THE LONG AND FASCINATING HISTORY OF THE MILITARY CHALLENGE COIN
Have you heard of the military challenge coin? No, they’re not the military’s form of currency. So what are military challenge coins? They’re kind of like a class ring but for the military. It’s a small coin/medallion that displays the organization’s insignia or emblem. The challenge coin military history is fairly long and extensive. If you’re interested in these unique bits of military memorabilia, keep reading to learn all about them! See more:Coins on Graves: The History Behind Honoring Our Nation’s Military
The History of the Military Challenge Coin
So, what is a challenge coin? And what’s the history of military challenge coins? Challenge coins technically began a long time ago. During the Roman Empire, they were issued to troops as a way to recognize their achievements. At the end of the day, if the troops excelled in battle, they would receive their typical day wages as well as a battle coin. Some accounts say that the coins were specially made to feature the marks of the legions the troops came from. Because of this, some collected their coins, but others still chose to spend them. During the Renaissance, challenge coins were called “Portrait Medals,” and they were used to memorialize different events that involved royalty or other well-to-do people. They were commonly given as gifts and awards, and exchanging them between friends and family was not uncommon. Another time the challenge coin was used was during the religious wars in France in the 17th century. Protestantism became illegal in 1685, so many French Protestants left France. However, a group of Protestants known as the Huguenots stayed in France and practiced their religion in secret. They began carrying a méreau communion coin to identify themselves with other Protestants and to gain access to Protestant churches.
WWI Challenge Coins
WWI is often cited as the first time when challenge coins officially began in America, though some sources still dispute this. So what is a challenge coin in the military? A fascinating story tells the tale. The story goes that a wealthy lieutenant ordered coin-sized medallions to be made for his unit. The medallions had the squadron's insignias on them. A young pilot in his unit put the medallion around his neck in a small leather pouch. One day, this young pilot’s plane was shot down over Germany, and he was captured as a POW. The Germans took all identification away from the Soldier, but they left the leather pouch around his neck. As a POW, this young Soldier was taken to France; he escaped one night during a bombardment. The pilot made it to a French outpost, but the French thought he was a spy. With no identification, he was struggling. However, he produced his medallion, and a French soldier recognized the insignia. Instead of executing him, the French decided to keep him alive long enough to confirm his identity. For that young pilot’s squadron, it became a thing to carry the medallion with you, and if you didn’t, a challenge ensued. In the spirit of this story, military challenge coin rules soon stated that a member of a squadron could ask (or challenge) another member to show him his medallion. If a troop was caught without his medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger. However, if the troop did have his medallion, then the challenger had to buy the troop a drink of his choice. Despite how awesome this story is, there are still disputes about when the military challenge coin actually began. Some accounts say it began in WWII, mostly as an identifier to avoid spy infiltration. Others say that it began in the Vietnam War with an Army infantry-run bar as an effort to keep the “outsiders” away. Regardless of its true origins, for all those unaware of the military challenge coin history, hopefully, we’ve answered some of your questions with these widely disputed tales about the beginnings of the challenge coin.
Military Challenge Coins Ranking
Despite their disputed history, military challenge coins are collected nationwide. In many places, the coin check tradition that was rumored to have started in WWI is still a thing. The military challenge coins ranking system is largely based on the prestige of the coin. The ranking is as follows:
- Medal of Honor Coin: If you show a Medal of Honor coin at a coin check, you’ll never have to buy a drink.
- Military School Coins: School coins are second place because of the effort it takes to receive them.
- General Officer Coins: General Officers are usually the ones buying the coins for their troops. Oftentimes, someone has to do something outstanding to get a General Officer coin.
- Unit Coins: Unit coins are typically given out by unit commanders. They usually have the unit’s insignia on them.
- Promotional Coins: Promotional coins are typically used to spread brand recognition. They’re only considered prestigious if the coin was made by a military-related company or was given out at a military event or installation.
Rare Military Challenge Coins
The challenge coin isn’t just a military thing. Challenge coins, military aside, also apply to presidents, certain police departments, motorcycle clubs, and more. Because of this, military challenge coins being given to civilians is not unusual (and also due to the collectible nature of the military challenge coin). Some of the rarest challenge coins are presidential challenge coins. Presidential and other political coins are usually given to their closest aides, making it extremely rare for the challenge coins to find their way to a collector’s market. Purchasing Challenge Coins If you’re a collector or want to be a collector of challenge coins, below are some links to reputable challenge coin sites.
- ChallengeCoin.com: This site has a wide variety of challenge coins available. You can purchase Navy challenge coins, Air Force challenge coins, Army challenge coins, USMC challenge coins, and USCG challenge coins.
- MedalsofAmerica.com: Medals of America has a wide variety of military-related paraphernalia, including military challenge coins!
- USAMM.com: USAMM is an Armed Forces superstore. You can get a lot of good stuff here!
Custom Military Challenge Coins
For those seeking custom military challenge coins, CustomMadeCoins is the go-to. On this site, you can order custom-made coins of your choosing. They even offer a free quote service so you can see how much your custom coin would be. But, of course, these don’t have the same prestige attached to them as a genuine, military-given coin. The military challenge coin has a long and fascinating history behind it. Originating in WWI (probably), the story of the challenge coin is remarkable. Though the history of these coins is disputed, regardless of where they began, everyone can enjoy and appreciate these pieces of history and patriotism. See more:What We Know About the New $230M National Medal of Honor Museum
The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Airman St. Class Deana Heitzman