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Eruclauron
Bree
Nov 2 2015, 8:24pm
Post #2 of 18
(2550 views)
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I just came across this yesterday, after almost forgetting about it, and now here it is again. Personally, I'm really interested in these. I don't plan to get more than one of each coin, but I think they'd look really cool set up in a small pile on my Middle-earth bookcase, maybe on top of a small coin bag.
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Nov 3 2015, 10:06pm
Post #3 of 18
(2526 views)
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Thanks Balbo for bringing it up again! Yes that's us! If you watch the video through to the end you'll get the cameo shot of the whole Shire Post Mint crew. That's me with my wife Peggy, our son Woody, daughter Helen, and even my dad Bob and my mom Louise who help us out sometimes with stuffing envelopes and packaging. Woody and I are out in the workshop feverishly banging away, planning to have them all done in time to ship for Christmas 2015! Peg is sewing the leather coin bags for the higher levels, and they are coming along well. Helen is doing calligraphy and design for the packaging, as well as keeping up with the editing of the Kickstarter, the website, and the updates. The cloth bags have been unlocked on the stretch goals, so every backer of #3 and above will be receiving one of those. We'll get busy pressing the seals into those soon.
I'll also begin stamping and postmarking the gift envelopes that will come with each set. We have several "interdimensional fulfillment centers" so that you will be able to gift these things to people, and have them show up as having been mailed from Southlinch Breeland, Brandy Hall Buckland, Hardbottle Southfarthing, or Michel Delving Westfarthing... depending on which sets they are.
We'll be bringing out some new coins and sets over the next couple of years... but we wanted to get this first lot available for this Yule! If we make the 30k stretch goal, then everyone at or above reward level #3 (THE NINE) will also receive the Gondor Crown... a very special fourth-age piece issued to celebrate the coronation of Elessar and his marriage to Arwen! We are actually narrowing in on that stretch goal... so pile on and make sure we get there!
The road goes ever on! May your eyries receive you at journey's end!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Nov 6 2015, 8:01pm
Post #4 of 18
(2479 views)
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Is popular. You can buy bezels online and set, or have a jeweler do it for you. Or wire work and make wrapped charms and pendants etc.
Embed coins in resin or use to decorate one of the wooden boxes you get from a craft store.
Frame up with other Middle Earth memorabilia.
Glue inside a WETA Chronicles book and give as a present.
Add to the hilt of a custom made knife.
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StoryoftheGhost
The Shire
Nov 7 2015, 1:14pm
Post #5 of 18
(2470 views)
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So glad to have stumbled across the Kickstarter! I came here to make sure everyone knows about it...and get everyone to pile on! The newly defined stretch levels look fantastic.
I plan on keeping Aragorn's Coronation coin in my pocket, along with a few Shire pennies to give as on-the-spot gifts. I love the idea of a bezel for a necklace.
The LOTR sword miniature collectibles come in a nice wood and glass display case. I'll find another home for my mini-Anduril and nest a few different coins in the case on my desk to play with while on conference calls, during day dreams, etc.
What I find so intriguing is that each coin not only represents a realm, but a specific point in time. Handling each one will get my mind spinning on the history lesson each holds.
The artwork is spot on. To have things from my lifelong fantasy take shape in the real world is such a thrill. I should be sleeping in this Saturday morning, but I can't because I keep thinking about the Kickstarter.
Hope to see you all at the new TOP stretch goal!
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StoryoftheGhost
The Shire
Nov 9 2015, 5:20pm
Post #6 of 18
(2434 views)
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Collecting the Precious - Shire Post Mint
[In reply to]
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I submitted a news event to the main page of TheOneRing.net in hopes of getting this project posted as a main page "Collecting the Precious" article. It certainly deserves to be. I'd be sooo disappointed if I had missed this.
Looking forward to the next stretch goal!
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StoryoftheGhost
The Shire
Nov 11 2015, 6:12pm
Post #7 of 18
(2387 views)
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Another stretch goal hit today ($40K!), opening up the gift of a Shire Oak Doubletree coin to ALL participants. Even the very first tier of participation is now a grand offer.
Next stretch gets us to the Gondor Penny. Spread the word and pile on!!
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Nov 13 2015, 3:15pm
Post #8 of 18
(2355 views)
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Gondor Penny! $45k Stretch goal unlocked!
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Thanks to all of you we've broken through the $45k stretch goal! Coin striking is continuing, postage stamps for the gift envelopes are being perforated and the envelopes postmarked from various places around The Shire, bags are being sewn and embossed, and the coins are being assembled into sets. It's all happening! A new update should go out today! We're just tickled as can be to see this going so well. It's a lot of work... but it allows us to indulge our own fantasies! Mine is dipping my hands into a wooden box of Middle-earth coins and letting them trickle through my fingers whilst chortling in piratical glee. There's no other way I'd ever get the chance to do it, than being the one to make them! Many thanks to all our friends and backers! We raise a glass of Old Winyards to you!
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Nov 24 2015, 1:37am
Post #9 of 18
(2228 views)
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Wow, this thing is going wild! We're up to 460 backers (we estimated there might be 300) and we've bashed through the $50k stretch goal, (we estimated we might reach $30k) and the backers are all getting a whole raft of cool freebies! Since the last update the Doubletree, Gondor copper Penny, and the bronze Haypenny from The Shire have all been unlocked, and we're on track to potentially hit $75k, at which point all the backers above #5 will receive the Hand of Saruman coin. It's an awesome little coin... inscribed in Dunlandish. Everyone at or above #3 will be getting a cloth coin bag for their loose stretch-goal loot, in addition to the packaged reward items. You can think of the little cloth bags as similar to the ones that (in the film) the Dwarves toss to each other as they're riding along the road after Bilbo joins them. In the PJ version, the Dwarves took bets on whether Bilbo would join them (a cute little exchange that was not in the book) and of course... Gandalf fields a nice little bag of his winnings!
