Tag: design challenge coin

Sizing Guide: How to Choose the Right Custom Challenge Coin Size

When choosing a custom challenge coin size, it’s important to have the right one for your needs. Learn more about choosing the perfect one with our guide.

The tradition of challenge coins dates back almost a century during World War I. The true origin is not known for sure, but it’s said that a lieutenant gifted bronze coins to his all the members in his unit. It was this medallion that eventually helped save the lieutenants life when it served as proof to allied forces that he was an American soldier.

Over the years, challenge coins have been gifted to honor both individuals and organizations. These coins are used for a variety of organizations, not just the armed forces.

If you are considering placing an order for challenge coins, there are a lot of decisions to make. One important decision you will make is the sizing of the coin. There are many different factors that will determine which challenge coin size is perfect for your needs.

Keep reading to learn more about challenge coins and choosing the perfect size for you with our guide.

The Challenge Coin Tradition

Challenge coins tell a story. They tell stories about the organization they are for, the person they are gifted to, as well as the person who made it.

They aren’t used as a formal award, instead, they are very informal. Evidence of this is how the coins are usually given. The coin giver usually places the coin in the palm of their hand, and they pass it to the receiver through a handshake.

Often times, they are something that individuals in an organization carry with them. It’s very common for organizations with coins to play games to see who has theirs on them. For example, if one person pulls out their coin and someone doesn’t have theirs, then that person is responsible for buying drinks for the whole group.

Challenge coins are a great way to honor individuals and create traditions within your group.

Who Uses Challenge Coins?

Challenge coins are used for many different purposes. They used to be used solely in the armed forces. Now, firefighters, police officers, government departments, businesses, and other groups use them for many different purposes. They can be used to honor acts of bravery, commemorate a big event such as retirement, or even to help raise money for a cause.

People are generally surprised at how common they are. There is a large community of individuals who trade and collect challenge coins as well. The more rare ones can sell for $40-50.

Challenge Coin Sizes and DesignTypical Challenge Coin Size

Challenge coins vary greatly in size, but the most common size is about 2 inches in diameter. However, they can be made larger or smaller than this. We offer custom coins anywhere from 1.5-3 inches in diameter.

This size is the most common because it offers the greatest balance between space for design, weight, portability, and visual impact. However, that doesn’t mean that this is the best size for everyone’s needs.

We will go over other factors to take into consideration when deciding which size is best for your needs.

Design

Deciding on the design is one of the first things you will do when creating your custom coin. Laying out your design beforehand will help you determine which size is best.

One of our professionals will help you create the design you have in mind, and make recommendations as to which sizes your design will fit best on.

If you want your coin to have a lot of details, generally a larger size is better. A larger coin will allow those details to show through and help people appreciate them more.

If your design is more simple, a smaller coin will work just fine. Considering how much you want to put on the coin will help you determine which size is best.

Budget

Your budget is another important factor in deciding what size is best. The price per coin increases as the size of the coin increases. You do get a discount the more coins you buy, but that’s not always a reasonable option for everyone.

Things like how detailed the design is, adding color, and if you are putting a design on both sides of the coin will all affect the coin price. The key is to find the right balance between all of these things as your trying to make a coin that fits into your budget.

It’s also important to remember that on top of the price per coin, you will also be responsible for the price of the mold of the coin. This is a one time fee, added onto your order total. The price of the mold also increases as the coin size increases.

Purpose

Lastly, it’s important to consider the purpose of the coin. Do you want it to be something that people can carry around with them in their pocket? Or do you imagine it being displayed?

A large coin is perfect for being framed and put on display in a home or an office. Smaller coins will easily fit in an individuals wallet or purse.

A good visual reference is a quarter. A quarter is a little less than 1 inch in diameter. you can lay multiple quarters next to each other to get an idea of what a 1, 2, and 3-inch coin would look like.

The Perfect Size For Your Needs

Picking a challenge coin size can seem overwhelming when trying to consider all of these different factors. Determine ahead of time your budget, purpose, and design help simplify the process. Our professionals will help you design the perfect coin for your needs!

