (brass or silver).  Different colors are depicted here to bring out more of the details that will be readily apparent in the minted coin.  The pioneer's hand will be raised and hold a GPS on the actual coin (see sculpture photo below).  The tracking website and coin number will be stamped on the edge of the coin (see example at right).  

The coins should be available by mid-June.   

The brass coins are priced at $5 each and silver (1 oz. 0.999 fine silver) coins are $20 each, plus shipping.  Shipping will be provided at the cost of the packaging, postage, and optional insurance.  The brass coins will ship with a clear plastic flip (envelope).  The silver coins will ship with a plastic airtight container inside a velvet display box.  

Want to know the level of final engraved detail to expect?  Visit the Alaska Mint website to find out!  The photos don't do justice to the level of detail in the coins.  You can almost count the individual snow flakes on the 2005 Iditarod coin.

Many thanks to RLTW for merging several cachers' ideas into reality using his Photoshop wizardry and to many other Alaskan cachers for providing design input..

May 6 Update:  The plaster sculptures are now complete and the die cutting will begin.

June 9 Update:  I stopped by the Alaska Mint during a trip to Anchorage on Tuesday, June 7, and got to proof the moosehead die.  The Denali die is nearly complete.  The delivery date has slipped to the last week of June.  Sorry about no photo of the die...I left my camera in the car.

June 17 Update: I received a confirming phone call from the mint that the coin production of the Alaska Geocoins should be done by June 23 or 24.   

There are several brass and silver coins that haven't been paid for by cachers who expressed interest earlier. Repeated attempts to contact the cachers through their cacher accounts and using the original e-mail address they provided have been unsuccessful. I'm going to follow Sissy's lead for the South African Coins and accept new orders to for those coins. Please e-mail me if interested in increasing your already paid order or if you missed the original sales opportunity and want to place a new order.

June 21 Update:  The last silver coins are sold.  Still have some brass coins.

June 22 Update: The last brass coins are sold.  The Alaska Mint has slipped the final production schedule by another week.  Still hope to package and ship the coins over the July 4 weekend.

June 26 Update: Photos of the silver and brass coins are below.  Edge stamping with tracking information needs to be completed on the silver coins and minting and edge stamping of the brass coins is on the home stretch.  Keep watching this page for updates.

July 7 Update: Picked up all the silver and about half the brass coins from the Alaska Mint today. Airport security sure had fun dealing with all the boxes containing objects they couldn't see through. 

Will first sort out the coins needed for the Fairbanks, Valdez, and Anchorage Event Caches being held on July 10, 11, and 12, respectively. Then will begin packaging and mailing the coins in the order that orders were received, with coins starting to go out in the mail on July 8 and 9. The balance of the brass coins should be available on July 12, so the sorting and mailing process will continue throughout next week. Hope to have all coins distributed or in the mail by Saturday, July 16, so I can enjoy the rest of the short Alaskan summer!

July 9 Update:  All brass coins provided to date by the mint have been sorted and packaged for the upcoming Fairbanks, Valdez and Anchorage Coin Distribution Cache Events on July 10, 11, and 12, respectively, or mailed out.  Distribution priority was given to Alaskans and then by order of initial expression of interest/order placement.  RLTW helped prepare the mailing materials for the next batch of coins that we will begin packaging after I return from Anchorage with what I hope will be all the remaining brass coins on July 12.  

July 12 Update:  Don't forget to log your coins at Alaska Geocoin Tracking Website when you receive them. At the request of the coin collectors we did not prelog them based on the shipping ZIP code, but the Alaskan geocachers would like to see the cool maps light up with yellow dots as the coins are distributed. The tracking url and coin numbers are stamped on the edge of the coin (see photo above for example). The url is also on the plastic baggies provided with each of the brass coins. Some shipments didn't get the baggies (QA slip), so if you want some, drop me a PM or e-mail and I'll mail them to you.

The last of the distribution events was last night and at least one cacher is coming over tonight to help stuff envelops. The envelops are already labeled and the insurance slips complete, so it should be quick work over the next two-three evenings. The job will definitely be completed by Saturday!

There will be some variation in the exact order things go out because our cats had a field day (night?) knocking the envelop stacks to the floor and batting them around. Figure cachers would be more interested in us just stuffing envelops as fast and accurately as we can than putting the envelops back in order.

July 13 Update:  With RLTW's help and a marathon session that lasted until almost midnight, ALL remaining coin orders are packaged and ready for the trip to the post office on Thursday, July 14, if I can slip away from work for an hour or two. Many thanks to a great cacher and friend!

An update on whether the mass mailing occurred will be posted late Thursday. Please check your order and make sure we got it right when your coins arrive. With more than 250 envelops to stuff, I worry we made a mistake or two. If you have a question, don't hesitate to e-mail the Ladybug Kids. 

I will turn my attention to the waiting list on Thursday night, so if you've requested coins during the past few days, please keep checking this web page for updates.

July 25 Update:  Sample gold relief version of the coin arrived from the mint.  Orders will be taken through Monday, August 1.  The order will be placed if a minimum order of 50 is met.  The coins are $42 each, all shipping and insurance included.  The base coin is one ounce 0.999 silver with gold relief applied to the moose and rim of the coin.  These coins will have their own tracking number series.  PayPal or check/money market payments will be accepted.  

August 1 Update:  More than fifty orders for the gold relief version of the coins were received so the gold relief version of the coins will be minted.  All second run brass and silver coins and the gold relief coins should be available for mailing on August 12.

August 8 Update:  The Mint's delivery date slipped.  The second run brass and silver coins and the gold relief coins should be available by August 19.  

August 13 Update:  Stopped by the Alaska Mint on August 11 while in Anchorage and got a pleasant surprise!  All coins were done, so I'll start packaging and mailing them this weekend.  

August 18 Update:  Mailed out the first batch of coins today.  Hope to have the rest of the coins packaged and in the mail by Saturday.  

August 20 Update:  Mailed out the last batch of coins today.  If I don't hear from those who have not paid by the end of the weekend, I will make those coins (a few brass and three silver) available to other cachers.

Last updated September 08, 2006.