Can You Make Your Own Coins?

8 minute read

Published on: 08 Oct 2020

Last modified on: 17 Jan 2025

Table of Contents

โ€œItโ€™s just a coin, right? How hard could it really be?โ€

Weโ€™re often contacted by people who want to know more about what it takes to actually make a challenge coin. After all, theyโ€™re fairly small, they fit in your pocket, and some of them donโ€™t have an insane amount of detail. Sounds like theyโ€™d be pretty easy to craft, right? Well, in some senses, they certainly can be. But thatโ€™s because most of the pros in the industry have highly specialized equipment that allows them to make coins quickly and effectively. 

The Art of Crafting Challenge Coins

For your average individual, unless you have some particular pressing equipment or metalworking skills, youโ€™ll find that making a coin that seems relatively simple is possibly anything but. It takes time, patience, and a lot of trial and error to perfect a streamlined process. 

However, this might be jumping the gun a bit. If you want to know about what really goes into the coin making process, there are several key steps that you need to keep in mind. Crafting a challenge coin is a meticulous process, where every detail in the coin design process matters. This artistry in creating custom coins is what makes each piece unique and significant.

Challenge Coin Essentials

Coins come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and metals. This can lead to some radically different designs and youโ€™d be hard-pressed to find any two coins that look exactly the same. Coins need to speak to the spirit of the group they represent and thatโ€™s why so many designers invest extra time and attention into each coin they help execute. 

Our collection of coins showcases a variety, each one bespoke in its custom coin design. These coins are more than metal; they represent stories and milestones.

Customizing Coin Size, Shape, and Features

The coin design part is a canvas for your imagination. Here, you can make your custom coin reflect your personal or organizational identity. Create custom prints and bring them to life. We help you create your coin.

Different shapes will have different design considerations, too. Some design types will work more effectively for certain shapes or sizes over others. Thatโ€™s why itโ€™s best to seek the expert guidance of an experienced coin designer when youโ€™re looking to craft a coin. 

Key Considerations in Custom Coins

Adding color is often complex, too. It takes a deft hand and some serious attention to detail. Recreating the same design on multiple coins also frequently requires expensive machinery that is cost-prohibitive for many individuals that are outside of the industry. 

With our expertise, we can make the coin design process streamlined and accessible, turning complex ideas into elegant coins.

Color and Material Choices in Coin Making

Select from a variety of materials, including soft enamel, to give your custom made coins a distinct look with a polished finish.

Often, coins are made out of materials like brass and bronze, though some high-end coins even incorporate metals like gold or platinum depending on the specifics of the design. As youโ€™ve probably guessed, some of those metals are easier to work with than others. However, with most coin designs, you wonโ€™t need to worry about the metal involved until youโ€™ve decided on a design. This is because the design commonly influences the metal. 

Of course, if youโ€™ve chosen a design that will work with multiple types of metal, youโ€™ll have the final say, though your artist or designer might make some savvy recommendations to help you get the best final product. 

Collaborating with Professional Coin Designers To Create Your Own Coin

Working together, we will create your custom coin, ensuring every aspect of the coin tells your story.

All of this goes to say that, while itโ€™s completely feasible that you may be able to create your own coins, you probably be better suited to working with an artist to design one instead. Itโ€™ll save you time, money, and a whole lot of headaches trying to figure out what does and doesnโ€™t work for effective, high-quality coin design. 

The Challenge Coin Design Process Made For You

challenge coin design process

What should be particularly exciting is that, soon, we will be releasing some amazing design templates that will help you come up with your own unique challenge coins. As soon as itโ€™s ready, youโ€™ll be able to print out several different shapes and sizes and they work with the design as you see fit. Of course, thatโ€™s not all that our customers do to help us out with the design phase. 

Bring your challenge coins to life, crafting your own custom coins that embody your values and achievements.

At Custom Challenge Coins, we value your collaboration. If all youโ€™ve got is a simple design idea or some general thoughts and concepts, send them over. Our artists will work to turn your thoughts into exciting designs. Some customers go so far as to send us vectorized designs of precisely what they want. Naturally, we donโ€™t expect you to do all that work yourself. Thatโ€™s what our expert team is here for. 

Your Role in the Coin Process Made Easy

What weโ€™ve found a lot of customers enjoy is crafting their own power points. These often include each of the required design elements and they make it easier for you to determine exactly what you want in your design. Our artists will take all of your ideas and mold them into a mockup that will show you precisely what your coin could look like when itโ€™s finished. 

The world of creating a custom coin, start with your own design, and watch as your ideas take physical form.

On top of that, our entire design process comes standard with every single coin we create. Weโ€™ll continue to work with you until weโ€™ve developed a design that matches your expectations. Thatโ€™s why Custom Challenge Coins is considered one of the industryโ€™s best coin makers. You donโ€™t have to worry about paying premium prices for artwork and designs. You donโ€™t have to worry about shelling out extra for edits and redesigns. We are here to help you craft the perfect coin that will really speak to what you need. 

Can You Make Your Own Coins?

Once you have a solid idea in mind, youโ€™re going to want to factor in the size and shape of the coin. These can vary fairly significantly. Some coins are much smaller than others. Some stick to the traditional round shape while others are rectangular, star-shaped, or other shapes like ovals. Youโ€™ll want to consider weight and texture too when you choose the shape. 

Create Your Custom Coin Design and The Journey

The journey of creating your own custom coin starts with a vision and a piece of metal clay or silver clay. These flexible materials allow for intricate designs, paving the way from the initial mold advertisement to the final polished surface of your unique coin. Whether it's for a special event or a memorable advertisement, the process involves meticulous attention to detail. The transformation from a simple lump of clay into a finely crafted, polished coin is a journey from start to finish, requiring precision and creativity. By shaping and refining the silver or metal, your vision gradually takes form, culminating in a stunning, finish coin that mirrors your original concept. This journey, from the start of the coin-making process to its finish, is not just about creating a physical token but crafting a lasting impression.

Some coins are designed to have multiple functions or even things like spinners or bottle openers. There are even coins that work as multi-tools. Plus, you have to think about engravings, edgings, and other bonus features that can really make your coin a one-of-a-kind collectible. 

About Custom Challenge Coins

At Custom Challenge Coins, we have years of experience bringing coin visions to life. We are dedicated to quality, consistency, and collaboration. Our designs are top-tier and truly capture the essence of every single group they represent. 

To learn more about Custom Challenge Coins method and our design process, you can contact us today or request a free consultation. Each of our designs is expertly crafted to suit your exact needs and we look forward to helping you bring your challenge coin to life.ย 

Heather

Heather studied business and technology at Texas State University and has been with Custom Challenge Coins for over 4 years and counting. :) When she is not managing the technical sides of Custom Challenge Coins she is writing informational articles and posting cool pictures of our coins. If you would like your coin order that we manufactured to be featured on our website please reach out to sales@customchallengecoins.net

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