Custom coins are always made in honor of something special. They started out in the military as a unique tool for recognizing the commitment, courage and sacrifice of soldiers in combat, but nowadays, they’re common in law enforcement, businesses, and even local clubs and charities. While there are all kinds of different ways to use custom coins, many of our customers order them to celebrate different types of life milestones. The
custom made for graduation ceremonies, retirements and weddings only scratch the surface of what’s possible when handcrafting challenge coins for special occasions.
Before we can get started on a commemorative coin design for your wedding, your child’s graduation, or any other important milestone achievement, we need to hear your ideas. Get started on a free quote form and see how easy it can be to go from a sketch to your own finished coin design!
Vegas is the backdrop of many weddings, so it makes sense that the city skyline is also the backdrop for this wedding coin. The combination of the oblique line edge around the artwork and the standard edge featuring the couple's names and the big date is a particularly nice touch.
Commemorative coins are often created in honor of loved ones. Keeping them close ensures their memory lives on long after they have passed away.
The 501st Legion are no strangers to pulling designs from more pop culture sources than just Star Wars for their coins. This coin makes use of another Disney property, Up, to present a lovely scene for Han and Leia.
Commemorative coins are often created in honor of loved ones. Keeping them close ensures their memory lives on long after they have passed away.
This high polish gold coin was created by the FBI in honor of the first responders and agents who worked tirelessly during the Pulse attack in Orlando. At just 1.75", this coin is a masterclass at fitting a lot of information in a small space. Everything from the date, to the pulse line, to the ribbon and the 49 stars representing the lives lost in the attack fit on the coin without feeling cluttered.
Coins with a lot of text will always be more legible with antique plating than high polish. This coin from the Texas State Technical College System also makes use of a custom designed edge.
These commemorative challenge coins were created in honor of Officer James Rapozo of the Visalia Police Department. Using an offset printed coin design allowed us to include a real-life image of Rapozo in the artwork.
Commemorative coins are often designed to make sure we never forget. These firefighter coins honor the brave firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and were designed for a special program that helps first responders in need.
Commemorative coins are often designed to make sure we never forget. These firefighter coins honor the brave firefighters who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and were designed for a special program that helps first responders in need.
This high polish silver coin from the U.S. Navy is a tale of two worlds. The front of the coin is elegant in its simplicity, while the back presents a collection of vibrant color most often found on a paint canvas. The sunset scene is presented in bright colors and translucent enamel to best complete the effect.
The way the artwork of this wedding coin continues from front to back is a unique twist that we don't see very often in custom coin design. Special occasion coins come in many different forms, and these wedding coins are one of our favorite examples of what's possible in design when you have an open mind.
This high polish silver coin from the U.S. Navy is a tale of two worlds. The front of the coin is elegant in its simplicity, while the back presents a collection of vibrant color most often found on a paint canvas. The sunset scene is presented in bright colors and translucent enamel to best complete the effect.
Commemorative challenge coins for weddings are often given to guests and close family as a way of showing appreciation and love. Including names and important dates are just a few of the most common design ideas. The potential for unique artwork is limitless.
Police officers will collect a wide assortment of law enforcement challenge coins as they pursue their careers, and one of the most cherished coins will be from their graduation from the police academy. These commemorative coins were created specifically for class 418 of the Judicial Marshal Academy.
The four small cut outs in this coin for the Newport News ship builders might seem inconsequential, but the way that they fundamentally change the look of the coin can't be ignored.
While most challenge coins are distributed to members of a specific team, some are intended to be given away to strangers. This coin, intended to change hands with each good deed done, makes use of sequential numbering to make each coin unique as well as to help them be trackable as they travel across the world.
Police officers will collect a wide assortment of law enforcement challenge coins as they pursue their careers, and one of the most cherished coins will be from their graduation from the police academy. These commemorative coins were created specifically for class 418 of the Judicial Marshal Academy.
The dog on the front of this coin was part of a police K9 unit. His team sent us a picture that we used to create a 3D design with realistic depth and detail.
The message on the front of this coin is completed on the back face. The simple purple and high polish silver design of this coin belie the great idea of joining the front and back of your coin with one direct message.
This challenge coin features a depiction of the National War Memorial in Ottawa. It's a perfect example of just how detailed a 3D challenge coin can get.
Colored metal coins aren't the most popular option selected, but this yellow powder-coated coin shows just how different and unique they can be from coins in traditional plating. Where a high polish gold coin would be difficult to read, every detail of this yellow coin is easily visible.
The 501st aren't the only cosplayers order challenge coins featuring their favorite pop culture characters. This coin is plated in high polish gold, but uses a lot of different colored enamel to create it's unique Power Rangers design. This allows the plating to be little more than an accent for the artwork.
This coin from the Everglades Garrison of the 501st Legion combines lime green enamel with a bright pink to evoke the memory of Miami Vice.
Anniversary challenge coins are some of the most popular commemorative coins we help design. The high polish gold metal used for this coin gives the artwork an exciting tone and vibrant appearance.
