A Brief History of Army Challenge Coins in the Vietnam War

Before the US Army used challenge coins in the Vietnam War, they used bullets and other munitions. Brave soldiers joined "bullet groups-" groups of brave servicemen who carried an extra bullet for their primary weapon in their front hip pocket. These bullets were used to identify them as members of the United States Armed Forces, but they were used as insurance of sorts in the event of capture. Knowing that they would be tortured if the Communists captured them, soldiers that were part of a bullet group made a shared commitment to take their own lives rather than let their captors force information out of them that may endanger their fellow brethren. 

Fiercely proud of the sacrifices they were making for corps and country, these bullets were used in the challenge coin drinking game that you may be familiar with. As you know, things get competitive in the Army. Soldiers began increasing the caliber of bullets until bullets turned into grenades and other explosives! Hazardous as it is to slam an explosive on a bar counter, challenge coins were phased in to make the tradition safer.

Click the following link if you’d like to find out more about the history of custom challenge coins in the Vietnam War.

Unit Coins was founded by a veteran with in the hopes that our brave men and women are awarded only the best and most beautiful custom challenge coins. Unit Coins specializes in custom military challenge coins including custom Army challenge coins, custom Marine challenge coins, custom Navy challenge coins, and custom Air Force challenge coins. Visit our site at www.unitcoins.us.

Custom Military Challenge Coins

The tradition of using challenge coins to reward exemplary behavior in the armed forces really started when an American pilot was shot down in World War 1. The airman was able to crash-land and extricate himself to French lines alive, but he had no identifying papers. The only thing that saved him from being executed on suspicion of espionage was his squadron coin. Ever since then, challenge coins have become a celebrated tradition in the Armed forces, especially in the U.S. Army.

Unit Coins was founded as a resource so that our armed forces could have access to the best custom military challenge coins, as well the customer service and assistance that they deserve in ordering those coins. We recently wrote an article with a brief history of challenge coins and of Unit Coins, with links to galleries of past custom Army challenge coin orders that we are proud of. Please click the link below to read more.

http://www.unitcoins.us/custom-military-challenge-coins/

Army Challenge Coin Video Goes Live

We just had a promotional video made for our website take a look and tell us what you think. For more information about building a custom challenge coin please visit our website.
http://armychallengecoinsforsale.com/

Designing the Best Custom Challenge Coins - Size and Shape Options

For all the different options soldiers have when design a custom challenge coin the size and shape of the coins themselves have a lot to do with the price, look and feel of their units coin. Here we will be looking at size and shapes you can have challenge coins made into. For more information you can visit our site and take a look at our complete custom challenge coin guide: Custom Army Challenge Coins

Choosing the Best Size and Shape for Your Custom Challenge Coins

When designing a custom challenge coin there are several option to consider to make your coin stand out from the others and still stay within budget. The most popular choices are the size of your coin and building a coin with a custom shape. These choices will greatly influence the look and feel of your coins and also the price you will pay to have your coins made. In this guide we will look at the different shapes and sizes you can use for building a custom challenge coin and go over details over each option. Standard challenge coin sizes are 1.5”, 1.75” 2”, 2.25”, 2.5”, 2.75” and 3”, however, a coin can be any desired size.

What Challenge Coin Size Is Right For Me?

Choosing a coin to small or to large can easily take away from the quality of its appearance and its functionality. The best way to answer this question is that it depends on how you plan to use it and what type of budget you have to work with. The size of your coin will affect the cost of building a custom challenge coin more than any other option.

Are you going to carry it around with you to show off to your friends? Then it needs to be small enough to fit in your pocket, but large enough so people can be impressed by its detail.  A challenge coin from 1.5” to 2” will probably work the best and coincidentally the most common coin size today is a 2” diameter coin. The 2” coins are popular because not only do they fit in your pocket but the coin surface is large enough to get creative with the use of colors, Dual Plating or the use of intricate patterns and insignias.  If however you are working on a strict budget 1.5” to 1.75” coins may be the route to take to make sure everyone in your unit can get a coin.

Do you want to win more coin challenges? Does your unit have a time limit on produces a coin after a challenge? Then you might want to look into a smaller coin. The smaller the coin the harder it is to see. Hit it on the bar and people might not be able to hear it or produce their coin in time to save them from buying a round of drinks. Challenge coins under 1.5” are very rare and are for very special applications.

