Military honor coins are physical reminders of the commitments a soldier has made to our Nation, of the dedication required to succeed, and of the sacrifices that must be made in service. They commend the bravery, selflessness, and excellence in service that each member of the United States Armed Forces must live by to succeed.
Distinction, recognition, privilege, glory, prestige, merit, respect, esteem: military honor coins embody all of these traits. For members of the military, knowing your actions protect the lives of millions is a source of courage. Being a member of the United States Military is being the best that you can be.
- Honor is only earned, never given freely.
- Honor is serving with distinction.
- Honor is recognition that you are only as good as your team.
- Honor is a privilege that must be earned every day.
- Honor is glory in the eyes of our Nation, and the eyes of those you protect.
- Honor is prestigious because not everyone can rise to the challenge.
- Honor is a result of personal merit and gives credit to your character.
- Honor is respect to the service, to your team, and to yourself.
- Honor is esteem for our country and those few brave enough to defend it.
Signature Coins has been making military honor coins and military challenge coins for more than two decades. In that time, we’ve learned a particular respect for the service men and women of our Nation. We strive to produce the highest-quality challenge coins on the market — coins that do justice to the courage and commitment of the soldiers in service to our country. We use durable materials like brass, zinc, and steel to ensure each coin keeps its vibrant colors, detailed designs, and fine shape. Honor coins are sure to be carried with pride and displayed for years to come as a mark of personal achievement and acceptance among the elite warriors of the world.
Meaningful and Personal Gifts
Military honor coins and challenge coins are handed out by commanding officers to build camaraderie and recognize service members performing above and beyond the call of duty. Custom design cues like squad or battalion emblems and team mottos make them even more personal and carry more emotional weight.
Challenge coins have a long history within the United States Military, dating back as far as World War I. Challenge coins as we know them today became popular during the Vietnam War when soldiers started a game of challenging each other with bullets they carried in their pockets. Each squad member would carry a single bullet on their person at all times, and every so often a member of the group would issue a challenge for everyone to bring out their bullet.
The challenge would usually take place in a restaurant or bar and would start without warning when one teammate pulled out their bullet and slapped it hard onto the table. Every other member of the team would have to pull out their bullet as fast as possible — the last one to slap their round onto the table would have to buy a round of drinks for the entire team. Rules changed slightly from team to team, but the tradition is still practiced today as a sort of team-building exercise and source of entertainment among close friends, both deployed and at home.
The only difference is that today soldiers use challenge coins instead of bullets. Commanding officers began to worry that someone would get hurt or even killed as the challenge game grew in popularity during the Vietnam War. Soldiers started trying to one-up each other by pulling out larger caliber rounds — it got so bad that some soldiers were carrying around anything from .50 caliber bullets to live mortar rounds and slapping them on bar tops.
The challenge coin took over from there, and the custom aspects of the coins led to incredible versatility in making designs personal and meaningful. Including team-specific designations, artwork, nicknames, and other custom touches ensures that soldiers who receive them will never find another coin like it anywhere in the world. Military challenge coins and military honor coins are symbols of the camaraderie between members of a team, of personal acceptance and appreciation within that team, and of the history and tradition that has shaped who they are together.
Get started designing your order of custom military honor coins today!
When to Hand Out Honor Coins
Military Honor coins are meant to reward the service and dedication of soldiers in the field, on base, or in training. There are plenty of different scenarios where honor coins can be given out including:
- Graduation from Basic Training
- When recruits join the Marines, they go through a grueling 12-week training that is said to be the toughest of any courses in the United States Armed Forces. Not everyone is able to make it through the boot camp which is designed to break you down physically, mentally, and morally. At the end of it all, the bonds you share with the fellow recruits with whom you have trained are stronger than most bonds you have had in your entire life. At graduation, recruits are addressed as Marine for the first time, and many new Marines accept the honor with tears in their eyes. Successfully completing basic training for any branch of the military involves earning a unique respect and admittance into a select group of brave defenders of our Nation. Custom honor coins represent their dedication and success and commemorate the important graduation ceremony.
- After Successful Missions
- When a well-trained group of soldiers performs, they are making their country and our Military proud. In success, squads and battalions are representing the prowess and superiority of our Military and deserve respect and honor for their bravery and determination to win.
- After Commemorative Ceremonies
- Promotions, retirements, Military Balls, and any other kind of ceremony. Honor coins are a personal way to recognize the achievements of members within the United States Armed Forces. They symbolize commitment, courage, and accomplishment through service, and are meant to be carried and displayed with pride.
Military honor coins and challenge coins are more than just tokens. They are personal and meaningful gifts that elicit strong emotional connections to specific groups and teams. They’re a perfect way to show your appreciation for the service of the brave soldiers who chose to defend our Nation as their calling in life.
Get started with your order of custom coins today. You can learn more about the history of challenge coins, or take a look at some of the coins we have made in the past in our coin gallery. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to give us a call at 1.800.953.3607. One of our friendly specialists would be happy to speak with you.
The Difference When Choosing Signature Coins
Signature Coins has been making custom military challenge coins and honor coins for more than two decades. We’ve created an easy three-step system for ordering that streamlines the process while staying true to our core values of quality assurance and customer satisfaction. On all orders, we include services like:
- Free artwork and quote
- Free unlimited revisions
- Free UPS Air Priority shipping
- 14 business day delivery
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
We’re dedicated to being the industry standard for supplying custom challenge coins and honor coins. We only use the best materials, and all of our designs are made to order — never stock. Our experienced team of artists will be happy to create something completely original for you. Just give us a little information by filling out one of our order forms, and our design team will have a proof ready for you to view within 24 to 48 hours!
Thank you for choosing Signature Coins and we look forward to working with you!
