Challenge Coin Manufacturing - Military Coins - Police & Fire Coins

A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion (usually military), bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and is carried by the organization’s members or is used as a Command Coin by high ranking military officers. They are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale. We Manufacture Challenge Coins for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Marines, Police Departments, Fire Departments, US Government Agencies, Sport Teams and Corporations.

With our military overseas, Challenge Coins are in hot demand right now. We are also seeing an increase of custom designs for police and fire departments since 9/11.

Our Custom Challenge Coins are of high quality copper, and plated with the metallic color of your choice. We don't use Zinc Alloy.
Coins are custom created with your logo or design
Soft Enamel Color is used standard (Hard Enamel Available)
Basic Price includes up to 6 colors.
Each Coin can be stamped and colored on both sides
Colors can be different on each side
Average delivery is currently 20 days
We suggest that your coin be 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter

Pricing:

All prices include die/mold. I point this out because there are many challenge coin web sites claiming to have the lowest coin pricing. This may be true for their "base price", but by the time you add all the additional costs including and being overcharged for the die mold you are not paying the best price. Plus the coin artwork is free if you order your coins through me. For information on shipping charges and payment terms, please contact us. Please contact us for smaller or larger quantities than referenced below.

AIS and reseller inquires invited. One Week rush orders available.

Coin Options

Individual Plastic Containers are available
Coins can be Individually numbered
Antique Metal is available
Epoxy covering is offered as an option

Coins (Challenge Coins) Our Coins are 2 sided. We suggest 1.5 to 1.75 as the best sizes. Each coin is individually crafted. First the coin is stamped on both sides, and then filled with Soft Enamel. Epoxy can be used to cover the Enamel though I don't like epoxy because it oxidizes over time and can turn yellow or cloudy. Please check all of our options, below the Price List. Hard Enamel (Epola), cut-outs, sandblast, special shapes, 3D die molds, numbering and REAL Gold and Silver Plating at an additional cost. I personally like mixing it up on the designs by having both hard and soft enamel with 3D if it fits your design. Quantity .5" .75" 1" 1.25" 1.5" 1.75" 2" 2.25" 2.5" 2.75" 3" 75 - 99 $4.19 $4.39 $4.49 $4.59 $4.69 $5.19 $6.09 $6.69 $7.29 $7.89 $8.49 100- 249 $2.88 $2.98 $3.08 $3.38 $3.78 $4.28 $4.78 $5.38 $5.98 $6.58 $7.18 250- 499 $1.74 $1.78 $1.88 $1.98 $2.38 $2.78 $2.98 $3.38 $3.98 $4.58 $5.18 500- 999 $1.70 $1.72 $1.78 $1.88 $2.18 $2.38 $2.58 $2.98 $3.58 $4.18 $4.98 1000-2499 $1.62 $1.64 $1.68 $1.78 $1.88 $2.08 $2.38 $2.78 $3.38 $3.98 $4.58 2500 + $1.58 $1.60 $1.62 $1.64 $1.78 $1.98 $2.18 $2.58 $3.18 $3.78 $4.18

Please click here to see an example of the challenge coin design process

Each challenge coin comes in a PVC coin holder

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On a personal note, why I manufacture Challenge Coins...

My father was a Naval War Hero in the Pacific Theater during World War 2. He was stationed on the Old Enterprise (CV-6). He collected many military items which he eventually passed on to me at a very young age. I have been collecting historic military memorabilia ever since.

My collecting eventually led me to Germany where I acquired a number of custom coins that were created by a couple of really famous Generals. That led to Korea and eventually Vietnam. Some of these coins are quite worn but keepers, none the less. This has led to my personal collection of over 5,000 challenge coins. But, I noticed even recently, I have come across many challenge coins which were manufactured poorly.

Have you ever looked at a challenge coin that has been carried in a soldier's pocket for ages and how worn down it looks? Or maybe the enamel coloring is worn off? That should not happen with today's AVAILABLE manufacturing processes. So, as a favor to a unit I was once associated with, I started looking to the factories for a quality manufacturing process, had the first set of coins made in 2002 and have created hundreds of designs since.

So here is the deal. I am a challenge coin collector first and foremost.

 I have researched all of the manufacturing processes.

 I have the best factory in the world.

 I have the best prices for the quality we deliver.

 I can deliver quickly. I know challenge coins.

 I know what what process would best represent your unit.

