Published on: 16 Apr 2019
Last modified on: 02 Jul 2024
Are you searching for the perfect gift for the police officer in your life?
What can you possibly get for someone who puts their life on the line for your safety and comfort every single day? What kind of a gift helps you to express the level of gratitude you feel towards these brave men and women?
A gift card to a local restaurant or a hastily-bought houseware item isn't going to cut it.
Perhaps you're a police officer yourself, and you want to find a way to say thank you to the incredible officers you work with every day.
No matter who you're shopping for or the specific reason for the gift, consider police challenge coins.
What exactly are challenge coins, and why do they make the perfect gifts for police officers?
Keep on reading to find out!
Before we talk about why challenge coins make for the perfect police gifts, let's make sure you're clear on what exactly they are.
The history of challenge coins begins in the military. There are several versions of the challenge coin origin story, but perhaps the most famous one starts in World War I.
A French soldier was shot down by the Germans and captured. The German soldiers took everything from this soldier -- save for a pouch containing a coin around his neck. The coin was stamped with a special marking, a reward from a wealthy soldier that had the coins made for everyone in his battalion.
Somehow, the soldier escaped back to France.
When the French soldiers found him, however, they suspected he was a German spy. To prove he was one of them, the soldier took out the coin from his pouch, displaying the French insignia on it.
The challenge coin saved his life, and a new tradition was born.
In today's world, challenge coins are mainly used to create a sense of camaraderie among soldiers, firemen, and police officers.
Even some companies and non-profits make their employees or volunteers special challenge coins to remind everyone that they're a member of the same team, and meant to support each other.ย
Challenge coins also help police officers to blow off a bit of steam by playing games with them.
One of the most popular?
Silently, one officer will pull the challenge coin out of their pocket and hold it up in the air. The last officer to pull out their coin and hold it up in the air (or the officer that left theirs at home) has to buy a round for everyone on the force.
One of the best things about challenge coins for police officers?
There are so many different options you can choose from and customize. You can include the name of the unit, the city the officers work in, and even print their name or a special message on the coin.
You can choose a central image to print, which colors you'd like to use in your coin design, and much more.ย
We love the idea of giving the officer in your life a coin every single year, with a different design each time.
Customization just makes an already touching gift even more special.
It's important to understand that police challenge coins aren't just about recognizing an officer for their selfless acts of service and courage.
Sometimes, these coins allow for the officers who help us every day to ask us for help when they need it.
Many officers suffer from PTSD, especially when they have to use force or even fire a weapon to restrain a criminal. Their jobs are incredibly stressful, all day, every day.
Especially given the recent rise in anti-police sentiment, it's naive to think that their psychological state will not be impacted by the duties of their profession. But it can be so hard for officers to ask for the help they need. After all, they're meant to "put on a brave face" and stand as the pillar of strength.
It will likely shock you to discover that more police offers committed suicide than died in the line of duty in 2018.
Challenge coins are gifts for police officers that don't just say "thank you," but can also save lives. When the officer in your life needs to talk, all they have to do is pull out their challenge coin and hand it to you.
This is a silent -- but powerful -- symbol that they need help. When you give an officer a coin, you're letting them know that, when it all gets to be too much, you'll be there for them.
We hope this post has helped you to better understand why challenge coins make the best possible gifts for police officers.
They're also small enough to carry everywhere so that the police officer can be reminded of your gratitude every single day.
Looking for the perfect place to customize, browse through, and order the challenge coins you need?
We've got you covered.
Whether you want to buy coins for police officers, members of the military, or anyone else in your life, you'll love our incredible selection. Be sure to visit our coin gallery to get inspiration.
Start designing your coins today, and get ready to give the officer in your life a gift they'll cherish forever.
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