Gold coins

I have struck a problem doing the coins for the hip scarf. Although I have gold thread I am uncertain that I can make them look good. I had a go and this is what happened:

It looks a bit pathetic really and the satin stitch is very awkward on evenweave fabric because I can't get a smooth edge. A couple of practices later and I have come to the conclusion that coins won't really work. The satin stitch looks ok in photos but stands out from the fabric quite a long way because the thread doesn't bend, so it would get damaged very quickly, and I am still having trouble keeping the edge smooth.

The other two experiments are to test the idea of creating an outline and then filling it with a blackwork stitch pattern. They are more practical but are unsuitable stylistically in this case because the rest of the bellydancer is quite naturalistic and they are too stylised to fit in with the overall image. Therefore, I think I am going to have to give up on the idea of having coins at all. I will experiment with gold thread at some point and possibly come back to the idea when I am more experienced.