 By giving me the opportunity to earn your business, you are doing business   with a brother. I have served my country in many capacities. Please allow me to serve you.

Thanks, CJ

 

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On a side note, I also manufacture custom lapel pins...

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HISTORY OF THE CHALLENGE COIN

During World War 1, American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck.

Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the pilot's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. However, he was without personal identification.

He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. Unfortunately, saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him. He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners and one of his French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.

Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through challenge in the following manner - a challenger would ask to see the medallion. If the challenged could not produce a medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the member who challenged them. If the challenged member produced a medallion, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued on throughout the war and for many years after the war while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.

We proudly continue this tradition today with the challenge coin.

Reprinted from a Kelly AFB Dining Out Presentation

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Another Historical Take

Preserving tradition: The history of the military coin

Story by Spc. Jonathan Montgomery
Third U.S. Army Public Affairs Office

FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. (Feb. 24, 2006) - There are probably dozens of stories about the origin of the coin.

While attending the U. S. Army Sergeants Major Academy in 1997, Eighth Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Vincent W. Patton III did a research project to try to find out the origin of the coin presentation.

Patton’s research turned up a 1969 issue of Soldier Magazine that offered the following story for a collaboration of stories from several U.S. Army Soldiers.

“As I said, it's one of many, but this is the one I tend to use in my explanation of the coin,” Patton said.

The practice of a senior enlisted member presenting a coin or medallion to an individual actually goes back just about 100 years ago in the British Army.

During the War of the Boars, the officers were the only ones authorized to receive medals. Whenever an enlisted person did a good job, typically the officer he was assigned to would receive the award.

“The regimental sergeant major would sneak into the officer's tent and cut the medal from the ribbon. He would then call an all hands to formally ‘shake the hand’ of the exceptional soldier, and would ‘palm the medal’ in the soldier's hand without anyone knowing,” Patton said.

He went on, “The officers, of course, would sort of know what was going on, and typically condoned the action, as many often felt ill-at ease in accepting the medal in the first place - although there were a few exceptions. Whenever that would happen, other officers would cover for the enlisted men by blaming it on the nearby civilians who often stole goods from the army camps.”

As time passed, the coin recognition was eventually extended to the American forces in WWI. By then, the British Army began recognizing their own enlisted soldiers.

The coin turned into a recognition piece which was specially struck with the unit's crest on it. Senior NCOs presented them as their form of recognition, since they were not authorized to present any medals or awards.

In Vietnam, the coin took a different twist of recognition - it became known as the "challenge coin" in which those who had them would slam them on the bar counter to challenge anyone in the bar if they had one.

“It was one of those Combat ‘machismo’ things,” Patton said. “If a person didn't have a coin, they would have to buy the bar a round of drinks.”

As mentioned earlier, there are several variations of the "coin story." Today, the coin is pretty much widely used throughout all of the military forces in the world, both as a form of recognition, and even in some cases as a "calling card."

When act of achievement cannot be rewarded by ribbon, coins are an excellent alternative to distribute to Soldiers who have gone above and beyond one’s normal duty, according to Command Sgt. Maj. William Shimer, 377th Theater Support Command’s command sergeant major.

“It’s something unexpected, something unwritten,” he said. “It adds a personal touch when the Soldier goes that extra mile to accomplish the mission.”

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Coining a Tradition
Taken from Soldiers Magazine
Aug 94 Vol 49, No 8
Story by Maj. Jeanne Fraser Brooks

Challenge Coins are as diverse as the units that present them.

