After testing the homemade prototype on a camping trip, we decided to invest a bit of time and money into creating pieces with better aesthetics - to see how our kid's friends would react. We printed the (temporary) art on stickers and placed them on finished wooden nickels. For what they were, they worked great. We were able to confirm the ease at which kids picked-up the game rules and the fun they had playing. This temporary "trial" solution also confirmed for us the direction we were planning to take with regard to piece construction. We were heavily leaning toward a painted and etched coin to give the game a "real" medieval coin look and feel. The look and feel of these stickered coins sealed the decision for us - we'd be etching coins.
