Well, I figured it would turn out like this. I cannot possibly see how so many people vote for, what I consider, a very unappealing design. Which one I'm referring to is irrelevant, but since this style of voting seems to be what will determine the winner, I'll just share some information that I collected on the voting.
Here's how the voting currently stands (someone feel free to check my numbers):
iawgoM - 24
elianite - 21
BTC - Graphics - 12
MrBau - 4
bit0 - 4
bonksnp - 3
campycoin - 2
S4VV4S - 2
Cranky4U - 1
All of the voting for a design that I thought was.......not great, kept getting votes when the original finalist
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=764623.0 thread went up. Everyone was screming scam/padded votes etc (which appears to be true) so Coinographic made a new thread open to everyone. Since this board seemed to be manipulating the results, I went ahead and took the libery of posting a vote of the original top 5 finalist on a hardware forum I frequent. I told them I would honestly like to know which design they like best, without googling who's design is which (even though a couple were watermarked already). The order I posted the designs were as follows (to try and keep it seperate from the order they were in the thread):
1. S4VV4S
2. iawgoM
3. elianite
4. bonksnp2
5. bit0
Out of 143 votes, here at the results as of 5Sept2014:
https://i.imgur.com/xWLWLOW.pngWhile I would like to think that I could pad the results like this, I assure you, I don't have enough time or internet friends to do so. And if anyone has a subscription to General Mayhem on Hardforum you can confirm the thread here and not some photoshop job I made up:
http://hardforum.com/poll.php?do=showresults&pollid=8632.
BUT, I figured you know what, maybe this STILL isn't a fair vote since I'm a somewhat active member there. Maybe everyone went out and googled the designs first despite me asking them to give thier honest opinion just so they could vote for my design (unlikely, but possible). So I went to a coin enthusiast forum (
http://www.coincommunity.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=7), signed up under a random name and posted the top 5 designs again, in the same order. Unfortunately the admins took the thread down, but in the one day it was up the results were as follows:
Design 1 - 0
Design 2 - 2
Design 3 - 0
Design 4 - 5
Design 5 - 0
There's really no weight to the last vote since I have no proof, but I'm sure the admins there will be more than happy to confirm they removed a "Bitcoin design opinion" thread. And maybe even still have the results?
Now I guess the more friends you have on BTCtalk the better your design will do.
iawgoM asked for others (in a different language mind you....I assume to keep hidden from primarily english speaking folks) to vote for him:
https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=hr&tl=en&u=https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=25215.msg8624519#msg8624519elianite not only asked for votes (which is questionable really) but had to have someone else photoshop his design because he doesn't know how to use it (which is the bigger issue). Coinographic stated
The winning designer confirms that;
1) They agree to work with us after the voting is complete until the final coin design is produced, no matter the amount of time this takes. This includes the front & Rear of the coin as well as the hologram and packaging
It's not really clear whether or not "working with us" means to modify the actual design in PS/AI/etc (which I assume it does) or if it means "Give us your opinion on the coin" for whatever reason, which I seriously doubt.
I was told of this contest by fellow physical crypto collector elianite.
BTC-Graphics design is straight up ripped off from a Shutter Stock image
which is copyrighted by someone named Mauro Carli:
http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-203441218/stock-photo-roaring-lion-head-high-relief-on-the-facade-of-a-palace.html?src=PS5DwrRy6S3EBRIUs8iKRA-1-1&pl=77643-108110 Design 15 is far and away the best. A lot of thought. I like the upside down pyramid and more. Plus the box looks like it includes a free vape pen
LOL. Yes, A lot of thought indeed.
Coinographic the 5 designs you have choosen clearly are fails.
At least most of them are original. Enjoy your lawsuit.
Someone in one of the other threads suggested that my design wasn't original. I assure you, it was, and I have every single version of it saved on my computer if anyone doubts me. I also saw many people claiming that the edge of my coin was silver and the "engraved lines" were just gold engraved into the black surface. I guess no one thought to maybe ask what my intentions were but instead just make assumptions based on whatever they thought.
My design was to be a solid gold coin, with the edge dipped in white gold. The black would have been a high gloss paint maybe, but I figured this would be something we would work out if my design was chosen. But there would have certainly been 2oz of .9999 gold in the coin.
Frankly, I thought the 5 finalists that were chosen were fine with the exception of MrBau being absent. But of course I was part of that group and the majority of you who weren't threw a fit because it was "an epic fail" and "I'll never buy coins from you!" and whatever else.
It's a shame it all went down like this, really. I sincerely hope that the below is seen be Coinographic because it's probably the only reasonable piece of advice in the thread.
Coinographic, in the future, don't let the community vote.
Just choose the designs yourself.