WITHIN days of his liberation from a prisoner of war camp, Sgt. Troy Dunlap received two Iraqi coins from an employee of the hotel where he and the other U.S. POWs were being housed by the Red Cross following their release. "One for you and one for me," he told Maj. Rhonda Cornum who also had been taken prisoner when their UH-60 helicopter was shot down by members of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard during Operation Desert Storm. "We joked that we could use them like military coins. ... We planned how we would use the Iraqi money to 'coin' our friends when we got back to Fort Rucker," Cornum wrote in her book, "She Went to War." "Coining" is a relatively new U.S. military tradition, but has roots in the Roman Empire, where coins were presented to reward achievements. In the U.S. military, the tradition goes back to the early 1960s. A member of the 11th Special Forces Group took old coins, had them overstamped with a different emblem, then presented them to unit members, according to Roxanne Merritt, curator of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum at Fort Bragg, N.C. A former commander of the 10th SFG picked up on the idea, becoming the first to mint a unit coin for a U.S. military unit. The 10th Group remained the only Army unit with its own coin until the mid-1980s, Merritt said, when "an explosion took place and everybody started minting coins." Originally, the coins, which bear the unit crest on the front and whatever design the unit wants on the back, were given out by commanders and sergeants major to recognize outstanding acts performed by soldiers in the course of duty. "They're a real morale booster," said Duvall, "and tell the soldier, 'you're a member of our unit' which builds unit cohesion. The soldiers carry their credit card, driver's license and unit coin - their wallets are permanently deformed." Don Phillips, a former commander of the 20th SFG, designed a coin for his unit and presented it to his soldiers when he retired. "Another unit asked me to make a coin for them, and then another, so I went into business making them," said Phillips. To date, Phillips has made coins for "between 600 and 700 units." The tradition has spread to the other services and is even being adopted by paramilitary units like the U.S. Marshall's SWAT team, according to Phillips. The proliferation of coins and their availability to the general public in post gift shops has caused Dr. Joseph Fisher, Special Operations Command historian, to view them as "not as special as they used to be; there are so many of them out there now." But that doesn't stop Fisher from carrying his with him at all times. Making the coins available for purchase has added yet another dimension to the tradition - collecting. SMA Richard A. Kidd has approximately 300 of the coins on display in his office "museum." He has even issued an open invitation to soldiers visiting the Washington, D.C., area to stop by his office "even when I'm not here" to see his collection of unit memorabilia. According to Phillips, World War II soldiers were given a coin when they mustered out of the service. But it wasn't until the Vietnam era that a "challenge-response" was added to the tradition of giving unit members a coin. The initial challenge was to prove membership in a particular unit by producing the unit coin. That was followed by the addition of the requirement to "buy a round" if a soldier didn't have the coin. "Buying a round isn't the only challenge these days," said Phillips. "Drinking is frowned on, so the challenge can be anything. If you don't have your coin, you get the detail." Kidd still uses the original premise in distributing coins and carries some with him whenever he travels. "It's a way to immediately recognize above-and-beyond-the-call-of-duty actions on the part of a soldier when you're in the field," said Kidd.

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What is a "Coin Check" ?

A 'Coin Check' consists of a challenge and a response.

1. RULES:

a. The challenge is initiated by drawing your coin, holding it in the air by whatever means possible and state, scream, shout or otherwise verbally acknowledge that you are initiating a coin check. Another, but less vocal method is to firmly place it on the bar, table, Or floor (this should produce an audible noise which can be easily heard by those being challenged, but try not to leave a permanent imprint). If you accidentally drop your coin and it makes an audible sound upon impact, then you have just "accidentally" initiated a coin check. (This is called paying the price for improper care of your coin."

b. The response consists of all those persons being challenged drawing their coin in a like manner (other organizational coins are invalid). You must produce a coin with YOUR UNIT'S LOGO on it.

c. If you are challenged and are unable to properly respond, you must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and the group being challenged.

d. If everyone being challenged responds in the correct manner, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for all those people he challenged.

e. Failure to buy a round is a despicable crime and will require that you turn-in your Coin to the issuing agency.

2. Coin checks are permitted, ANY TIME, ANY PLACE'. (Keep OPSEC in mind, be smart!)

3. There are no exceptions to the rules. They apply to those clothed or unclothed. At the time of the challenge you are permitted one step and an arms reach to locate your coin. If you still cannot reach it -- SORRY ABOUT THAT!

4. A Coin is a coin. Coins attached on belt buckles are considered "belt buckles." Coins on key chains are considered "key chains." Coins placed in a "holder/clasp" and worn around the neck like a necklace are valid and are considered a coin.

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Challenge coins in popular culture

At the end of the long-running American adventure drama television show JAG, the two main characters decide to marry, then flip a challenge coin to decide who will resign his or her military commission to accompany the other to a new duty station. The final image freezes with the coin in the air; the audience never sees it fall.

Colonel Eli McNulty coins Samantha Liston in E-Ring when she is running to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and a General is trying to put a stop to it. At one point the General initiates the 'Coin Check' to show that she should not have a senior job as she has not seen combat and, of course, Liston has no challenge coin - thus proving his point.

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Challenge coins a trademark tradition for American military

By Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder
354th Communications Squadron, US Air Force

3/5/2007 - EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- Collecting coins or medallions bearing an organization's insignia or emblem is quiet popular among the people serving in today's military.