Hartsdale Pet Cemetary Rememberance Challenge Coin back
Hartsdale Pet Cemetary Rememberance Challenge Coin front
We make custom poker chips here, but this wedding challenge coin is only designed to look like a poker chip as part of the couple's Las Vegas themed wedding. The red and black on either coin face is intended to remind you of card suits, while the custom edge is simple but easily familiar to anyone who sees it.
This 501st coin is for a garrison from Tasmania. The copper plating combines with the yellow colorfill to give the coins a uniform appearance. The copper is also particularly apt since the garrison is known as the Copperhead Squad.
Offset printing is the best option for creating picture-perfect challenge coins. There's no better way to capture the specifics of a face than with the inclusion of an offset printed image.
We make custom poker chips here, but this wedding challenge coin is only designed to look like a poker chip as part of the couple's Las Vegas themed wedding. The red and black on either coin face is intended to remind you of card suits, while the custom edge is simple but easily familiar to anyone who sees it.
Wedding challenge coins are some of the most likely to have cute inside jokes shared between the couple. The monkey and rabbit presented in antique gold on this coin probably represent the couple, but we can't be sure about that. What we are sure of is that if your coin features writing in a language other than English, like the back of this coin, it's a good idea for you to double check the spelling to make sure we got it right.
Honor Flight is one of many military charities that we've had the pleasure to work with. While something like an Army unit coin is designed for a specific team of soldiers, this coin was designed to honor the service of veterans from all branches of service.
When it comes to making Fortune 500 challenge coins like this Home Depot coin, we make sure to use the same PMS colors the company uses for their brand. The bright orange apron and hat are easy to recognize even before you see the company logo.
Why honor life’s important moments? Well, we all want to remember the important events in our lives, and when it comes to the people we care about, most of us want to offer them something that reflects their achievements and gives them a sense of pride. Handcrafting a set of special occasion challenge coins is a great way to capture a person’s story and share their success with the world.
We have everything you need to make a memorable and meaningful coin design for any type of gathering. It could be something as lighthearted as a sport challenge coin celebrating the end of a great season, or as important as a wedding challenge coin celebrating a special union. The only question that remains is, what kind of commemorative coins do you need?
Special occasion coins are crafted for all kinds of different people who are celebrating all kinds of different things. Business leaders sometimes award unique employee recognition coins to staff members being promoted to a new position, or offer a company coin to new hires during orientation events, but the corporate world isn’t the only place that has important events worth recognizing with a special occasion coin.
Wedding challenge coins are perfect for celebrating the bride and groom. At ceremonies involving military personnel or law enforcement, challenge coins are especially suited as a gift to remember the celebration. We’ve created custom wedding coins specifically for the bridal party as well as coins offered to all the family and friends at a wedding. Whether they’re given to the bride and groom or the guests, wedding coins are always a beautiful symbol of love and appreciation.
Another place you find special occasion coins is at graduation ceremonies. One of the most famous graduation challenge coins is the Airman’s Coin awarded to U.S. Air Force recruits when they complete basic training, but graduation coins are found all over. High schools and colleges offer their senior students custom commemorative coins featuring school colors, mascots and school crests.
Whether you need graduation coins for newly sworn officers leaving the police academy, cadets entering the armed forces, or students at your school, our Signature Coins team has everything you need to make something incredible for the occasion.
There are two sides to every coin, and on the flip side of graduation is retirement. While a graduation coin is a symbol of all that is yet to come, a retirement challenge coin is a testament to a colorful career, showing gratitude for all that a person has achieved. We’ve designed special occasions challenge coins for all kinds of different retirement ceremonies both in the military and the corporate sector.
While we always want to remember our successes and the things we earn through dedication and commitment, it’s also important never to forget what we’ve lost. Funerals and memorials are gatherings that no one looks forward to, but that doesn't mean they aren’t special. We’ve been honored to help people all over the world craft custom remembrance coins that celebrate life, love and happiness. Our hope is that they help a person live on through memory long after they are gone.
We understand that some of the special events where challenge coins are used can sneak up last minute, so our Signature Coins team is dedicated to meeting any kind of deadline imaginable. Our best time so far was a three-day turnaround, and while we can’t match that speed on every order, our typical production time of 14 days or fewer is still faster than the rush service provided by most other custom coin makers.
We include overnight shipping on every order and provide free artwork and free unlimited revisions to every customer. If you’re ready to create your own challenge coin, all we need are a few ideas to get started. Just fill out a free quote form anywhere on our website, and give us a description of the coin design you need. If you have any artwork prepared, feel free to include that as well, but we can create artwork from nothing more than a few sentences describing your design ideas.
Honoring the important achievements in a person’s life is not something to be taken lightly. The special occasions challenge coins we help design are held to the highest standards of craftsmanship in the entire industry so that their fine quality reflects the importance of the event and the people they were created for.
Graduation challenge coins and wedding challenge coins are created in honor of the adventures yet to come, while something like a retirement challenge coin shows gratitude for what has already been achieved. No matter what you need a set of special occasion coins for, our Signature Coins team is here to help bring your vision to life. Give us a call today, and see what makes us the best challenge coin maker online.
