Air Force Reserve Challenge Coins

Custom challenge coins for the United States Air Force Reserve

With operations worldwide and sharing a mission to Fly, Fight, and Win in air, space, and cyberspace, the Air Force Reserve has long evolved from a reserve force to an integral part of Air Force day-to-day operations. Reservists are tasked with missions to support the nation’s defense including chasing hurricanes crossing the Atlantic, suppressing rampaging wildfires, and providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief. By the end of an operation, reservists are commonly presented with challenge coins, special medallions signifying the respect and support of their commanding officers.

At Signature Coins, we are proud to say we have been in the business of designing, producing, and delivering challenge coins to military units and other clients for over 15 years. Our coins are found on display or in the pockets of servicemembers in every branch of the nation’s military, including the Air Force Reserve.

What Are Air Force Reserve Challenge Coins?

Also known as unit coins or commander coins, challenge coins are given to Air Force Reservists in honor and recognition of exceptional service or during a major milestone in a reservist’s career such as graduation from an officer’s academy. Receiving an Air Force challenge coin from a superior officer or trading a coin with a fellow servicemember is one of the longest-running traditions within all of our nation’s military branches, but it’s special significance among the nation’s pilots because it’s said the tradition was first started among members of the U.S. Air Force during World War I.

According to military legend, the challenge coin tradition first started among the nation’s newly formed air squadrons where a wealthy lieutenant ordered bronze coins minted with the emblem of his squadron for every pilot under his command. Later, one of the aces (or the lieutenant himself, depending on the version) is shot from the sky and captured behind enemy lines where they are then stripped of all personal identification, except for the challenge coin worn around the pilot’s neck. This first example of a challenge coin proves key to the pilot’s return home when they escape captivity and reach allied lines. The coin is used to help identify the pilot to allied French soldiers and return him home, starting a tradition among pilots, which has since spread to the rest of the military, to always keep their coin handy “just in case.

Custom Air Force Reserve Challenge Coin Options

Creating a custom challenge coin using our services is easy, and with over 15 years of experience working with military clients, we understand the importance and value our customers place in our products. 

Each order of challenge coins includes a host of different ways to customize just about every detail of the coin including:

• Shape and Size - Our coins can range anywhere from 1” to 3” in size. We recommend getting a coin at least 1.75” in size for the best balance between detail and cost.
• Color - Either leave the coin in its natural metallic or have it painted with up to seven colors on either side from the full Pantone color spectrum.
• Coin Edge - There are six different options to decorate the edge of every coin, providing a unique look and feel to each order.
• Plating - Have your coin plated in antique gold, silver, or copper to highlight details or choose to double plate a coin in two different metals to create and highlight key details.
• 3D Coins - Have details or elements of a design such as an emblem, slogan, or illustration literally pop or stand off a coin’s surface by ordering a 3D coin.
• Offset Print - Offset printing creates an exact replica of an image or photograph on the surface of your coin.
• Silk Screen - Let your coin maintain a perfectly smooth coin surface by silk screening your design’s colors onto the coin.
• Epoxy Dome - Create a glassy and smooth finish over one or both sides of a coin with an epoxy dome.

Additionally, our company keeps a full team of designers and graphic artists on staff who work with clients one-on-one to draft and proof each design element at every stage of the process. Our artists can incorporate any design elements, illustration, or picture a client may want into the coin’s overall design offering experienced recommendations and assistance to make each order distinct.

Designing an Air Force Reserve Challenge Coin

We strive to incorporate any design elements a client may request including changing the entire shape of the coin into a unique shape, using specialty paints, or including practical utilities such as bottle openers or screwdrivers into a coin’s design. 

Once a client completes or order form, we immediately leap to action drafting a proof and calculating an initial quote based on the needs of the project, which we then send back to the client within 24-48 hours. If there’s any element on the initial proof you want to be changed or revised, that’s no problem! Signature Coins offers free unlimited revisions to each of our clients and you can ask for changes on our latest draft as many times as you want before approving the precise design you want to go to production.

Ready To Get Started?

When you are ready to proceed, use the convenient Order Form on our site to place your challenge coin order.