Coins are given to people who provide outstanding support. Coins prove membership in a unit or career field. Coins enhance morale.

Usually presented by high-ranking officers, it's considered to be a great honor to receive a challenge coin.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Strang, 354th Communication Squadron photographer, said his favorite coin is the one he received from Lt. Gen. Allen Peck, Deputy Combined Forces Air Component commander, while deployed to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.

Sergeant Strang said he was working late after hours on a layout project for a major who called saying he wanted to make a few changes to a layout project Sergeant Strang was working on. He continued working on the project and making the changes when the major called again with even more changes.

After Sergeant Strang finished making the final round of changes, the major and a chief master sergeant came to see the layout and thanked him for his hard work.

"After they thanked me, the major said, 'Jump in the vehicle, we want you to meet someone,'" Sergeant Strang explained.

"They drove me to the Combined Air Operations Center and the chief told me to wait while he went to get someone," he said. "All of the sudden, Maj. Gen. Allen Peck comes walking out and thanked me for all the hard work I'd been doing on the project."

General Peck then presented Sergeant Strang with a coin.

Moments such as this leave lasting impressions on those who receive challenge coins.

One of the most well-known challenge coins among enlisted Airmen is the one they receive upon graduation from basic military training.

In the event a trainee completes basic training and becomes an Airman, the Airman receives a coin marking the start of an Air Force career. The moment and can be very emotional for the service's newest Airmen.

Many organizations and services claim to have been the originators of the challenge coin. However, the most commonly held view is that the tradition began in predecessor of the Air Force; the United States Army Air Corps.

During World War I, American volunteers from all across America filled the ranks of newly formed flying squadrons.

Legend has it that in one particular squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to the men in his unit.

According to stories on several Web sites, one young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch he wore around his neck. Shortly after acquiring the medallions, the pilots' aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire and he was forced to land behind enemy lines. He was immediately captured by a German patrol.

That night, while being held captive in a small occupied French town, he took advantage of an artillery bombardment and escaped. However, he was without personal identification, which had been taken by the Germans.

He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and eventually reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land and stumbled onto a French outpost.

Previously, saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians. The French, not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, thought him to be a saboteur and planned to execute him.

He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his French captors who recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough to confirm his identity.

Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.

Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion, or coin, at all times.

Today, many service members proudly display their "coin collections" on a display rack, a show of the many accomplishments and achievements they have earned over the years. Every coin has a story or meaning behind it on either how it was earned.

However, the most valuable coin is most always the one kept on ones person in the event of a "coin check."

Coin checking is when someone initiates a challenge by holding up his or her coin and announces, "Coin Check!" then places the coin on a hard surface making an audible noise. Everyone within earshot must produce their coin; failing to do so will result in buying a round of drinks.

If someone accidentally drops a coin, this initiates the challenge automatically to anyone who sees or hears the coin hit the ground. They then have to produce a coin and the person who dropped the coin must buy a round of drinks.

Regardless of how they came about, how they are acquired and displayed or how they are used, the challenge coin is truly a part of today's military tradition.

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Of military excellence, affiliation and heraldry -- the story of military coins

by Scott Thompson, Staff Writer, Fort Leavenworth Lamp

Most coins rarely warrant much attention. Sure, the recent proliferation of state quarters made collectors out of non-collectors, but the garden-variety coin usually finds a home in an automobile ashtray, underneath a sofa cushion or in a jar designed for savings.

To the acronym-inclined, the word "coin" may conjure up counterinsurgency measures or policies.

But when talking about military coins, challenge coins or award coins, a practice steeped in tradition comes to mind.

Commanders have been handing them out for years as a way to acknowledge a job well done. In the 1980s, this tangible "attaboy" boomed in popularity.

Now, nearly every organization and Army group has a coin used to acknowledge the good work of its members.

The coins vary in size (usually from 1 1/4 inches to 2 inches in diameter) and color (antiqued bronze, silver, gold). Some are colorful, some are not and some have plain edges while others have serrated or scalloped edges.

The unique nature of the military coin has spawned a collector's market on the Internet, but no matter its appearance or reason for its ownership, the military coin is a steeped in tradition and, to some degree, folklore.

"Units have always had some mark of belonging to define themselves," said Kelvin Crow, assistant command historian of the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. "It's a sociological or psychological thing."