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $6.03 | $3.66 | $3.24 | $3.16 | $3.08 | $3.02 |
| 1.75" | $6.83 | $4.16 | $3.74 | $3.69 | $3.64 | $3.59 |
| 2" | $7.61 | $4.63 | $4.29 | $4.23 | $4.18 | $4.13 |
| 2.25" | $8.28 | $5.24 | $4.87 | $4.81 | $4.73 | $4.68 |
| 2.5" | $9.30 | $6.21 | $5.84 | $5.71 | $5.70 | $5.65 |
| 2.75" | $10.27 | $6.83 | $6.48 | $6.23 | $6.07 | $6.02 |
| 3" | $11.40 | $7.43 | $7.12 | $6.72 | $6.46 | $6.40 |
| 3.25" | $15.15 | $8.20 | $7.84 | $7.43 | $7.12 | $6.72 |
| 3.5" | $16.66 | $9.02 | $8.63 | $8.16 | $7.83 | $7.39 |
| 3.75" | $18.33 | $9.91 | $9.48 | $8.99 | $8.61 | $8.12 |
| 4" | $20.16 | $10.91 | $10.43 | $9.88 | $9.47 | $8.93 |
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $5.69 | $3.45 | $2.97 | $2.92 | $2.86 | $2.81 |
| 1.75" | $6.32 | $3.79 | $3.40 | $3.34 | $3.27 | $3.22 |
| 2" | $6.93 | $4.27 | $3.84 | $3.77 | $3.69 | $3.64 |
| 2.25" | $7.82 | $5.02 | $4.57 | $4.54 | $4.48 | $4.43 |
| 2.5" | $8.92 | $6.13 | $5.65 | $5.11 | $4.75 | $4.70 |
| 2.75" | $9.71 | $6.62 | $6.26 | $5.86 | $5.58 | $5.53 |
| 3" | $10.77 | $7.00 | $6.88 | $6.60 | $6.40 | $6.34 |
| 3.25" | $13.78 | $7.83 | $7.58 | $7.28 | $7.07 | $6.20 |
| 3.5" | $15.16 | $8.61 | $8.34 | $8.01 | $7.78 | $6.83 |
| 3.75" | $16.68 | $9.47 | $9.17 | $8.81 | $8.55 | $7.51 |
| 4" | $18.34 | $10.42 | $10.09 | $9.69 | $9.41 | $8.25 |
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $5.26 | $3.23 | $2.73 | $2.67 | $2.61 | $2.56 |
| 1.75" | $5.80 | $3.51 | $3.05 | $2.97 | $2.94 | $2.88 |
| 2" | $6.29 | $3.83 | $3.34 | $3.24 | $3.20 | $3.14 |
| 2.25" | $7.44 | $4.75 | $4.01 | $3.79 | $3.73 | $3.67 |
| 2.5" | $7.87 | $5.38 | $4.30 | $4.26 | $4.08 | $4.03 |
| 2.75" | $8.97 | $6.13 | $5.53 | $5.29 | $5.05 | $5.00 |
| 3" | $9.95 | $6.90 | $6.77 | $6.35 | $5.99 | $5.94 |
| 3.25" | $13.13 | $7.60 | $7.46 | $7.00 | $6.62 | $5.89 |
| 3.5" | $14.44 | $8.36 | $8.21 | $7.70 | $7.28 | $6.47 |
| 3.75" | $15.89 | $9.20 | $9.03 | $8.47 | $8.00 | $7.12 |
| 4" | $17.47 | $10.12 | $9.93 | $9.31 | $8.81 | $7.83 |
(on coins up to 2.5")
| Size | 1 Side | 2 Sides | Order 300+ Coins |
| 1.5" | $50.00 | $100.00 | FREE |
| 1.75" | $62.50 | $125.00 | FREE |
| 2" | $75.00 | $150.00 | FREE |
| 2.25" | $87.50 | $175.00 | FREE |
| 2.5" | $100.00 | $200.00 | FREE |
| 2.75" | $112.50 | $225.00 | - |
| 3" | $125.00 | $250.00 | - |
| Size | 1 Side | 2 Sides | Order 300+ Coins |
| 1.5" | $50.00 | $100.00 | FREE |
| 1.75" | $62.50 | $125.00 | FREE |
| 2" | $75.00 | $150.00 | FREE |
| 2.25" | $87.50 | $175.00 | FREE |
| 2.5" | $100.00 | $200.00 | FREE |
| 2.75" | $112.50 | $225.00 | - |
| 3" | $125.00 | $250.00 | - |
Choose the Edge Style that fits your needs
Select from a wide array of custom coin options
Interactive coins where part of the coin is designed to spin or rotate freely.
Not only can the outer shape of the coin be customized, but the interior areas can be “cut out” as well
3D coins have an unlimited number of sculpted levels. We can round edges and create smooth gradations.
The perfect option for anyone looking for trackable coins or just a fun way to make every coin a little more special.
Choosing from our selection of glow enamels ensures your design will continue to shine even when the lights go out.
Not only can you design the front and back of your coins, but the true edge can be engraved with messages as well.
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.
Challenge coins can also be used as a token to commemorate a special event or anniversary. You can view some of our commemorative coins here.
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