Is this coin meant more for a keepsake or used as a car badge? If your intention is to build a coin for a stationary display piece then you might want to look at building a 3” or larger coin. Any coin larger than 3” is awkward to carry but makes for a more striking display in a case, coin rack, office or car.

Today’s coins are becoming larger and larger. We live in a society where bigger is better and let’s face it: SIZE MATTERS! Large sized challenge coins can be used holiday ornaments, prizes, keepsakes, commemorative tokens and any coin over 4.5” is typically referred to as a car badge.

These larger coins make the details and design of your coin really stand out and are truly eye-catching. Since the dawn of time men have been pulling out items to prove their worth and the bigger item gets all the attention. Having said that, you will have to have a budget to support such a decision, since being the best always comes with a cost.

Challenge Coin Shape

You can make your custom challenge coin in any shape you wish. Some of the more popular choices are unit patches, dog tags, bottle openers, states, aircraft wings, maps or even the building your unit is in. Many military personal prefer when buying a coin that signifies their tour to have it shaped like the country they served in.

The nice thing about designing a custom shaped coin is that it won’t have a big impact on the price. Most coin builders will only charge you for the die charge but it is wise to check with yours before proceeding with your order.

One thing to think about when choosing a custom shaped coin is that Diamond Cut edges are only available on rounded coins so blending the two of these together will not be possible.

 

The other thing to think about is functionality. Having a challenge coin in the shape of a dog tag means you can wear your challenge coin and will most likely never lose another challenge as it on a chain around your neck. The king of functionality when it comes to a soldier and a challenge coin is having a built-in bottle opener. We all know what soldiers do when they are off duty and it certainly isn’t visit the library. If you are a steely-eyed commander and want your men prepared for every possible scenario, then give them a challenge coin in the shape of a dog tag they can wear around their necks with a built-in bottle opener. You may never see that coin in a display case, but it will certainly be the one that gets used the most.

Designing and building a custom challenge coin is a rewarding and fun task. I hope this guide helps you with your sizing and shape options and makes your decision a little easier.

If you want more information or to see our full challenge coin guide, please visit: http://armychallengecoinsforsale.com

Designing the Best Custom Challenge Coin - Edging Options

There are a few different options you will have to decide upon when building a custom army challenge coin. Here we will go in-depth into the different type of edges there are and the uses and benefits each one have for a coin. For more information please take a look at our complete challenge coin buyer's guide on our website: Army Challenge Coins

Choosing the Best Edging Options for Your Challenge Coin

When choosing to design a custom challenge coin the decision of what edge to use is an important one to make. The edging used on your coins will affect not only the look of your coin but how it feels in your hands. There are four types of edging you can choose from when designing a custom coin.

The most popular is called the straight edge. It is the edge that is considered standard and there is typically no extra charge for this edge. The least popular edge is the reeded edge. It gives your coin the look of a quarter and is the most expensive edge to produce, so it’s best to check the prices with your coin builder if you are thinking about this option.  Reeded edged coins do make your coin look and feel more valuable almost like they were real currency and will certainly give your coins a sense of worth.

There are three different edges that are very unique and normally come at no additional charge. They are a Rope Border, a Chain Border and Concertina Wire Border. These three borders offer a unique edging to a coin and are typically offered at no additional cost because each is created as part of the die.

A coin with a rope border with brass plating is one of the more popular options and will give you a formal or official look and is one of the more popular coin combinations.

Having a chain borders are not very commonplace in challenge coins currently and in today’s world of trading and collecting challenge coins, any coin that is different is more collectable. If you are going for an edgier coin for a fighting unit you might to think about using a concertina wire border as it will give you the type of feel and look you are going for. This type of edging is increasingly popular with combat engineer and military police type units.

The final edging category is the Diamond Cut Edges which can be applied only to round coins. Diamond Cut edges add a very impressive and attractive look to your coins. Coins with this edging option are normally seen as high-end and will give your coin a more attractive look as it changes the way light reflects from your coin. Diamond Cut edges also give an efficient and razor type feel to your coins. There are four different Diamond Cut styles: Swirl, Wave, Scallop and Cut Net.