Tracing the exact roots of the military challenge or award coin is difficult, said Jefferson Reed, who now serves as deputy curator for the Army in Atlanta Museum. He helped to develop an exhibit on challenge coins while at Fort Stewart, Ga.

"Regardless of the origins," Reed said, "it is a phenomena that has swept all branches of the military, other government agencies, law enforcement and fire departments, government contractors and companies that serve the military like USAA (United Services Automobile Association)."

Behind Enemy Lines

Stories surrounding the historical birth of "challenge coins" in the military are as varied as the coins themselves.

The most widely reported, and earliest, story detailing the origins of the challenge coin comes from World War I. As the U.S. Army Air Service was developing its identity in air warfare, pilots from every walk of life stepped forward to join the effort.

Many of the pilots were wealthy Ivy Leaguers who were attracted to the world of fighter planes by their sense of adventure.

As the story goes, one such wealthy aviator used his resources to produce solid-bronze medallions that were plated in gold, stricken with the squadron's insignia and handed out to other pilots in the squadron.

It may have been a saving grace for another pilot, who after being shot down over enemy lines was captured by the Germans. His identification and belongings were confiscated, but the squadron coin remained in his possession, cradled in a leather pouch hung from his neck.

During that same night, the British attacked the German camp, allowing the imprisoned American pilot to escape into the night. He made contact with a French patrol but lacked any identifying documents. Thinking him to be a German saboteur, the French prepared to execute him.

The pilot's gold-plated coin gave them reason to pause, however, and after verifying its validity, the pilot was allowed to return to his unit.

Some believe the term "challenge coin" originated from this event. When the pilot returned to his squadron, it became tradition for members to carry their medallion at all times. If a pilot was challenged to show his medallion and could not produce it, he was commanded to buy the challenger a drink. If produced, the challenger owed the challenged a drink.

The story sounds plausible, but Crow thinks it sounds a bit too good or too convenient to be true.

"It sounds to me like an urban legend," Crow said. "It sounds to me like something that was made up. There's just enough data to give it plausibility, but not enough details to make them checkable."

Crow does not say it's not true, but he has his doubts. Attributions to its origin are scarce and the names of the pilots and others involved are not included.

Capt. Jim Harrington: Challenge coin mastermind?

If the story is true, the aviator was fortunate to have the coin in his possession that night. The fate of those that followed him was less grim - they were merely forced to buy a round of drinks.

During World War II, two derivations of challenges emerged: the pfennig check and the short snorter.

The pfennig check, a local German drinking tradition, may have been picked up by American Soldiers stationed there. The pfennig coin was the smallest of German currency in size and value and when someone announced a "pfennig check," Soldiers were required to place a pfennig on the table. If they could not produce one, they were required to buy a round of drinks.

The short snorter tradition began with the Army Air Forces. Far-flying pilots would often congregate and share their tales of faraway places. To prove that their tales of their travels were true, pilots would accumulate local currency or banknotes and tape them all together, creating a string of international currency called a "short snorter." Some even had people sign the bills in their short snorter.

Like the pfennig check, if a pilot could not produce his short snorter, he was required to buy his challenger a round.

These challenges served as a precursor to "The Jolly Sixpence Club," a club started by Capt. Jim Harrington of the 107th Infantry, New York National Guard in 1954. Harrington and others in the group carried exotic or unusual coins and were required to produce them upon request. The rules were similar to the short snorter and pfennig checks.

In 1966, Harrington was stationed in Ethiopia with the National Guard 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and started a new tradition, building upon the groundwork laid by "The Jolly Sixpence Club." The "Maria Theresa Thaler" was presented to deserving Soldiers as an award for their hard work.

In early 1999, Ronald E. Fischer wrote an article for "The Trading Post," a publication by the American Society of Military Insignia Collectors. The article includes a 1990 letter written by Harrington to Fischer explaining the origin of the Maria Theresa Thaler award coin to Fischer.

"In my efforts within the C Detachment to fire up and maintain interest along with a lot of other things and remembering 'The Jolly Sixpence Club,' I started awarding Maria Theresa Thalers (MT) to deserving recipients in the detachment, as well as to other unit members."

According to Harrington, the coins were minted in Austria and dated 1780. They were highly coveted and cherished by the Soldiers who received them.

The 10th Special Forces Group Challenge Coin

The challenge or award coin the military knows today serves the same purpose as Harrington's Maria Theresa Thalers. They are morale boosters and tokens of acknowledgement. Individual unit coins began, by most accounts, in July 1969 during the Vietnam War.

