“It’s just a coin, right? How hard could it really be?”
We’re often contacted by people who want to know more about what it takes to actually make a challenge coin. After all, they’re fairly small, they fit in your pocket, and some of them don’t have an insane amount of detail. Sounds like they’d be pretty easy to craft, right? Well, in some senses, they certainly can be. But that’s because most of the pros in the industry have highly specialized equipment that allows them to make coins quickly and effectively.
For your average individual, unless you have some particular pressing equipment or metalworking skills, you’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 coinmaking process, there are several key steps that you need to keep in mind.
Challenge Coin Essentials
Coins come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and metals. This can lead to some radically different designs and you’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 that’s why so many designers invest extra time and attention into each coin they help execute.
Different shapes will have different design considerations, too. Some design types will work more effectively for certain shapes or sizes over others. That’s why it’s best to seek the expert guidance of an experienced coin designer when you’re looking to craft a coin.
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.
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 you’ve probably guessed, some of those metals are easier to work with than others. However, with most coin designs, you won’t need to worry about the metal involved until you’ve decided on a design. This is because the design commonly influences the metal.
Of course, if you’ve chosen a design that will work with multiple types of metal, you’ll have the final say, though your artist or designer might make some savvy recommendations to help you get the best final product.
All of this goes to say that, while it’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. It’ll save you time, money, and a whole lot of headaches trying to figure out what does and doesn’t work for effective, high-quality coin design.
The 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 it’s ready, you’ll be able to print out several different shapes and sizes and they work with the design as you see fit. Of course, that’s not all that our customers do to help us out with the design phase.
At Custom Challenge Coins, we value your collaboration. If all you’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 don’t expect you to do all that work yourself. That’s what our expert team is here for.
What we’ve found a lot of customers enjoy is crafting their own powerpoints. 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 it’s finished.
On top of that, our entire design process comes standard with every single coin we create. We’ll continue to work with you until we’ve developed a design that matches your expectations. That’s why Custom Challenge Coins is considered one of the industry’s best coin makers. You don’t have to worry about paying premium prices for artwork and designs. You don’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.
Once you have a solid idea in mind, you’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. You’ll want to consider weight and texture too when you choose the shape.
Furthermore, you’ll want to consider add-ons and extra features. 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 the 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.
Interested is starting? Complete out no obligation form to begin your own custom challenge coin process.
