Be Careful. You Dropped your Military Challenge Coins.

For those who are interested to know how a ‘challenge’ using military challenge coins work, here’s some interesting tidbits to start with:

Place

The challenge is really quite informal although this doesn’t stop the challenger or those who have been challenged from taking the taunt seriously. The setting is always informal, most likely occurring in a bar or in the servicemen’s sleeping units. 

People

The challenge may be given to one unit or several units in the same way that the challenger can be one unit or several units as well. The presenting of a units’ military challenge coins was actually originally used to boost morale. The more military challenge coins your unit has, the more superior it is to the other unit. 

Presentation

The challenger then presents his military challenge coin to those he has challenged. Most servicemen wear their military challenge coins as pendants and this is how it is presented during a challenge. There are those, some attest, who just accidentally drop their military challenge coins. Be very cautious when this occurs because this is still considered a challenge. 

Winners

The gist of the challenge is that whoever cannot present his military challenge coin should buy his comrades and the rest of those watching a drink. Should those who have been challenged all be able present their coins, then the tide turns and it is the challenger who should now buy them drinks.

Again, there are those who consider presenting coins as a joke and others who take it very seriously. Whatever the case, one should feel a huge sense of respect for all servicemen who have them because it’s attainment, in whatsoever way, must not have been easy. 

Accessories for your Military challenge coins

Preserving the integrity of your Military challenge coins is important. Needless to say, you don’t want your military challenge coins to depreciate with time. It should also be noted that when military challenge coins are defaced in any way such as when they have holes or rust, they are technically not considered as challenge coins anymore. They cannot be used to ‘challenge’ as military servicemen traditionally use them for. This will greatly depreciate the value of your collection. In order to stop this from happening, preserving military challenge coins is important. Fortunately, there are plenty of accessories to choose from nowadays that can easily help with preservation. Here are a few options for your collection:

Acrylic Presentation Cases:

Acrylic can be quite expensive but they’re great options when it comes to showing off your military coins. Because it is transparent, you can easily see your collection. Apart from its aesthetic significance, it’s also functional since you won’t have to constantly put each military challenge coin in and out if you want to clean them or show them off. This lessens their chances of being damaged. 

Multilevel Coin Holders

Similar to jewelry boxes, coin holders come in a variety of materials from wood lined with fabric or felt to metal cases. Be sure your military challenge coins have a comfortable spot to park on. It is ideal that they be propped in cloth or foam. It is also ideal that they don’t rub with each other in order not to attract rust from one another the same way a fruit rots faster when they’re beside another rotten fruit. 

Are military challenge coins expensive?

Part of the popularity of military challenge coins is the fact that they are very easy and very inexpensive to produce. They add a touch of class and elegance to ceremonies without necessarily breaking the bank of the givers. Two of the processes to choose from by which military challenge coins are produced are very low in terms of cost. Zinc Alloys are more inexpensive than brass or bronze coins however one needs to be more careful with them because they also tend to wear off more easily. Bronze coins are used for more important events such as presentations or awardings. 

 

Today, most Military challenge coins are produced in Asia. The US also has strong connections in South Korea where many military challenge coins are fabricated as well. Both labor and material are more inexpensive in both areas. In US soil, price will triple that of the manufacturing in Asia. Price will also vary depending on the size. The standard pocket coin is from 38mm diameter x 2.5mm in thickness while the presentation coin (used in awards) is usually 45mm in diameter x 3mm in thickness. Apart from the size, the finish will also increase or decrease the overall price. Pewter is the most inexpensive with the most expensive being those finished in real 24K gold.  

Military challenge coins cost from $5.00 to $15.00 for mass production but the most expensive component will probably be the casting of the die. If the design is complex, then dies will be about $1,000 as the artist has to sculpt it by hand. The intricacy just adds to the significance of the coin and the recipient.