Secret Behind To Success of Military Challenge Coins
Military Challenge Coins
At the very start when Military Challenge Coins were introduced, they were just an ordinary part of the uniform. Later, when a soldier succeeded in escaping from the enemy’s place to his motherland, they become very popular. At the start, they were only used by the military. The military had its own norms and values of carrying military challenge coins.
All of them made sure that a particular soldier is wearing his military challenge coins by a special game which was a part of the military life. The game is still alive and has also expanded outside military. In the game one soldier asks the other to produce the coin. If the military challenge coins are present with the other soldier, he wins. Otherwise he loses and the challenger wins. This game is still a fun part of military and many other organizations. However, different organizations have set their own rules because they can’t follow the much disciplined life of the military. The rules are as it is in the military as they used to be.
This is the reason of success of military challenge coins. It develops a sense of responsibility in every person. It teaches the discipline. It also boosts the moral of the wearer because he feels he is a part of some big cause. And mostly military challenge coins have their own fascinations because they are related to the military life which everyone dreams of.
There is also another rule in military about military challenge coins. Soldiers cannot make modifications in the appearance of the coin. They cannot make holes into the coin to hang it. They cannot wear them in a way that their military challenge coins may deface. Actually defacing coins means it cannot be called a military challenge coin in the future. Defacing is strictly prohibited. Military challenge coins cannot be hung with belt buckles. It is also prohibited to make key chains of military challenge coins. These things may ruin them. Any coin which has defaced will no longer be known as military challenge coin.
In the history, pilots used to wear the military challenge coins by keeping them in a pouch around the neck. Pewter is the simplest way of military challenge coins finish. The other finishes for military challenge coins reaches for gold plated military challenge coins too.
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Military Challenge Coins have their own finishes so they are available in a few metals like brass, copper, bronze, nickel, etc. With gold or silver plating to make them unique, special and specific. These military challenge coins are available in many shapes like round, oval, multifaceted, rectangle, star, etc. In fact, military challenge coins can take any shape of customer’s choice. Although, the manufacturing companies keep their own collections which people can choose from, but the customer can give his own unique ideas to manufacture their personalized military challenge coins.
Military challenge coins are very cost effective item which people today gift to each other. The trend of collecting military challenge coins is also getting strength.
Why Challenge Coins Are Important?
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There are several kinds of Award Challenge Coins which are used by several different companies for different purposes. Most of the coins are used in the military forces as a part of their uniform and a secret identity system while others are a good way to advertise about any product or company with other services of the world. Most of the challenge coins are thought to be as a cheap advertisement and more fruitful than the paper advertisements that are given out to different people before the launch of any new product. The challenge coins are also given to firefighters and police officers as an honor for their brave services throughout their career to the public. Firefighting is a very daring job. The life of the firefighter is at risk when he purposely jumps into the fire to save the life of the others who stuck in it.
Fires break out at all the times of the day and night and these brave fire fighters have to run to save their lives without the issue of time or fear. The fear of fire is great, and it takes a lot of courage to help others while risking not only your life, but also your looks which are at a much higher risk. For such daring fire fighters the firefighter challenge coins are specially ordered and given to them as a token of their bravery.
Same is the case with police officers; they have to fight crime and criminals at all the odd times of the day and night during which many get injured out of which several injuries are such that leave their marks and effects on the body for life. Such loyal officers are awarded with special honor challenge coins for their extraordinary efforts in risking their lives for the safety of the public. Challenge coins are also awarded to the family of those officers who martyred during any kind of fight.
Most of the Challenge Coins are the typical bronze coins that are a given to the brave officers. Each department gets his own logo and inscriptions to date or the day of the accident mentioned on the coin. The coins are beautiful in color, and the logo and monogram on the coins show the departments’ courage and bravery. The challenge coins that award for bravery cannot be with every officer as they are presented only to those who have committed some daring acts. Coins are also part of the military uniform, but it is supposed to be kept in such a way that it is not visible to the public in any way.
