Send Us Your Ideas
Get an Online Proof
Receive Order

Why Coin Business Cards Beat Paper

Coin business cards are essentially metal business cards struck the same way as a custom challenge coin — your brand on one side, your contact info on the other, with full Pantone color and the same upgrade options we offer on any other custom coin. The result is a card with weight, durability, and a perceived value that paper can’t match. Pair it with a useful insert — bottle opener, magnetized golf marker, or screwdriver multi-tool — and you’ve got something recipients actively keep around, not something they toss after one networking event.

Coin business card collage showing custom business coins

Coin Business Cards

Exchanging cards is an act nearly as ubiquitous in the business world as saying “hello” to a passing colleague. Bearing the personal name and contact of an individual, these cards are indispensable for spreading a brand and making meaningful business connections. Like any other branded item, memorability and quality are the key factors separating a calling card that’s followed up on from one that sits forgotten in a pile until it’s thrown out months later. The ubiquity of a personal business card means it pays to stand out from the crowd — nearly any business meeting ends with stacks of cards folded into back pockets, wallets, or purses.

One of the more distinct requests our company receives is for custom coin business cards. Like corporate challenge coins, coin business cards are struck with the business brand of the client, but also include the client’s name and contact information for potential partners. With more than two decades of experience designing expertly crafted custom challenge coins, our team is well-versed in handling fine details and developing fully rendered coin designs that take advantage of a coin’s shape, size, color, and finish to make an individual’s name and skills visible.

Advantages of a Coin Business Card

One of the clearest advantages of commissioning a business coin is the intrinsic value of a coin over a standard business card, and its ability to stand out instantly after an initial meeting.

During major trade shows, conventions, or networking events, professionals can connect with dozens of colleagues over the course of an event, each one handing out a business card. By the end, potential clients and partners often end up with full stacks of cards and no memory of where each one came from. To get around this, professionals customize their cards with unusual cuts, shapes, or bold designs to stay memorable. A custom coin business card raises the bar entirely — as a metal coin, it’s immediately more valuable and interesting than a paper card, which makes it much more memorable. Coin cards can also give recipients a practical use for the coin: bottle openers, magnetized golf markers, or multi-tool screwdriver inserts.

Finally, one of the biggest advantages of a business coin over a business card is the lasting brand impact of a coin. Typically, after connecting with a new partner or colleague, business cards are thrown away after their purpose is served and the contact details are recorded into phones or computer systems. However, coins have much stronger lasting value and are much more likely to be kept as souvenirs or curios that retain the brand and name of the company or individual who commissioned them. This means clients are much more likely to see a bigger return on their investment in terms of the visibility of their business and interest in what they do.

Custom coin business card quote request form

Designing a Custom Business Coin in Three Easy Steps

Coin business cards lower banner showing design options

With more than two decades of experience in the industry, Signature Coins understands the importance of brand visibility in the success of a company. We’ve built a design process tailor-made to deliver high-quality products with quick turnaround. While coins already have a much higher perceived value than paper business cards, a unique and aesthetic design is what delivers a lasting impact on the recipient. Our team works tirelessly to create unique designs that impress while clearly promoting the value and skills of our clients. We host a full team of professional artists and designers experienced in working with corporate clients including Facebook, Amazon, and other major businesses.

We’ve developed a streamlined three-step process that takes our customers from concept to coin.

Step One: Get Your Free Preliminary Estimate and Quote

Completing our quote form provides us with all the information we need to start working for you. Once you complete the form, we immediately work on designing an initial art proof based on the information and requests you’ve sent to us. Within 24 to 48 hours of finishing our form, you’ll receive a free art proof of your design and a preliminary quote for your order.

Step Two: Unlimited Revisions

Production doesn’t begin until a client gives final approval on a coin design and we work with you one-on-one at every step of the design process. If there’s any aspect of a coin design you don’t like, we can immediately revise the design based on your feedback for free as many times as it takes to design the perfect coin.

Step Three: Receiving Your Finished Coins

Once we receive final approval from you, production begins immediately and we will have it delivered usually within 14 business days via FREE UPS Priority Air Shipping within the U.S.

Custom coin business card design proof

Signature Coins takes great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of all our products. With hundreds of different customization options and limitless room for creativity, our products are tailored to the exact specifications of our clients. Partnering with us for your business needs is easy, simply fill out our quote form to receive a free estimate on your order and a full-color proof of a coin design based on the information you sent us. Our staff includes a full team of design experts capable of creating and revising a coin design to the exact specifications of our clients while offering expert advice on how to best represent their brand.

We understand how important challenge coins are to their recipients. With more than two decades of experience working with clients, you can expect a high-quality product for every order. No matter the occasion, we stand ready to provide you with high-quality products and quick turnaround times.

Our services include:

  • FREE Artwork & Design With Unlimited Revisions.
  • FREE UPS Priority Air Shipping.
  • FREE Molds on Orders over 300
  • FREE Delivery in 14 business days or less within the U.S.
  • Quality & Workmanship 100% Guaranteed.
download-template

Download Our Design Template

Custom Coin Customer Reviews

Custom Challenge Coin Pricing

Color on Both Sides

(Up to 7 Colors per Side)
Size 50
1.5" $6.03

Color on One Side

(Up to 7 Colors)
Size 50
1.5" $6.03

No Color

(Metal Only)
Size 50
1.5" $6.03

Mold Setup Fees

Molds are FREE on all orders over 300 pieces
(on coins up to 2.5")
Size 50
1.5" $6.03

Custom Challenge Coin Edge Options

Standard Flat Edge
Price: per coin
Rope Edge
Price: per coin
Spur Edge
Price: per coin
Flat Weave Bevel Edge
Price: per coin
Oblique Edge
Price: per coin
Cross Cut Edge
Price: per coin

