| If you can't already tell, this isn't a normal coin. This would be a geocoin, associated pretty much exclusively with geocaching. This would be my first geocoin owned, and decided to make a chainmaille wrap for it. It took a bit of experimentation to find out what ring sizes would work to hold such a thick coin (approx. 2mm thick... twice as thick as a typical quarter). I had decided that an HP 3-1 wouldn't hold it tight enough, and didn't want to rely on any kind of adhesive to hold it in. After deciding on a 3/4 full persian (full persian 6-1 with one side removed), I found sizes that worked, and made quick work of the wrap. I was lucky in that it worked out to hold the coin tightly, yet still possible to close the last rings, without requiring smaller/larger ring sizes for the very last connection to close it. All in all, it turned out quite nicely. | |
| Of course, that can only be the first half of the battle. Now that we have a wrapped coin, we need some way to suspend it. Albeit having a chainmail-wrapped coin is interesting in itself, we need some way to hold it other than just in our hands like a regular coin... some way to suspend or dangle it. So I set to work coming up with a nice looking way of attaching a chain to it. I didn't want a straight-on connection, so I decided to use a full persian weave, and split it into two half persian 3-1 chains, which then attach to the coin wrap itself. Then, to have a smaller hanging chain, I tapered down the full persian with smaller rings, and wove a Jens Pind weave off of the taper. Now it looks smooth, flows nicely, and the Jens Pind chain can be made as long as needed or wanted. The wire used was all 18 gauge stainless steel, and the ring sizes used were 3/8", 3/16", 5/32", and 1/8" ID. I'll let you pick out which is where :P | |