The challenge coins are a good way to commemorate the services of the brave officers who go through tough training which is done through the toughest of routines and the officers get tough by following it. However it should be known that these officers are human beings, and they have feelings as well, and they can feel pain and everything in the same way. All the officers when away from home and family, and friends may at times feel so low and helpless that they have no way out, and at such times the prayers written on the challenge coins are there to boost their morale and fight back and come back even from the worst of situations.
Challenging Officers With Challenge Coins
There are several kinds of Custom Challenge Coins which are used by the different forces all over the world. The most common and the oldest custom challenge coins are those that are used by the military forces. The origin of these coins goes back to the First and Second World Wars when these coins became a reason to save the lives of many soldiers who were able to reach their own borders, but there was no way to prove that they were actually the soldiers of the same country. These coins proved their identity and saved many lives.
The custom challenge coins are challenged in two different ways:
a) By calling out verbally
When the officer calls out verbally for the others to show their coins all the people around them also get to know what the call has been made for.
b) By snapping the coin hard on a flat surface
This is kind of a silent challenge however it is known by all those officers who are present near them.
All the officers are supposed to carry their custom challenge coins in case of an emergency.
The custom challenge coins are initially given out to all the officers after they start their military careers. These coins are to be kept with the officers at all times. To make sure that these coins are kept with them all the time the senior officials kept a check on their junior officers at different times during duty and non duty hours. These surprised checks make the officers aware of the fact that they have to keep the coin with them in every condition. The custom challenge coins are a good way to prove the identity in hard times.
The custom challenge coins are made up of usually the normal brass, copper, nickel and copper nickel while the expensive coins can be minted on special demand. Usually the expensive custom challenge coins are made and given as medallions to give to the officers for their brave acts and to honor their services in different times of hard work and patience. These special challenge coins have a very special place in the hearts and lives of these brave officers and these coins are passed on to generations and even sold at different museums at very high rates.
Most of the Custom Award Coins are round but as the trend of using challenge coins for different things is growing the people who mint the coins are introducing new designs and shapes. The coins are now made to order for any kind of logo or design that the customer wants. Of course the price of the coin which is not round in shape is more than that which is round but all those who are ready to make a mark with the special custom challenge coins spend a good amount on the minting of the coins. Many of the important government agencies have specially designed challenge coins of their own. Some of the special agencies have given out challenge coins to all their officers. These challenge coins are a way to give them a secret identity and this secret identity can be shown to other officials in case of any kind of trouble. The challenge coins are made of special material and these coins loose their importance if there shape is trying to be changed or a hole is trying to be borne through it.
Challenge Coins And Their Different styles of Making
There are several ways of ordering custom challenge coins for minting, but the basic way of minting them is all the same with slight differences at the end for the finishing touches and of course the style of the coin may differ as the custom challenge coins are being minted in all shapes and not just the traditional round shape. The custom awards history goes back to the last century when a coin helped in saving the life of a soldier during world war I. Since then the custom coins have become an important part of the uniform that is kept hidden with every military soldier all the time. However the custom challenge coins have become a part of the different sectors of life and are being used for several reasons. Due to fact that they have become a common usage a lot of mints are producing custom challenge coins for different companies whereas the specific custom challenge coins that are used by the military are minted by their own mints and their designs are copyrighted and not known to the outer world for a very long time as they are a part of the secret identity of the soldier.
Custom Coins Artwork
One can get their custom award coins created in the following way:
- A basic design is made of the custom challenge coins is made which has to be approved by the client. The design may be sent in by the client as well.
- The design on both sides of the coin should have all the basic things which include the logo, text, colors, dates etc on it. The usual coins have the same size but any kind of size or design can be made as per order by the client for his special custom challenge coins.
- All this work is done on paper which after being approved by the client is estimated for the each of the custom challenge coins being minted. Most of the mints detail their client within two days at the maximum about the cost. This is usually called a quotation which is free of cost.
- The next step is to review the quotation very minutely and refer to the printer for any kind of details. The text and the colors should be re-checked again and again for any kind of mistakes so that the final imprint does not have any problems because once the print comes in metal from paper then things are unchangeable.
