** Polynesian Compass Rose 2014 Geocoin

To travel with its owner.

Polynesia - 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 beautiful compass rose on our Polynesian Compass Rose Geocoin^®signifies the sophisticated navigational system that the Polynesian people used to stay on course. They were guided in the natural changes in the world, 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 passed 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 reference back to old myths of monstrous creatures 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, and the geometric tattoos that were very commonly found in this area have inspired the style on the coin's back. 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.

The five coin versions:

• Measures 2" in diameter
• Features vibrant hard enamel colors in extremely detailed 2D
• Trackable on Geocoaching.com
• An icon specific to each coin will show on your Geocaching profile when you log a discovery

Regular versions' icon:
Limited versions' icon:

Read more about compass rose history.