Published on: 14 Apr 2020
Last modified on: 20 Mar 2024
It is believed that the first examples of the challenge coin took place in ancient Rome for a soldier performing well in battle.
Today, military challenge coins aren't just for soldiers. They are actually a great way to commemorate other significant events and connections in your life.
They are not only a quality keepsake but can also be personalized with a unique design that is specific to your requests.
Have you been wondering how military challenge coined are designed? Here are some fantastic design tips for crafting Military challenge coins.
How to Use Military Challenge Coins
Military challenge coins have a long history in the military. They were originally offered by unit commanders as recognition for special achievements by someone in the unit.
High-ranking officers and retirees are known to display their collection of challenge coins with just as much pride as their patches and ribbons.
This continues to be an honor that the individual holds onto with pride. In modern times, challenge coins have become part of other circumstances and memorable events.
Businesses, units, and individuals carry on this tradition to commemorate people, special events, or causes. If you are looking for a unique way to reward attendees or promote your company, then challenge coins are an impressive way to do it.
You can even present military challenge coins to specific employees who go above and beyond in their work. This is a great way to thank employees and show you appreciate their efforts.
What You Need to Know
When creating a design on a military challenge coin, keep in mind that it is a small space to work with. You can most likely fit a small logo or image and a few words around the edge.
You may want to include a specific date to make it extra special and feel exclusive to your event. Keep in mind that this may mean you will have to print more coins for future events. You can also include a business motto or a person's name.
Challenge coins can also represent a group of people or support a cause. You may want to put a short mission statement or the title of your cause.
It may be best to work with a graphic designer to reshape images into a round frame so the images and lettering look its best. If you can't fit the whole design on one side you can also put a separate logo or phrase on the opposite side.
Choose Your Metal Style
Challenge coins come in a variety of material options as well as plating options. This can impact the quality and even weight of the coin. Another important factor is ensuring the design of the coin can be used for the metal style you choose when making your custom coin. For example a soft enamel metal style has a textured surface whereas hard enamel is a flat smooth surface.
Some materials used for challenge coins are die struck, soft enamel, and hard enamel materials. There are also various plating options available such as antique nickel, polished gold, black nickel, and polished silver.
Make sure the color, weight, and quality of the material complement the design on both sides of the coin. Our design team can help you choose the best metal style for your challenge coin.
Maximize Space & Color
As with any marketing tool, a military challenge coin can act as a great advertisement for your brand and business. Therefore you should ensure your coin is consistent with your branding.
This could mean matching colors and logos. Be sure that the imagery is effective at that size before printing all of the coins. Also, when it comes to a small space, sometimes less is more.
Try to narrow down your messaging to only the most vital information. If you try to add too much to the coin it could look crowded and unprofessional.
Be sure to maximize the two sides by putting different information on each side. For example, you could put your company logo on one side and then use the other side to put the event information on.
Who Is Your Audience?
When it comes to creating the perfect piece of memorabilia for your event or team, you should also keep your audience in mind. Who will be receiving the coin? What would appeal to them? Does the coin have enough meaning that they will want to hold onto it for years to come?
Perhaps the coin has a special reminder on it that brings someone joy. Maybe it commemorates an event that the individual feels lucky to attend.
The reason for hanging onto the coin can be different for each demographic. So it's important to determine what that incentive is while designing the coin.
Reach Out for Help
If you are working on a design and find yourself running into an issue, you can always reach out to our team for help. We offer free designs and up to 5 revisions free of charge. Our talented art design team has designed thousands of challenge coins and can help you design the perfect commemorative coin piece.
They are knowledgeable and experienced in challenge coins so they can offer additional design tips walk you through the design process.
Ready to Start Your Military Challenge Coin?
Are you excited to get started on creating your very own military challenge coin? If you want to create your own unique design then we can help! We offer a wide variety of challenge coin designs to inspire you.
We also provide a range of prices and sizes to meet your budget and expectations. Create a keepsake they will be proud to hang onto! Check out our site to learn more.
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