The most popular are the Swirl and the Wave, but when selecting one or the other it comes down to what look you are going for. One of the best ways to decide which Diamond Cut you would like for your custom coin would be to pull out your challenge coin collection and go through them. Close your eyes and hold each different coin in your hands, turning it over to get a feel for which you prefer. Then take a look at each coin in the light and then in low light and ask yourself, is this the right cut for me?

Diamond Cut edges have an additional price because they all require a separate cutting stage to the production of a coin. Because it is an extra step it allows you to add a different look to any round coin that is to have antique plating. You can produce an antique Diamond Cut Edge or a bright Diamond Cut Edge simply by scheduling the cutting before or after the plating. Knowing this trick might save you some money on your custom coin order, but you will have to check with your coin maker in advance.

Finally there is the Edge Text option. This allows you to add text to the edge of your coin such as a saying, a quote, locations, names, ranks or campaigns. This type of edging adds “depth” to your coin. Most people at first glance will notice the front and back of your coin, but over time and use this type of detail can add worth and collectability to any coin. Image owning a coin for a few months and noticing something you had not seen before. This is also a great conversation piece when sharing and talking about your unit’s coin.

I hope you have found this guide helpful and informative. Building a custom coin is a rewarding and fun task. For more information about designing and making custom challenge coins please visit our custom coin guide on our website: http://armychallengecoinsforsale.com

Designing the Best Custom Army Challenge Coin - Plating Options

There are lots of questions regarding how to design a custom challenge coin and what people need to know regarding the different options they have. We just posted up a Buyer's Guide on our site to help people when researching custom built challenge coins. Here we will go in-depth into some more options. For the complete guide visit our site:
Custom Challenge Coins

 

Challenge Coin Plating: Designing the Best Custom Coin

One of the choices you will have when designing a custom challenge coin is that of – What type of plating do I want/need? In this guide we will go in-depth on each of the plating styles and options to help you with your decision.

There are basically eleven different platings for a challenge coin. They are: Brass, Antique Brass, Copper, Antique Copper, Silver, Antique Silver, Nickel, Antique Nickel, Black Nickel, Gold and Antique Gold.

Why choose antique plating?

The process requires some time and extra effort put into it.  That’s why the finished product looks as incredible as it does.  When you look at an antiqued challenge coin, you know that you are getting a really special gift.

Years of service award coins and medallions often are antiqued.  This helps give the appearance that they are old and therefore honorable.  Recipients of these items enjoy being able to look at their gift and know where it came from.  This helps add to the coin or medallion’s perceived value.  People will be more inclined to hold onto it if they think that it will be collectible someday.

Each one will give your unit’s coin its own characteristic, look and feel. One of the best ways to choose which option you like the best is to pull out your own challenge coin collections and ask yourself which coin best represents the look and feel you are trying to create with your own custom coin.

The plating you choose will depend on the look you want your coin to portray and the dominant colors on your coin. For example, silver and nickel are popular with the Air Force and Navy. Brass is popular with the Army and Marines. Antique plating’s are used to make the coin look older or to give it a weathered look. It is a special process that dulls the plating color. Gold is chosen for its perceived value. It is 24k, however, gold has a tinge to it and most prefer brass. Black nickel is used for special applications where you need to highlight a part of a coin design.

What is Dual Plating?

Dual plating is one of the more popular options and can make your coin look very striking and adds to its collectability. Dual plated challenge coins are created when two different types of metal are used on one design.  Classic combinations like gold and silver give custom coins their distinct appearance. Rather than use paint to achieve the effect of two different colors, the two metals on a dual plated challenge coin are used to create contrast. People that want to make their custom challenge coins look distinguished, often choose dual plating to give their design contrast as well as class.

This adds appeal to any design and images stand out against their backgrounds. Dual plated challenge coins are popular with military units, civil service employees, and corporations with employee recognition award programs.

Whatever plating option you decide upon will ultimately be decided upon by your personal taste. I hope this guide will help you in choosing the right challenge coin plating option for your coin. For more information regarding design a custom challenge coin and to see our in-depth custom coin guide, please visit our website: http://armychallengecoinsforsale.com

Army Challenge Coin Video Released

Army challenge coins for your unit, your tour or for excellence. Army Unit Coins makes Army challenge coins custom made to your specifications. We just released a video so people can see what our company is about and view some of our Army challenge coins.

For more information or just to look at some of the Army challenge coins we have made please visit our website:
http://armychallengecoinsforsale.com/