Happy Fourth of July from Signature Coins! We hope each of you are having a great holiday, whether you’re grilling in the backyard, setting up fireworks, playing games, or just relaxing with the family. As you celebrate freedom and independence this year, take a moment to appreciate the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform by recalling the glimmering history of the challenge coin.
Challenge coins, known also as unit coins or commander’s coins, are as diverse as the soldiers who carry them, and as varied as the fireworks lighting up the sky tonight. Some are plain and unassuming brass mementos. Others are gilded in precious metals and ornately designed. Each of these special coins carries a story of service and honor to a higher cause.
Origins of the Challenge Coin
The practice of awarding a coin for military service has roots dating much older than the United States itself and goes as far back as the Ancient Roman Empire where an outstanding soldier could receive an extra coin of payment on top of the day’s earnings in recognition of valorous behavior. These coins were said to be minted with an identifying mark associated with the legion the soldier fought for, leading to some soldiers holding onto them as keepsakes rather than spending them.
In the U.S., challenge coins are carried as tokens of membership to certain units or branches of the military, whether in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard. The coins identify the bearer with a specific unit or military action and serve as a physical memento of service or fellowship. Some coins are awarded to soldiers taking part in specific operations and some officers give coins to every member of their unit following a major milestone. It’s also common for officials whose responsibilities are not strictly military to have coins minted to exchange as tokens of regard or respect. One of the most well-known examples is the presidential challenge coin, which has been minted since Bill Clinton’s presidency.
The First “Official” Coin
Perhaps the most widely-known and retold story of the first “official” use of a military challenge coin dates to an admittedly apocryphal story from World War I within the nation’s newly formed air squadrons. A wealthy lieutenant ordered bronze medallions minted with the squadron’s emblem for every pilot. One of the pilots (or the lieutenant himself, depending on the version) is shot down and captured by German soldiers behind enemy lines. The pilot was stripped of all personal identification, except for the challenge coin worn around his neck and concealed in a small leather pouch. In the chaos of a night bombing he manages to escape, crossing no-man’s land, and reaching allied France disguised as a civilian.
However, upon reaching a French outpost the pilot is without identification. The French soldiers mistake him for an enemy saboteur and sentence him to execution as a spy. Attempting to prove his identity, he presents the coin to the French, and one of the soldiers recognizes the emblem printed on the coin. This act saves the pilot’s life by delaying execution long enough for the French to verify the pilot’s identity. In the end, the pilot is returned to his unit with a bottle of wine as an apology.
The use of coins as a token of military service saw sporadic use through WWI and WWII, but it isn’t until the Vietnam War that the tradition caught on. In an 1994 article printed in Soldiers Magazine Roxanne Merritt, curator of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum, states the first officially minted coin for the U.S. military was minted for the 10th Special Forces Group.
Replacing Bullets and the Birth of the “Challenge”
There is discussion on where the “challenge” aspect of the coins came to be with some believing it to be a safer replacement of a practice made with “bullet clubs” during the Vietnam War. A “bullet club” involved a live piece of ammunition kept pocketed by members of the Special Forces to be used as a “last resort” should they risk capture or interrogation. It’s a unclear how often they were actually used for this morbid purpose, but bored soldiers soon found a more entertaining use by “challenging” fellow soldiers into presenting their bullet at bars during off hours.
The “challenge” was punctuated by slamming the bullet onto a table, prompting every member present to present their own bullet. Failure to meet “the challenge” meant the ammoless soldier had to pick up the tab for everyone who successfully met the challenge. Commanders soon grew wary of their soldiers slamming live ammo onto tables, especially when they began to compete on who had the bigger bullet and escalated matters with higher caliber ammo until mortar rounds were eventually being thrown down. Overtime, commanders awarded members of a shared unit with unique challenge coins, and forbade the use of bullets for “the challenge.” The coins quickly took their place and the rest is history.
Challenge Coins Today
Steeped in a military tradition stretching back to the country’s biggest conflicts, challenge coins remain a common tradition among members of the armed forces. They represent a shared identity and a sense of camaraderie among members who served together in the same unit or on the same operation.
The use of challenge coins today is also popular with the general public. Coins are distributed as tokens of recognition or team unity among law enforcement and first responders, government staff, national sports teams, fraternal organizations, fan communities, and large companies. Some organizations award challenge coins as recognition to major donors to fundraisers or causes.
A notable example of public distribution includes Star Wars cosplayers of the “501st Legion” who began distributing challenge coins in 2005 to members of their organization as a symbol of membership. Likewise, in 2007, the Utah Symphony and Opera became the first symphony organization in America to make use of the coins when they distributed coins to all of their staff and musicians.
At Signature Coins we are proud to provide our unique and customized challenge coins to the Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, and the public. If you see a servicemember today bearing one of these unique tokens, make sure to thank them for their service!