Smart Coins™ - Where Challenge coins meet technology
I've been in the custom coin design industry for nearly 30 years, and my #1 best-selling book on Amazon reveals my journey. But today, I want to discuss a revolutionary fundraising tool that has the potential to change how charities and non-profits engage with donors—introducing Smart Coins™.
Why Smart Coins™?
Our patented Smart Coins™ aren't just a collectible; they're a powerful fundraising tool that will help you build a perpetual donation program.
How Does It Work?
Imagine having a corporate sponsor cover the minting cost for 10K coins. The charity would then sell these coins for $100 each, ensuring every dollar from the $100 goes straight to the cause. The result? A guaranteed $1M for every 10K coins sold, all with zero out-of-pocket expenses for the charity.
The Smart Coin™ Effect
With Smart Coins™, you're not just donating; you're becoming a brand ambassador for the charity. Just like military personnel carry unit coins, these Smart Coins™ serve as a daily reminder of your commitment to the cause and will create a deeper emotional connection with your supporters.
Educate and teach your donors how this can be successful. Share the military history with challenge coins and the significance of what they mean to the people who carry them. Teach them how to use this fundraising tool by openly asking them to commit to three simple principles.
The Three Pillars
Carry it Daily: Keep the charity top of mind every day. It’s not just a keepsake; it's an active tool for change and something you're part of!
Talk About It: Share the charity’s mission whenever you have the chance and put the coin in their hands. Let them feel the weight, thickness and 3d detail against their fingertips. The tactile experience of the coin speaks for itself. The weight of the coin symbolically represents the weight of the charity, that you're helping to carry.
Spread the Word: Find at least one other person willing to donate and continue the cycle, essentially creating a grassroots perpetual donation machine.
Seeding for the Future
The corporate sponsor seeds the initial fund, allowing the charity to scale its efforts like never before. Imagine going from 100 people on payroll actively fundraising to suddenly having 10,000 active additional fundraisers. That’s impact on an epic scale! Laying out the 3 pillars prior to donation, helps your donor understand how their role can have significant impact in the collective fundraiser. They're agreeing to find a MINIMUM of one person so your 10K $100 donations should net you a minimum of another 10K $100 donations right?
Now you have 20K active fundraisers who are out looking for the next donation for you!
Imagine how that number can exponentially grow if everyone found 3 other people to make a donation. 30K new brand ambassadors carrying your fundraising tool, all linking back to your charity donation page.
Go ahead and question or doubt. There are plenty of objections you could throw out there. I'm not interested in the people who don't want to do it. I'm interested in helping teach people HOW to do it, to make it a huge success.
As a senior media consultant with Cumulus Media, I help business owners create effective marketing campaigns. What started as a patent for a hi-tech magic trick that I developed, Smart Phone Card Trick, quickly transformed into a fundraising tool that can magically help your charity raise more money. A grass-roots movement on a multi level marketing scale. That's the true magic of my patent.
PT Barnum said "Nothing draws a crowd like a crowd." Let me help you create your crowd and teach you how to improve your fundraising plan. No risk, just gains!
Smart Coins™ do more than collect dust in a drawer; they engage, involve, and empower. As donors, you become a part of something bigger than yourself, while charities gain a powerful tool to boost donations and engagement.
If you would like to talk about your fundraiser or learn more about Smart Coins™ visit https://smartcoins.GrayWaterOps.com
I'm happy to schedule time with your fundraising or marketing team, to walk through a perfect scenario and teach you how to make it successful. This isn't about "WILL it work?" It's about teaching you "how to MAKE it work!" No risk.
Continue making the same by doing the same or check into a patented fundraising tool that has been in the making since 2013. I'd love to talk to you about this.
I'm available for interviews, strategy sessions, zoom calls or in person meetings, to help your next fundraiser break the ceiling!
Happy fundraising!
Keith
Smart coins™ are the future of promotional items, designed to bridge the gap between traditional tangible keepsakes and modern digital technology. With Gray Water Ops' exclusive use of NFC chips within each smart coin™, customers can connect with special content only accessible if you have the coin.
Each smart coin™ is crafted with precision and quality, designed to be a leave-behind that exudes pride and appreciation from the person receiving one. As a merchandise item, smart coins™ have a wholesale price of $11-$12 per coin but can easily sell or bring $20- $50 based on the event and popularity of the coin design.
With over 25 years of experience in designing custom coins, artist Keith Hanshaw creates every design that Gray Water Ops mints. The company's commitment to excellence is evident in the high-quality craftsmanship of each smart coin™.
