a pathtag is a gift, a coin is a loan

from a question on Pathtags forum

My son sold one of our Nativity pathtags on ebay. The person that bought the tag has this interesting question for me...
"I have bought this pathtag (nativity), but you are listed as the owner. How can I get it transferred to me?"
Now, I've tried a few times to put a response down in understandable terms but it just seems lacking. So I was wondering if anyone has suggestions on how best to describe pathtag ownership? Even that sounds like a strange question

This is how I would TRY to explain the difference between pathtags and geocoins:

The big difference between a coin and a tag is that a coin is a travelling item where the person who bought the coin stays owner whereas a tag is swag which can be refferenced to you.
Once the PT-owner drops the tag in a cache it is no longer his/hers. Its like dropping a carabiner, a marble a puppet, a McToy or a buisness card. The next person picking it up can keep it -or pass it on- but the tag creator no longer has physical ownership.
Its a bit like a buisness card, once you hand it out its gone and its no longer yours, the person who has it can do with it whatever they want but it can still be refferenced to you.

There is a important difference between ownership of a coin and ownership of a tag design.
Two coins of the same design will each have their independent tracking number, so one person can own one coin of that series.
When tags of a certain design are minted ALL will have THE SAME tracking number. If 200 are made all 200 will have the same tracking number.

Transferring ownership of a tag(design) would mean transferring ownership of that design and ALL the tags of that design that have been minted in the past and might be minted in the future.

The other option is to have at least 50 tags made of that design, possibly slightly modified or on a different plating (metal). This series would receive a different tracking number.

Most people buy a tag either to add to their collection or buy several of one design (made by someonelse) to either drop in caches or trade for others they wish to add to their collection.

When you give someone a tag its a gift. when you give someone a coin its a loan.