Custom Challenge Coin Plating Options

Antique Gold
Price: per coin
Antique Silver
Price: per coin
Antique Copper
Price: per coin
High-Polish Gold
Price: per coin
High-Polish Silver
Price: per coin
Dual-Plating
Price: per side per coin

Additional Challenge Coin Options

Spinner Challenge Coins
Interactive coins where part of the coin is designed to spin or rotate freely.
Pricing depends on size and complexity
Challenge Coin Cut Outs
Not only can the outer shape of the coin be customized, but the interior areas can be “cut out” as well
Price: per cut out
3D Challenge Coins
3D coins have an unlimited number of sculpted levels. We can round edges and create smooth gradations.
Price:
Sequential Numbering
The perfect option for anyone looking for trackable coins or just a fun way to make every coin a little more special.
Price: per coin
Glow in the Dark
Choosing from our selection of glow enamels ensures your design will continue to shine even when the lights go out.
Price: per coin
Edge Engraving
Not only can you design the front and back of your coins, but the true edge can be engraved with messages as well.
Price: per coin

Common Challenge Coin Questions

A challenge coin is usually a metal coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia, emblem or logo and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, challenge coins were used by the military and displayed by service men and women to prove exclusive membership when challenged, and to enhance the military units' morale.

Historically, challenge coins were awarded by military unit commanders in recognition of special achievement made by a member of the unit. They are also known to be exchanged and traded during recognition visits to different international organizations, bases and service tours. These coins have been heavily collected by active and retired service members and law enforcement personnel for years.

Modern challenge coins are made in a variety of sizes and often include popular culture references such as superheroes as well as known characters in a parody. Many companies today are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand. Challenge coin designs today are pushing the boundary of what a challenge coin could mean or be used for. One thing is for sure, personalized coins further strengthen the sense of bond within people that both give and receive them.

Challenge coins are often used as a physical token or symbol to represent membership to an organization, unit, or team.

Challenge coins also serve as a lasting personal award for anyone that has received one. Since they are custom and long lasting, challenge coins serve well to commemorate the time and experience put in to overcome overwhelming obstacles or the extraordinary effort and sacrifice needed to reach a given achievement. These keepsake coins become a life long reminder of the achievements made.

Our bravest first responder services also have a history of using challenge coins. Whether for fire departments, emergency medical technicians or law enforcement officers, challenge coins have been used to award bravery, acts of heroism and department camaraderie.

Many companies today have been started by veterans, or are veteran owned and are beginning to use the challenge coin tradition to help represent accomplishments in their businesses. This modern approach to awarding challenge coins has garnered some criticism from the traditionalists. Signature Coins has been making challenge coins for 20 plus years, and we see more and more companies joining in on awarding custom challenge coins to customers, staff, and volunteers. They are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand or charities.

Generally speaking you give someone a challenge coin when you want to honor them for a good deed or for their hard work.

Challenge coins still play a major role in the military today, much like a "Thank you Plus" or "Great Job Plus". In the armed forces not every action rates an honorable medal or certificate, for those moments when someone is deserving of more than a thank you, awarding them with a challenge coin fills the gap.

As a very simple miltary example. You're out on a 3 day field op. One of your guys or gals busts their butt during a particularly stressful couple hours of it. Shows great attitude, effort, and was overal top notch. If you tried to write it up, it wouldn't "quite" be "award worthy" but definitely deserved "recognition."

Now even if you're not a veteran or a member of the armed forces, you can still recognize and award someone with custom challenge coins.

You can use challenge coins to reward employees after the completion of a special project or if huge accomplishments have been made company wide. The coin design can be representative of the achievement, the employee or the company goals. Studies show when employees are recognized for a job well done, they feel more satisfied with their job performance, are more likely to reach for higher goals, and are more loyal to their organizations.

Finding the right time and place to give someone a challenge coin can be, well, a bit challenging.

  • Military tradition has a few ways of approaching this honor. One being "The Secret Handshake" where commanding officers, department officials or the president himself would shake a soldiers hand and "slip" them the coin via the handshake. Transferring the coin shouldn't be dramatic or obvious, like a quiet wink and a nod, this honor is more personal to the people giving and receieving the award and less ceremonial. Although a bit more obvious, another military tradition is to hand them out in front of a formation or during a meeting, but it's more commonly done one on one.

  • As more civilians and businesses use challenge coins, they have taken a more ceremonious and inclusive approach to awarding them. When looking to give a challenge coin to an employee or team member most businesses will do it during a team meeting. Some businesses have even integrated their employee award recognition into their annual and quarterly ceremonies. Awarding their employees in front of others can be a great way to show the rest of the team that you too can be "recognized" if the effort is there.

  • Modern marketers are also finding that custom challenge coins make for great business cards, so many high end service providers, such as lawyers, accountants and commercial developers are now giving their custom coins out as a means of promoting themselves or their business offerings.

Challenge coins typically cost $3.00 -$5.00 per coin for a full production run of 100 coins generally speaking.

More specifically though, it depends. Challenge coin pricing is dependent on a variety of factors including size, quantity, and coloration. Your organization's insignia or logo, as well as the brand standards surrounding it, will often dictate coloration. The level of complexity, industry standards, and personal preference will dictate the size of the coin.

You can view our challenge coin pricing here.

Designing challenge coins is a lot of fun, but there's also a ton of things to think about before getting started. Luckily, we have years of experience making custom coins, and we're happy to help you every step of the way.

We have put together a how-to guide that will tell you everything you need to know about challenge coin design.

Challenge Coin Design 101: A How-To Guide For Creating Challenge Coins