How to Create a Challenge Coin to Give Out to Military Veterans

The history of military challenge coins is often a subject of debate among veterans and active duty service members. Whether or not challenge coins existed before World War I might be debatable, but the values they represent are timeless. Giving challenge coins to veterans is a perfect way to honor their accomplishments and core values. As you start designing the challenge coins, you can use these tips to create ones that you’re proud to hand out to the veterans in your life.

Incorporate Special Emblems and Insignia

An official emblem or logo is often the central focus of military challenge coin designs. You’ll often see insignia as being the main image in the center of a challenge coin, and you can use both the front and back surfaces to get all of the symbols that you prefer. Starting with the main emblem of a unit establishes a strong representation of the group’s identity. If you’re making challenge coins for veterans from different units or branches, then you can find a unifying logo to use for the coin.

Add a Motto or Slogan

When you work with a custom challenge coin designer, they may ask if you prefer to include a few words that add to the sentiment of the memorabilia piece. You can choose to add an inspirational phrase for veterans who can use their coin to serve as motivation to continue to do good deeds in their community. Many people also include unit creeds or oaths that the members of a veteran’s group took together. Adding a few special words helps the coin serve as a reminder of everyone’s sense of duty and honor to their group or unit.

Include Other Meaningful Symbols

With military challenge coins, you can never go wrong with adding symbols that represent the United States. Adding an image of the national flag, an eagle, and other patriotic symbols helps to add interest to the coin, along with instilling a sense of pride in the recipient’s service. For military veterans who served together, you might also include numbers to represent significant dates or times when they shared special victories or other memorable moments.

Choose Colors and Materials That Heighten the Effects

In military and civilian life, colors often represent specific traits or emotions. For instance, blue is associated with a sense of loyalty. Red tends to represent courageous acts, and white generates a sense of peacefulness and honor. Including these colors in the design not only adds a patriotic flair, but the veterans will also remember the core values that they built during their service. Challenge coins also come in a variety of materials that you can choose from to add significance to the piece. Gold, bronze, and copper plating are all options that you can choose from to ensure the challenge coin represents military honors.

Many military veterans will already know how challenge coins work, and it’s fun to add your own twists to the tradition. Encouraging the veterans in your life to carry their coins helps to build a sense of connection in the community while also honoring the sacrifices they made during their service.