- The time and the re-checking process can take as much time till the client is completely satisfied. After that the printing process of the custom challenge coins begins. It should be known to the client that if epoxy colors are used they may differ from the colors shown on paper.
- Confirming the paper sample one can easily place the order of his custom challenge coins by filling an online order form. For any kind of further details that are not understood the phone lines can be used. Speaking with the printer over the phone would give a further clear picture of their coin.
The coins are delivered by ship within two weeks after the final approval.
Challenge Coins And Their Importance
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Challenge coins are not really important for the civilians but they hold a very important place in the life of the military people. They are a kind of a secret identity card which helps them to prove their identity in case of an emergency. However Challenge Coins are very ‘in’ these days and people like to collect them just for fun. The reason is that all those people who want to advertise about anything know that coins are the best kind of advertising tool presently. The best part of challenge coins is that with the new technology being invested they remain in very good condition even after decades. Some centuries old coins have also been recovered which show that coins were popular in the past times as well.
Challenge coins not just attract the attention of young children but they are very popular among elders and teenagers as well. Apart from all this it is very important to make a coin with such a mark that it gets popular with the public. Normally a coin takes about two weeks time to get minted but there are companies who are trying work hard and provide them in lesser time if they are simple. The challenge coins that are made in simple:
- brass
- nickel
- copper
- aluminum
- gold
- silver
Without any kind of paint being done on it for a deeper shape or message can be made in very less time. The challenge coins can be created in very less time but these coins need to be checked and rechecked for any kind of mistake because if the proof reading is not done properly then it means that the mistake would be repeated in all the coins in the same manner. The reason is that one single copy of the coin tray is made in which the metal is poured after being melted and it takes the shape of the coin after cooling down and whatever is minted on the main tray would come on all the coins accordingly so it if better to check the sample on paper before finalizing it.
Challenge-Coins
The challenge coins are very important for different reasons so that the different people can understand what their company or the place where they work want from them. The challenge coins may be used as an entry pass or to open some kind of door by scanning it through a computer or anything else that is helpful in all the ways.
Different Custom Challenge coins are used for the promotion of different companies and it is a good way to make a better future for themselves and their company or even their clients at times, depending upon the position of the usage of the challenge coins.
The challenge coins can have all kinds of words or logos on them which can prove to be quite helpful for the military people especially because they are a part of boosting the morale which is very much needed at times.
Promoting Business Through Challenge Coins
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Promoting a business by taking the help of coins has become quite common. There are many people who have started using the strategy of a coin for this purpose. Most of the Challenge Coins serve as brochures which detail the public about the product which it is marketed. There are several positive points about using the coins as a marketing tool out of which the most creative point is that one can get the logo of your company embellished on a coin and give out these coins for free with different food or grocery products. The coins can also be used as an advertisement for free on signals and other such places for people to remember and visit the new place. Challenge coins can also be used as a gift after purchase at a shop. These coins are a good way to make the shopper remember his shopping and would bring up the excitement among children to collect more and more coins by visiting the same shop again and again. They are a good thing to be used as tokens. Each coin is worth a few points that would give a specific percentage of sales on the complete bill and would attract a lot of people to purchase things from a shop and gather lots of points to get the sale. Challenge coins are a good incentive for all those involved in a program. Most coins can be given as a bribe for all those who can spend a good amount of money for all those who may be given a few points in return and these points would then add up to a reward coin. It can serve as a complete gift for people after a program is completed. A challenge coin can be used as a good support system for the promotion of any kind of a business project like a school by giving details on one side and the logo on the other side. Professional careers can be maintained by giving out certain challenge coins that have tips that may be useful for others. Another very useful thing about challenge coins, the good way to write recipes on them and give them out in different packets for people to collect and help in the growth of sales of the product.
Ar Challenge Coins
The government agencies also get the Custom Challenge Coins specially designed for their departments. Most of the people who make these designs they know what to follow and how to make these coins different and unique and what to portray in them. These coins are special, and they are made with special designs that are copyrighted and cannot be used for any other department. Coins are also designed with team efforts, and these efforts are fruitful when the officers like the coins. There are special agencies that design coins for the different government sectors. There are several people who think that can generate more income by taking the help of different coins as a medium of advertisement. However new theories are coming in now, and one has to make a very unique styled coin to get a good return on it.