We've got some part-time helpers lending a hand packing sets, and we''re doing some extended production runs to meet the demand. We've only promised that the first 300 would get out in time, but we're pretty sure we can go as high as 600 backers and still get them in the mail before the holidays!
Have fun!
Tom
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Eruclauron
Bree
Nov 25 2015, 12:28am
Post #10 of 18
(2224 views)
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I'm really glad to see how well this project is doing! I also can't wait to have some of these coins in my hands!
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Dec 1 2015, 5:19am
Post #11 of 18
(2072 views)
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Okay, we're down to the last hour! We've broken the 80k stretch goal, which means everybody backing #3 and up will receive the Red Hand of Saruman coin! But it looks like we will probably not make the 90k goal that would unlock the Black Brumby. We've let some folks know that if they really want the Black Brumby anyway, they can get it as an add-on by increasing their pledge by $16 and mentioning it in the survey. We're pretty much ready to start fulfilling as soon as the surveys start coming back in. We're staying up until midnight so we can send out the surveys as soon as possible... celebrating with a nice old pinot noir (the very last drop of the Old Winyards). We should be carting crates of parcels to the post office by week's end! The pony pulling the cart will not be too happy about it... but we'll give him a couple extra apples and he'll be okay!
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Eruclauron
Bree
Dec 2 2015, 12:11am
Post #12 of 18
(2063 views)
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I stayed up late last night to make sure I could fill out and return the survey as soon as I received the email! I know I'm going to start to sound like a broken record, but I really can't wait to have these coins in hand!
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Eruclauron
Bree
Dec 10 2015, 5:19pm
Post #13 of 18
(1994 views)
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The postwoman delivered my parcel of coins earlier today, and I opened them right away! After months of anticipation they don't disappoint! (Well, mostly, but I'll get to that in a bit.) I feel like I'm holding a bit of Middle-earth in my hand with these coins, and hearing the soft jingle of the coins in the small cloth bag is really wonderful. Every coin feels distinct: you can tell right away which coin came from where. I think my personal favorite is Aragorn's coronation coin (I have all the other stretch goal coins in the bag, but that one sits out in front), but each and every one is astounding!
Now, onto the one disappointment (and it's not even a fault with the coins themselves): I backed The Nine, but I got two The Lord of the Rings sets and no The Hobbit set. I didn't even notice at first amidst all my excitement, but here they are: http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t419/Legomaster34/Middle-earth%20Collection/Shire%20Post%20Mint%20Coins/Two%20Lord%20of%20the%20Rings%20sets_zpszwykpbo5.jpg (I'm sorry, I still don't know how to post links on this site.) I don't know if there's someone I should contact about this, but in the grand scheme of these amazing coins, it is only a small annoyance. 
Just one more picture to show my appreciation for these outstanding coins:
http://i1058.photobucket.com/albums/t419/Legomaster34/Middle-earth%20Collection/Shire%20Post%20Mint%20Coins/Shire%20Post%20Kickstarter%20Coins%201_zps5hevzpga.jpg
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Dec 13 2015, 1:34am
Post #14 of 18
(1959 views)
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So sorry we messed up your order! It was probably me... I packed almost all of the Nines. But there were over 350 of them... and I got a little crosseyed. Sigh.
Email or message me via Kickstarter (be sure to mention your real name and address) and I'll send out the Hobbit set for you gratis. You can keep the extra coins as gifts for your friends.
We got the last of the rewards sent out yesterday.... or at least... we got all the ones with surveys returned. There are still about ten people who have not responded to the survey, so we have no mailing address for them.
Glad you liked the ones you got! But we'll get that other set out as soon as I know who you are on the list.
Tom
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Eruclauron
Bree
Dec 13 2015, 10:02pm
Post #15 of 18
(1935 views)
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Thank you for getting back to me so quickly! (I only signed up to Kickstarter to support this project, so I didn't even think to message you on there first, sorry!) I look forward to having The Hobbit coins in hand!
Thanks again! 
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Dec 14 2015, 8:08pm
Post #16 of 18
(1917 views)
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No problem. That's going out today! Sorry for the delay.
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Eruclauron
Bree
Dec 18 2015, 6:57pm
Post #17 of 18
(1876 views)
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I came home today to find the envelope in my mailbox. Thank you so much! They're just as wonderful as I was expecting!
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Will Whitfoot
The Shire
Dec 18 2015, 7:58pm
Post #18 of 18
(1873 views)
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Now available post-kickstarter online
[In reply to]
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Now that the Kickstarter is over and we've been able to assess our stock, we've put some listings up on the online store!
The Lord of the Rings™ and The Hobbit™ coinage listings.
Mostly they are in sets, and mostly they are different types from The Shire. If it seems like we spent way too much time on Hobbits... blame me. I find myself a Hobbit at heart. The whole effort of Shire Post began when contemplating the line about Bilbo sitting on his front stoop reading his morning letters. That single mention of "morning letters" carries a host of implications for the level of complexity and repleteness of the Shire infrastructure. From postal deliveries and rate structure, to a monetary system, and the ability to move letters and parcels so reliably that TWO deliveries a day were required!
I hope the recipients liked the stamps. I do have some of those Yuletide gifting envelopes left over, and they'll be included in parcels with any LOTR/Hobbit coins until they're gone.
Be well! Will
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