Gray Water Ops' smart coins™ are perfect for military units, event planners, and businesses looking to commemorate an occasion or promote their brand identity. And with free art and shipping on your first order, there's no reason not to see why Gray Water Ops is the go-to manufacturer for smart coins™.
Invest in the future with Gray Water Ops' patented smart coins™. Experience the seamless blend of traditional and modern technology that makes these coins stand out from the competition. Get your hands on one today and witness firsthand the endless possibilities brought forth by innovation and imagination.
Smart Coins™ for Your Digital Business Card
Introducing Smart Challenge Coins by Gray Water Ops
Looking for a unique and cutting-edge solution to replace your traditional paper business cards? Gray Water Ops has the answer: NFC challenge coins. With a patent to embed NFC chips in custom minted coins, Gray Water Ops has created a revolutionary product that combines the timeless appeal of challenge coins with the advanced technology of NFC chips.
What Are NFC Smart Coins™?
NFC Smart Coins™ are custom minted coins with embedded NFC chips that allow users to store contact information, website links, videos links, and more. As a business card, simply extend your coin to your contact, and they can tap their NFC enabled smartphone to your coin to automatically add your contact information to their contacts list. It's cost-effective, easy, and cutting-edge.
Get NFC Smart Coins™ for Your Staff
Throw away your paper business cards and upgrade your company's business card game with NFC Smart Coins™ for your staff. Contact Gray Water Ops to have a custom NFC challenge coin minted for your team today Minimum order is 200 for custom smart challenge coins.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to be ahead of the game with Smart Coins™!
You can email any art files to Keith Hanshaw at this e-mail address! Add Smart Coin™ to the subject block.
#SMARTCOIN #NFCSmartCoin #SMARTCHALLENGECOIN #GRAYWATEROPS
What can you DO with a NFC challenge coin?
The NFC chip, embedded inside the metal coin, can be programmed to do a variety of tasks. It’s not like a flash drive that stores data. The tag can store a command that tells a smartphone or NFC enabled device to DO something.
As a business card coin - You can use it to store contact info like your name, phone number, email address and website. When anyone with a NFC enabled device touches their phone to your coin, the contact data is transferred from the coin, to the contact list on the smart phone.
As a location finder - You could put a map location on the coin, so when you touch your phone to the coin, a Google map location is opened.
Create a customer loyalty program - You can store data for a customer loyalty program, allow check in or check out at a location.
You can store a hidden website link that can only be accessed through the coin. Touch your phone to the coin and a website opens on your phone.
Automate common phone tasks
Make Payments
For more NFC uses, check out this link: https://www.rfidntag.com/21-cool-uses-for-nfc-tags-make-your-life-smart-and-interesting/
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION
All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The present invention is a coin that is capable of transferring digital information to another electronic device. The present invention would typically be used to digitally store promotional information that can be readily transferred to another electronic device. The physical appearance of the present invention should relate to the promotional information as well. The present invention mainly comprises a metal planar body, a near field communication (NFC) chip 6, and a vinyl sticker. The metal planar body 1 resembles a typical coin with a disc shape and is aesthetically designed to relate to the digital information being stored on the present invention. The NFC chip 6 is used to establish radio communication with a host electronic device that is also NFC-enabled such as a smart-phone, a tablet personal computer, or a laptop. The NFC chip 6 does not require a portable power source because the NFC chip 6 is capable of drawing power from the host electronic device. The NFC chip 6 can also be used to send commands to the host electronic device such as storing contact information, opening a particular webpage, or playing a specific sound. The NFC chip 6 can be, but is not limited to, a 144 byte chip or a one kilobyte chip. In the preferred embodiment, the present invention is used as a kind of business card, and the NFC chip 6 is used to store business contact information. In addition, the vinyl sticker 9 is used to enclose the NFC chip 6 within a recessed well 4 of the metal planar body 1. The vinyl sticker 9 allows the NFC chip 6 to properly function and communicate with the host electronic device while still enclosing the NFC chip 6 within the metal planar body 1.
