Alaska Geocoin Information

Activation Code Retrieval: Click here to retrieve the activation codes for your 2006 Alaska geocoins from Oakcoins .

September 7:  Sales external to Alaska were announced via a post in the Geocoin Forum.  Use the following links to order your Alaska geocoins:

Inside the United States

Outside the United States

2006 Alaska Geocoin

After receiving input from cachers in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Valdez during December's GeoFests, design artwork was submitted to The Alaska Mint .  The Mint's artist created a three-dimensional clay sculpture from the artwork that will be used as the model to create the die.  

The front of the coin features the Alaskan wolf hunting under the Ursa Major (the big bear or big dipper) and the aurora borealis (northern lights).  The wolf demonstrates the tenacity, resolve and cooperation exhibited by Alaska's cachers.  Ursa Major is featured on Alaska's state flag and symbolizes Alaska's state motto, "North to the Future."  Alaskan cachers get to see lots of auroras during all the available night caching during the 19-hour winter nights.  The reverse side of the coin features a prospector seeking his cache safety tucked away on the tiaga in the shadow of Denali.    

June 30:  The clay sculpture is complete (see above right image).  A latex mold of the sculpture will be made next.  Then, a plaster relief will be made using the mold and the artist will carve the fine details into the plaster.  The final metal die will be cut using the high detail plaster model.  

This Wikipedia article describes the process in more detail.

August 1:  The coins have all been struck!!!  All that remains is edge lettering the 0.999 silver coins and engraving the tracking numbers.  This work is expected to be complete by August 18.

August 15: The 1.5 inch/39 mm coin are struck in solid commercial bronze (85% copper, 15% zinc, also called brass), one ounce 0.999 silver, and one ounce 0.999 silver with 24K gold relief.  The coins are all proof quality, produced by striking the planchets twice with dies polished to a mirror finish using a pressure of 160-180 tons.  The edge of the silver and silver with gold relief coins is stamped "1 OZ .999 FINE SILVER."  The price and maximum number of each coin type are indicated below.   The actual number of coins minted will depend on the number of coins sold.  The coin will be trackable at geocaching.com and will have a custom icon for your stats page when you log or activate one .  Many thanks to Northwes for tapping his resources to create the custom icon.

Also for sale for $3.00 each are 1" geopins based on the coin design.  They are available in antique bronze (left) and antique silver finishes.

A $1.50 handling and packaging fee per order (not per coin or pin) will be added to the cost of any mail orders along with optional postal insurance.  Mail orders will accepted after the September 7 Anchorage Geocoin Distribution.  A sales page allowing payment via PayPal will be posted at that time.

Sales are open to Alaskans prior to sales external to Alaska.  Attend one of the following events to get your coins before everyone else!

Many thanks to Oakcoins for hosting the coin activation code retrieval.  Their assistance with this project saved our volunteers many hours of matching coins to codes.

2005 Alaska Geocoin --  These coins are sold out!

The 2005 Alaska geocoin was the state's first geocoin.  1500 brass, 300 one-ounce 0.999 silver, and 100 one-ounce silver with 24K gold relief coins (pictured below) were produced.  Each coin is individually numbered and may be tracked at www.log4.us/ak.  Click here for details behind the production of this coin.