Creating Challenge Coins
Creating Challenge Coins is not difficult it’s just that the logo and the text on the coin should be checked and proofread again and again before giving a final verdict so that there is no mistake in the coin. Having free quotations gives the client a better idea of what he has to do.
Challenge Coins Artwork
There are three basic steps that need to be followed by the client and the minter together to avoid any kind of problems:
i) The first step is to design both the sides of the coin on a paper or get them designed by your maker. Once the design is approved the size, color and other small details regarding the coin should be done accordingly.
ii) The paper copy of the coin should be checked and rechecked again and again for any kind of problems. Once the details are finalized a dummy coin is created to check the whole thing again.
iii) The last thing is to get the whole stock done in time and shipped to the client by the minter who has been in touch with the client over phone, email and other telecommunication systems.
By following these three basic steps all kinds of problems related to the creation of a coin can be avoided.
Along with the coins there are several kinds of ribbons that are used to put the coin through and tie these challenge coins around the neck. These ribbons also depict the different causes of the challenge coins which serve different purposes that mainly include:
- Mourning
- Hope
- Cancer
- Organ donor
- Abuse
- AIDS
- Brave
- Pride
And several other feelings which are clearly depicted through the different colors so that all those present at the ceremony that gives out the Custom Challenge Coins get to know what the coin depicts for the other person.
The Red color of the ribbon shows that the ribbon is for any kind of disease including AIDS, heart disease, etc. When put through a challenge coin it stands for the love of the organization for their officer/worker.
The orange color ribbon is specially given out to the brave Highway and Road worker who may have lost his life or suffered an accident. The color depicts the love and respect for the hard work.
Yellow colored ribbons show the support for the troops who work hard on the borders. They are awarded the ribbons to show the appreciation and love of the public for their extraordinary efforts of staying away from their loved ones to protect the borders of their country.
The black colored ribbon is for the mourning color and tied around the coin of those who have lost their lives in some act of bravery saving lives of many. With black there are other colors also attached to show that the one who has lost his life holds a high place in the hearts of the others.
Almost every color stands for something or the other and one should check out the importance of the color before attaching it to challenge coins as many ribbons are just for different illnesses and supporting against the cause of them.
Minting of Challenge Coins
Challenge coins are made up of different metals which are available in several colors and designs. The purpose of these coins has changed over the past years, and several companies and organizations have started to mint their own coins so that they can stand out among the different companies producing the same product. Most Custom Challenge Coins do not get damaged over several years and so they are the cheapest yet the most effective tool of advertisement.
Most coins are round in shape but with the development in every sector custom coin have changed their shape and most of the coins are now in the shape of the logo or design of the company’s name. All those people who manage these coins for their company for any purpose; to raise the morale of the young men or for advertising, need to discuss the pricing and the design of the coin with the mints manager.
- When preparing the challenge coins one needs to take care of the following things:
- Keep a good relationship between the customer and the manufacturer.
- Approve a good design or make one and get it copyrighted if you want it to stay exclusive.
- Decide the number of coins to be minted and the time of delivery and payment.
- The shape of the coin holds a lot of importance because there are very few challenge coins that are round in shape today.
- Make sure to touch each and every detail of the coin which includes the finishing and the edges of the coin as well.
- The presentation and the packing of the coin is made by the mint as well and it should also be decided properly and if anything special needs to be done for the presentation then the additional charges should also be discussed accordingly.
It is not easy to get the coins minted just for no reason. Most of the Challenge Coins are made to order from the military or private companies that make sure that they use the coins for a specific purpose, their design is copyrighted and that the coins are not misused in any way.
The coins are of various designs; they are made for special events with a logo, date, prayer or even a photograph of anything or any hero. These special coins are special by those who get them minted for any purpose and make sure that they reach the public in the right manner too.
Different marketing strategies are used for the advertising of any product; coins are a good way to do marketing. Custom coins are pocketed by all people and are collected by different age groups, this makes any product known to the public in a way that affects the business is a positive manner.