The metal planar body 1 is used as a base to connect all the other components of the present invention and has a disc shape. The metal planar body 1 comprises a first side 2 and a second side 5, which are the flat portions of the metal planar body 1 and are positioned opposite to each other through the metal planar body 1. In the preferred method of manufacturing the present invention, the metal planar body 1 is die-struck by two molds, one for the first side 2 and another of the second side 5. The first side 2 comprises an annular surface 3 and a recessed well 4. The recessed well 4 is a space that traverses into the first side 2 of the metal planar body 1. The NFC chip 6 is mounted within the recessed well 4. Moreover, the recessed well 4 is centrally positioned on the first side 2 so that the annular surface 3 has a consistent radial width, which allows the present invention to have a more symmetric appearance. Thus, the annular surface 3 encircles the recessed well 4 and is marked with engravings or other graphics that relate to the digital information on the NFC chip 6. As can be seen in FIG. 5, an epoxy finish 10 is layered onto both the annular surface 3 and the vinyl sticker 9, which is used to further protect the exterior of the present invention from physical damage.
An insulative pad 7 is a kind of shielding that is used to prevent the NFC chip 6 from short-circuiting by coming in contact with the metal planar body 1. If the NFC chip 6 were to touch the metal planar body 1, then the NFC chip 6 would not be able to properly function. The first insulative pad 7 can be made of, but is not limited to, foam or rubber. The insulative pad 7 is positioned in between the recessed well 4 and the NFC chip 6, which prevents the NFC chip 6 from touching the metal planar body 1. The insulative pad 7 is also adhered to the recessed well 4 so that the insulative pad 7 is properly situated on the recessed well 4.
An attachment tag 8 allows the present invention to situate the NFC chip 6. The attachment tag 8 is positioned in between the NFC chip 6 and the vinyl sticker 9 so that the vinyl sticker 9 does not directly adhere to the NFC chip 6. The attachment tag 8 is centrally adhered onto the NFC chip 6 and is peripherally adhered onto the insulative pad 7, which secures the NFC chip 6 to the insulative pad 7. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the insulative pad 7 and the attachment tag 8 are combined with the NFC chip 6 as one manufactured part.
The vinyl sticker 9 is the means to mount the NFC chip 6 to the metal planar body 1 without inhibiting its ability to transmit digital information to the host electronic device through radio communication. Thus, the vinyl sticker 9 is centrally adhered onto both the insulative pad 7 and the attachment tag 8 and is peripherally adhered onto the recessed well 4, which secures and situates the vinyl sticker 9 into the recessed well 4.
The present invention can be implemented in a variety of ways. One way is for a football team to sell a commemorative embodiment of the present invention, which would allow user of the present invention to access exclusive team-related content that is only available through the present invention. Another way is to change the data on the server side so that the present invention would contain the same link and only the content for the link would change on the server side. Another way is to have the host electronic device be a smart-phone, and the present invention could call a phone number or link to a map location for a secret party or event.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
To begin an order or ask for a price estimate, click here.
Get ready to experience the advanced yet stylish Gray Water Ops NFC embedded Smart Coin™ - the ultimate combination of technology and elegance. This sample coin is minted and sold individually as a digital business card. The chips are formatted but unprogrammed so you can program them for your specific use. We recommend NFC Tools as the app on android or iPhone. The simplest use is to program a website on he chip. Then when someone taps a NFC enabled smartphone to the coin, the website browser opens on their phone and takes them to the destination stored on the chip.
Order a single coin to test the technology for yourself, before minting your custom order of 200 or more coins. The coin comes formatted and you can program it for your specific needs. The most common uses are as a digital business card or programmed to launch a website when a smartphone is tapped to the coin.
Recommended NFC app for programming your smart coins™
We recommend NFC Tools for Android or iPhone. You can get a free version but the paid version is less than $20 and gives you extra features you don’t get in the free version.
Abstract of the Gray Water Ops NFC Smart challenge coin
A digital information transferring coin is a disc-shaped apparatus that is capable of transferring digital information to another electronic device through radio communication. The apparatus includes a metal planar body, a near field communication (NFC) chip, a vinyl sticker, and an insulative pad. The NFC chip is mounted within a recessed well of the metal planar body. The vinyl sticker encloses the NFC chip within the recessed well, which allows the NFC chip to wirelessly communicate with a host NFC-enabled electronic device without interference from the apparatus. The NFC chip is situated within its recessed well with the insulative pad, which is used to prevent the NFC chip from making direct contact with the metal planar body. An epoxy finish is applied onto both the vinyl sticker and the metal planar body in order to further protect the NFC chip from any physical damage.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for use with a coin. More specifically, the present invention is a custom minted coin with a micro-chip embedded in the coin that allows a user to communicate information by using Near Field Communication (NFC). See the full patent here.
