Our Challenge Coins

Challenge coins have been around in one form or another since ancient times, but what is the significance of these coins and why are they so important?

The idea of challenge coins dates all the way back to the times of Ancient Rome. If a Roman legion performed particularly well in battle they would be rewarded with a separate bonus coin on top of the typical day’s wages that gave the soldiers a bit of extra money to spend. These coins were specially minted often-featuring unique designs that differentiated them from normal currency. Therefore, instead of spending these bonus coins, many soldiers apparently decided to keep them as souvenirs to remember the stories of their battles with.

Fast-forward all the way to World War I. At the beginning of the war, a wealthy lieutenant in the US Air Force gave special bronze medallions to all the pilots in his newly formed squadron. The medallion was a small coin-sized item emblazoned with the squadron’s insignia, just like a normal unit coin today.

One young pilot in the squadron carried his medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore around his neck. His plane was shot down behind enemy lines where he was quickly captured by a German patrol.

The Germans stripped the young pilot of all his identification including his dog tags, but he was able to hold onto the leather pouch with the coin inside.

He eventually escaped a German camp and fled back across the front lines where he found a French outpost, though his troubles were not quite over yet. Because the French soldiers were so used to German saboteurs dressing as civilians and considering that the pilot had no identification, the soldiers assumed he was with the enemy and planned to execute him.

However, one of the French officers noticed and recognized the insignia on his coin, proving that the pilot was an American soldier fighting on their side. When he was reunited with his American squadron, he told the story of how the special coin saved his life, and from then on, the tradition of always needing to carry your challenge coin on your person was born.

Challenge coins have a long-standing tradition in military history. But the military isn't the only service that uses them. First responders also have a history of using challenge coins too. 

Today, challenge coins represent organizations, units, and teams. They can also represent an achievement, an anniversary, a special event or to keep a memory of a fallen hero alive. They build close-knit, lasting bonds between people who receive them and represent unity.