For more questions or help, call our office or complete our free online quote

4 Cool Challenge Coins Ideas to Enhance Your Event

Challenge coins have a long history of promoting a sense of community and showing support for fellow service members within the military.

However, as the popularity of challenge coins continues to grow, many companies, industries, and even non-profits have started to embrace the promotional and morale-boosting aspects of creating challenge coins.

Whether you want to create a challenge coin to recognize an employee, celebrate a friend’s birthday, or raise money for a cause, there are a few things you need to know first.

In this post, we’re sharing with you some of our most effective tips and ideas on how to create cool challenge coins. Read on to find out how to create the perfect design for any profession and occasion.

1. Design Your Own Artwork

If you want to create a custom challenge coin that’s truly unique to your organization, one of the best things to do is design your own artwork. It’s also a great way to encourage teamwork in your office or unit. You could host an artwork contest amongst your employees, and have your team members vote on their favorite designs.

You could also involve your target market by uploading a few of the top designs to your brand’s social media account. Your followers could then vote on the design they’d like to see on the coins.

Remember that artwork doesn’t always have to be serious — it just has to mean something to the people you’re giving it to. Maybe you’d like to reference an inside joke that always breaks the tension in your office, for example.

Perhaps you’d like to print a design of a landmark in your hometown on your challenge coin, to show pride in where you live and the community you serve. The sky is the limit, so don’t be afraid to be bold when you’re designing your challenge coin artwork.

Other popular artwork ideas include your state’s flag, a sports team’s mascot or logo, or even a memorable date for your company or unit.

2. Consider the Finish and Plating

The overall look of a custom-designed challenge coin can be altered by the chosen plating and finish.

For example, for a memorial challenge coin, a black metal plating might the best option. If you’d like to reward one of your employees for becoming the salesperson of the month, a polished gold plating would fit this theme well.

Another element to consider is if you’d like your custom challenge coin to have a hard or soft enamel finish. Despite the name, this doesn’t actually refer to how soft or hard the coin is.

Instead, it’s all about the texture. If you prefer a smoother coin, then you should opt for a hard enamel finish. However, if you want to get creative with the coin’s texture, then soft enamel will be a better option. The best finish for your coin will also depend on the number of colors and design elements you’ve chosen to include.

3. Don’t Forget the Edges

What’s the final secret to bringing cool challenge coins to life?

It’s all about the edge of the coin. This is a beautiful, small detail that can have a huge impact on the overall design.

If you’re designing for a fire department, for example, you might want to go with the traditional choice of a scalloped spur cut edge. For a corporate challenge coin, an oblique line edge will give your coin a finish that’s similar to a merit medal.

If you want to take things to a more elegant level, opt for a stunning diamond crosscut edge. You can also choose two of the classic edge choices, a flat cut edge or a sleek rope cut edge. Remember that the type of edges you choose will also impact the overall feel of your coin.

4. Giving out Your Cool Challenge Coins

Last but not least, you also need to think about how you’re going to give out your cool challenge coins and the significance you want to attach to them.

For example, if you’ve lost a fellow officer in the line of duty, the coins could be a heartwarming memento to give to the other members of your unit at the memorial service.

You could also create custom challenge coins to give to the family members of fallen servicemen and women.

If the coins are a part of an employee engagement initiative, you could create a game surrounding them to promote and improve company culture. For example, every time an employee holds up a coin, everyone in the office collaborates in a five-minute brainstorming session.

The last person to hold up the coin has to get coffee for the rest of the team!

Plan an employee recognition party, and give out the coins as a wonderful party favor.

Are You Ready to Create a Custom Designed Challenge Coin?

We hope that this post has helped you to understand the design elements to think about when bringing cool challenge coins to life.

Ready to place an order for custom designed challenge coins for your next company event? Want to use coins to help raise awareness about a cause that’s close to your heart?

We can help with that.

If you’re still in need of a little design inspiration, feel free to browse through our gallery.

When you’d like pricing information, or if you’d like to speak to someone about the different design options for your custom challenge coin, feel free to reach out to us.