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Antique Gold - Challenge Coin Plating
This is the most popular plating style for custom challenge coins. The recessed areas will have a slightly darker finish when compared to the raised areas. All metal is dulled and antique looking. At Signature Coins, we always suggest the “Antique” look if you have fine text on the face of the coin, so that the contrast can help the readability. Antique gold plated coins also show less wear and scuffs compared to their high polish counterparts.
High Polished Gold - Challenge Coin Plating
High polished gold plating is by far the most classy and expensive-looking finish we offer. Each coin is gold plated and then polished to a beautiful shine. Both raised and recessed areas have the same high polish finish, which can sometimes make fine detail a little harder to read.
Antique Silver - Challenge Coin Plating
This is one of our most popular platings, in large part because it has an expensive-looking finish. Antique silver looks very similar to antique pewter, which gives your coin a sense of age. The recessed areas build up a darker finish and visually separate the raised areas, which are much lighter in tone. All metal areas are dulled with this antique process, and you’ll notice fewer scratches or dents on coins that use antique silver plating.
High Polished Silver - Challenge Coin Plating
High-quality and high-end looking, high polished silver plating is a top-of-the-line choice for anyone looking to make a timeless coin. Each coin is hand-dipped in real silver plating and then polished to a high mirror shine. Both raised and recessed areas share the same high polish finish, so to get more contrast on a high polish silver coin we usually suggest dark lettering or a sandblasted metal background for the recessed areas.
Copper - Challenge Coin Plating
High polished copper coins have a very elegant and valuable look to them. Each coin is plated in copper and then polished to a beautiful bright reddish shine. Copper can be a great, unique way to make your challenge coin stand out from the rest. Both raised and recessed areas have the same level of high polish finish.
Black Metal - Challenge Coin Plating
Black metal conveys strength and durability in a unique fashion from other coins. While other coins often have a general metal shine or a created high polish look, the matte-like finish of black metal gives these coins the immediate ability to stand out. The black metal also lends itself perfectly to brighter colored paints and designs.
Antique Nickel - Challenge Coin Plating
Antique nickel plating looks very similar to a gunmetal which gives the coin a very durable look. The recessed areas fill in a bit darker, and really help separate details on the coin. All areas of metal on the coin are dulled down slightly with the antique process and give the coin a soft luster throughout.
Black Nickel - Challenge Coin Plating
Black nickel presents something closer to a matte finish for your coin. The dark color of the finish allows for brighter and lighter colors to come through while presenting a more classic metal look than the black metal plating option.
Dual Plated Coins
One very unique way to plate your coins is dual plating. Dual plating features a masking process to add two different plating choices to your coin. Dual plating adds a bit to production and requires a little more attention based on your artwork.
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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
| Size | 50 |
|---|---|
| 1.5" | $6.03 |
Custom Coin Customer Reviews
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