Many brave heroes are awarded special coins, however several of these coins are not cheap but made of Gold and silver, these kinds of challenge coins are costly but they are not available for the common man and hold a special place in the life of those who are awarded the coins.
Importance of The Different Coins
The custom challenge coins are a big help for the military people and it is important for the military people to keep the coins with them as a proof of their military identity.
The Challenge Coins were a big help to all those who belonged to the Air Fare side of the military. Most of the officers had to eject in case of their plane being damaged or shot to save their life. Through the coins the officers easily located their base especially during the practice sessions when the pilot had to jump off the plane due to any reason. It was also easy for the officers to prove their identity in any kind of emergency even if they were not part of the air force.
The coins were to be kept by the officers at all times in case of emergency and to make sure that they carried the coins the custom challenge coins were challenged to be shown at odd timings. Most of the people who ordered the custom challenge coins for minting made sure that they could get something different for every new kind of coins.
The logo of the department or any kind of a special prayer was inscribed on the coin and the officers carried the coins with them like a treasure.
Several challenge coins were also given as an award of bravery or some special act. The coins were added to the collection of coins by the retired officers and carried forward in generations. Several people collect the custom challenge coins and are ready to pay any amount to add a coin to their collection of coins. It is important to make sure that most of the people who collect the coins do not use them as a pass or use them as a fake identity mark for themselves.
The Custom Challenge Coins have a very deep history leading to the World Wars.
Through different coins one can know the attitude of a person. If a person owns a lot of coins related to different products that means he’s a marketing freak and loves to collect the different kinds of coins. On the other hand if the people of the army have lots of coins it means that they are very much duty conscious and they have worked very bravely for the good will of their country and so they have been awarded the different coins for their different acts of bravery.
Due to the fact that coins are being used for several purposes they are being minted in several mints in many materials and in very less time. There are several people who give in their own designs while there are several people who use the already presented designs that are not copyrighted with the mints. Many people even take up a few designs and merge them together and make up a new design.
However whatever may the look of the coin is, it holds a lot of importance for all those people who invest in getting special coins minted for their company.
SAFETY OF CUSTOM CHALLENGE COINS
The custom challenge coins are minted in several different materials which include expensive metals like gold, silver, platinum, etc. It is very important for these coin owners keep them safely and enjoy the appreciation of others for owning such beautiful collection of coins that have been awarded them for their acts of bravery at different occasions. The expensive material coins are definitely not used for advertisement of any product.
Many people are crazy about collecting different kinds of coins. Most of the coins are a part of the different historic periods which remind of different cultures. Many achievements and historical things are depicted on the coins. Most of the coins relay the achievements and heroism of many people.
It is very important to keep the custom challenge coins in a safe environment. Most of the custom coins are kept in albums that are specially made in coins. The special albums help in keeping the coins in such a way that both their sides can be seen without having to take them out of the album all the time. This helps in saving the coins from being scratched, rusted or ruining their surface. All those people who have a way of saving their precious coins collect all kinds of special albums that are made of the coins and then they keep the albums in special boxes to maintain their preciousness. These albums are flimsy sheets of paper that have clear pockets on both sides. This way the coins can be easily viewed from the front and back without having to take them out of the pocket.
The challenge coins have been a part of the history of the world since the World War I. Most of the people who love to collect coins know about the history of these coins. These coins were used by the officers to challenge each other after the First World War at the bars.
An officer challenged the other to produce custom challenge coins or a single coin from his pocket or he would have to buy a round of drinks for all, in case he could show a coin then the challenger would have to buy the round of drinks for all.
These coins proved to be an identification mark during the World War II. Most of the officers who lost their way and came upon the border showed the custom challenge coins to prove their identity as the officers on the border could not prove by looking at them if they belonged to their country or not.
The coins were kept in a soft leather pouch that was worn around the neck for safety and these coins were to be kept by the officers at all times so that they could serve the purpose whenever needed. The custom challenge coins could not be spoiled in any way by trying to alter the shape or boring a hole in it to tie it around the neck. They had to be kept in their original form at all times because they lost their importance if they were altered.
