Polynesian Compass Rose 2014 Geocoin--#1

Four of these gorgeous Polynesian Geocoins were purchased to be dropped in caches on the Hawaiian Islands during our first vacation in this beautiful place. I attended college with many Hawaiians and learned about the customs, history, and legends of these wonderful Islands and their descendants and have waited 50 years to visit.  Two coins will be dropped on Oahu and two on the Big Island--Hawaii.

 These are wonderous works of art portraying the ancestry of the islands of Polynesia and they need the opportunity to see the world.  Admire, discover, and then move these coins along to other caches, PLEASE do not put them into your collection!  Mahalo nui

The Polynesian Compass Rose Geocoin® is based on the ancestry of the islands of Polynesia and is the creation of our friends at Coins and Pins.

This group of islands encompasses an area between the key points of Hawaii, Easter Island, and New Zealand, forming a triangle. Originating from the northern end of New Guinea, the first Polynesian people were thought to have started moving eastward in efforts to find islands to support their growing population and interest in oceanic exploration.

These islands first started out within a few miles, but as the expeditions became greater and the ships became larger, they began to be up to thousands of miles apart.

The compass rose on this coin signifies the sophisticated navigational system that the Polynesian people used to stay on course. They use the natural changes in the world to guide them, such as the tide of the ocean, position of the stars, flight patterns of birds, and other, similar, natural phenomena. Each sun and moon depicts the time that is passing between these trips. This system can still be learned today in areas near the Solomon Islands.

The ocean displayed on either side of this coin represents the foundation that this culture is based upon. The sea monsters residing in the waters on this coin are references to old myths of sea monsters that were encountered during the trips between islands.

The fleur de lis located at each of the eight half-winds symbolizes the French influence on part of this area.

The style on the back of the coin was inspired by the geometric tattoos that were very common in this area.

The ship is a stylized version of the double masted ships the Polynesians use and celebrates the accomplishments of this culture on discovering more about the Pacific.