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Department of Defense Challenge Coins

From the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the smallest operational unit, custom DoD challenge coins help every team within the Department of Defense recognize the people behind the mission. Whether your coin honors a long-running command, a singular accomplishment, or just the daily work of running a complex defense organization, we’ve helped DoD teams create exactly the right design.

Custom DoD challenge coins for military units

Custom Coins That Honor Service

The United States Department of Defense employs over three million people worldwide. More than 450,000 of them are in foreign territory either at sea or on land, managing United States facilities and installations and running Department of Defense operations. Coordinating that scale of manpower across the many sub-departments that make up the DoD takes careful planning, experienced leaders, and a budget unrivaled by any single organization in the United States Government.

The President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense spearhead the entire organization. Its main components are:

United States government challenge coins and military challenge coins are a traditional and essential organizational instrument for motivating staff, building unity, and instilling pride in country and in service.

Department of Defense challenge coins exemplify the organization’s core values of duty, integrity, ethics, honor, courage, and loyalty. As the largest employer of Americans in the United States, there are plenty of opportunities to use Department of Defense challenge coins to honor the excellent service and bravery of the Nation’s defenders. Some work in offices and others on the front lines, but each is dedicated to the same mission: to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our country and sustain American influence abroad.

Department of Defense Headquarters

Custom Department of Defense challenge coin designs alongside scenes of naval and ground operations

The Pentagon has three times more floor space than the Empire State Building, covering over 17 miles of corridor space alone. It is one of the largest office buildings in the world and has been officially declared a National Historical Landmark. As headquarters to the Department of Defense, the Pentagon is run by some of the most influential and indispensable military and civilian personnel.

Over 26,000 people work in the Pentagon every day. Each person spends their time studying, planning, and implementing defense operations and dedicating themselves to national security. It is a historic and powerful place that every U.S. military and defense operation passes through before being put into action. The brave men and women who staff the headquarters of the Department of Defense deserve recognition for their devotion to protecting the American people.

Signature Coins can make custom Department of Defense challenge coins with designs of the historic Pentagon as well as team-specific imagery like important anniversary dates, designations, or team mottos and goals. Challenge coins reinforce the values of the Defense Department and reward leadership. They can be used to distinguish members of staff who set the standard for excellence or to commemorate important feats and team achievements.

The Commander in Chief and the Leader of the Department of Defense

U.S. Presidents handing out custom presidential challenge coins to service members

The President of the United States, along with the Secretary of Defense and National Security Council, determines the defensive needs of the nation and implements actions that will provide the best possible results. Challenge coins have long been a tradition for the office of the Commander in Chief.

Since President Bill Clinton was in office, each president has had a custom presidential challenge coin minted that they use during their term. The coins are handed out as keepsakes by the president himself, usually through a subtle handshake. The informality of the exchange adds to the personal nature of the challenge coins. It is not so much about ceremony, but more of a small gift bestowed on those who have earned recognition through courage, accomplishment, or character.

As leader of the Defense Department, the acting president sets the example in use of custom Defense Department challenge coins as tokens of appreciation, acknowledgment, and inclusion within a chosen group of individuals working tirelessly to defend our nation.

Defense Department Challenge Coins and Where to Use Them

The Department of Defense is incredibly diversified, with branches spread across all corners of the globe. There are all sorts of positions to fill and expertise needed to excel in its long array of institutions. While everyone working in the Defense Department is aligned toward the same goals and molded by the same values, each team is staffed by unique individuals whose differences should be celebrated.

Custom challenge coins are extremely versatile and can work in any team setting. Custom designs incorporate the small, seemingly insignificant differences that set teams apart. These subtleties are where the character and spirit of a team truly lie. Incorporating team-related artwork, designations, important dates, or information about individual team members adds to the personal value of the coins and encourages an emotional connection.

For members of the military and each division within the Defense Department, it can sometimes be easy to feel insignificant working within such an enormous military organization. Custom Department of Defense challenge coins remind team members of their value and influence within the organization. They promote feelings of self-worth and pride in country and service.

Custom Department of Defense challenge coins can also be designed for building team unity, motivating service members, and commemorating organizational achievements within the Combatant Commands all over the world. The unified commanders have geographic and sometimes worldwide areas of responsibility and are the direct link from military forces to the President and Secretary of Defense.

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Three-step coin ordering process: send your ideas, get an online proof, and receive your order in approximately 14 days

The United States Department of Defense operates on a scale unrivaled on the world stage. It takes precision, organization, and a determined spirit to perform under the pressures of upholding the national security of the United States. The courageous men and women who form every segment of the Department of Defense deserve acclaim for their commitment and gratitude for their accomplishments.

The actions of each member of the Defense Department reflect on the organization as a whole. Custom Department of Defense challenge coins are the personification of the organization’s core values of duty, integrity, ethics, honor, courage, and loyalty. They inspire those who carry them to perform at their best and remind each person of their influence, their worth, and their indispensable service.

Signature Coins has been crafting unique military challenge coins and Department of Defense challenge coins for over 15 years. We take pride in our work and exercise particular care when designing and manufacturing custom challenge coins for the remarkable service men and women who dedicate their lives to the defense of our Nation. Ensuring that our coins do justice in representing their sacrifices, their courage, and their achievements is our priority.

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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