According to a display at the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Headquarters, the challenge coin was designed by a member of the 10th SFG(A). Some attribute the design to Col. Verne Greene, commander of the group, who commissioned Robbins Co. of Attleboro, Mass., to mint the .999 fine silver coin.

The front of the coins featured the Trojan Horse insignia and the original Special Forces crest worn by the 10th SFG(A) in the 1950s. The inscription "10th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces" frames the top of the insignia. The words "Trojan Horse" are inscribed under the Trojan Horse.

The back of the coins featured a beret centered over a scroll, which served as an area for a person to inscribe their name, rank or applicable label. The top of the backside of the coin was inscribed with the Special Forces motto "De Oppresso Liber" (To free the oppressed), while the bottom of the backside is inscribed with "The Best."

Like those who came before them, members of the 10th SFG were required to carry the coin at all times. Coin checks made certain of this.

The 10th SFG claims to be the only Army unit to have its own coin until the 1980s.

Fort Leavenworth coining

Regardless of its exact roots, the tradition of rewarding Soldiers and Department of Defense civilians with coins is alive and well. Today, coins serve as recognition for a job well done, a symbolic "attaboy" that can be collected and reminisced about.

Coins serve as morale boosters and bragging pieces that hold more weight, literally and figuratively, than a certificate or paper award.

"It is a way to tangibly pat a Soldier on the back and tell them that they're part of the unit," Crow said. "Everybody needs that."

Col. Timothy Weathersbee, garrison commander, received his first coin as a lieutenant, acting as a special weapons security officer in a field artillery unit. He was recognized for the preparations that led to a positive inspection.

As garrison commander, Weathersbee is now responsible for handing out coins to people under his command. Coins are given to employees, Soldiers, volunteers, family members, community members and anyone else the commander deems worthy of acknowledgement for job excellence.

He said he views the coins as a big morale booster.

"What I like most about coins is that they can serve as an immediate acknowledgement of a job well done," Weathersbee said. "Every time I have presented a coin, especially when the presentation is impromptu - when they don't have time to get nervous about standing in front of a crowd - the recipient has responded in a very positive manner."

Though regulations dictate who is authorized to purchase coins with unit funds, it is a relatively informal process to deciding who receives a coin. Supervisors or leadership often make the recommendation.

Fort Leavenworth's Combined Arms Center Special Troops Battalion has two coins for distribution. The commander and the command sergeant major both have coins, which are presented for excellence and awarded at the discretion of the commander.

Lt. Col. Vincent Bryant, Special Troops Battalion commander, recalled his first coin, earned as a newly promoted second lieutenant. The coin was presented to him during his first hail and farewell ceremony in 1986 at Fort Campbell, Ky.

"It means a lot to be recognized when a commanding general gives you a coin," Bryant said. "It's always a good day when you get a coin."

Reed and Crow both believe that the tradition of awarding coins grew popular in the mid- to late-1980s.

"When I was on active duty from 1982-85, I remember receiving a 'Red Devil Chip' while with the 5th Infantry Division," Reed said. "It was nothing more than a poker chip with the division insignia printed on it. The Soldier could redeem the 'Red Devil Chip' for a four-day weekend, as I recall."

Reed isn't sure when and where the tradition of coining originated within the military. He has heard the stories and believes that they may all be independently responsible for the tradition.

"I think the only way to peg down the 'true origin' is to find a document that states someone wished to create a unit coin based on a particular tradition," Reed said. "I have never seen such a document."

Regardless of its origins, the military coin is here to stay. It's a symbol of status, travel and accomplishments. And it makes for a pretty nice decoration.

"You'll notice them as you go into people's offices," Crow said. "There will be this huge rack with hundreds of coins from all over the place. It's sort of like collecting service stripes in a way, a way of saying, 'Look at all the places I've been.' "

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Challenge coins outside of the military

The popularity of challenge coins are stretching past the military. NASCAR, the NFL and World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins. They are also becoming extremely popular with Police Departments, Fire Departments and Fraternal Organizations.

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Challenge Coins in Canada

Every new officer cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, is issued a Challenge coin upon completion of First Year Orientation Period. The Coin is engraved with the name of the College in French and English surrounding the College Crest on the obverse. The Cadet's college number and the Memorial Arch is on the reverse surrounded by the Motto in both languages.

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