Custom Coins Shaped Like Your Home State
Filling Up the Map
Our Signature Coins team has been in the challenge coin business for a long time, and we have been fortunate enough to work with clients from each and every one of these 50 United States. We’re proud, to say the least, of how far we have come as a small business based in Orlando, Florida, but there is still work to be done. You see, we may have delivered coins to all of the 50 states (and countries all over the world), but we have not yet managed to make custom coins shaped like every state.
Coins are made in any custom shape you can think of, and every now and then we are asked to create designs modeled after a customer’s home state. It’s always fun to work on something outside the norm like a custom shape coin. It gives our artists a chance to stretch their legs, so to speak, and try new things. Our production team, as well, has the opportunity to refine their craft, making intricate molds and setups for the coins. It didn’t take us long to figure out that we were getting closer to filling up the map, and now that we have got the idea in our heads, we can’t stop thinking about when we will finally hit that beautiful number 50!
From East To West and Everything In Between
We still have a ways to go, but in the meantime, we thought it would be fun to share a few of the examples we have around the office that caught our eye. And what better place to start than right in the middle of the map?
Texas has a famous larger than life reputation, and we thought that a design like this was perfect for creating one of our oversized coins to really make an impression. The largest coin we have ever made has a 9” diameter and weighs about three pounds. This Texas coin is nowhere near that big, but it is above average at about 2.5” x 2.5”. Among any collection of coins, this one will definitely stand out with its recognizable shape and large size.
Not every state has as recognizable a shape as Texas, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make memorable designs. The residents of Iowa, Illinois and Georgia are very familiar with these shapes, giving the coins a personal and meaningful touch that you can only understand if you live in the state in question.
Oklahoma is another example of a state with a very recognizable shape. The Iron Legacy has chapters all over the world, and each one has its own way of making custom challenge coins for riders. Many of the designs make use of the Iron Legacy logo and the black and yellow color scheme, but each one has a unique twist. Not only does the Heathen Valley chapter of the club use the dynamic shape of their home state in the design, but they also incorporate their own skull emblem on the front of the coin.
These coins are all cut-to-shape in the real outline of each state, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some room to play around with how a coin will look.
Taking a Different Approach
Not all designs have to be cut to the exact shape of your home state. Another popular option is to have the shape of your home state cut into the center of a medallion shaped coin.
These types of challenge coins still require our production team to mold the intricate lines and borders of each state, but the overall effect is more similar to a classic challenge coin design. If you want to balance our custom shape coin options with something more similar to the classic challenge coin design, then this is the perfect option for you.
When Will We Finish All 50 States?
That’s a good question. To be honest, we don’t really have a say in when that will happen. All of the challenge coins we make here at Signature Coins are 100% custom made to the specifications our customers need. While we offer suggestions based on our experience to help refine the ideas and designs that are sent to us, we don’t give our artists free rein to create whatever they want (unless the customer asked them too). Our job is to help each customer bring their vision to life, and no matter what they are looking for, we are always happy to help.
If you are thinking about making a custom coin shaped like your home state, we do have some suggestions that will help make your coins something special to behold.
- Remember what sets your home state apart from the rest. To make a more personal and meaningful design, including references to state heritage and culture is a great way to go. Just like the Texas coin pictured above incorporates the lone star flag, your coins can do something similar by including state flags, mottos, animals, foliage or even sports teams.
- Don’t be afraid to change up the look. Especially when it comes to states without very memorable shapes, changing things up a little can go a long way. The Oregon shaped coin is a perfect example of how to spice up the shape of a state coin with 3D artwork and color, while still staying true to the actual borders found on a map.
- Size matters. Small coins sometimes have trouble capturing the finer details of intricate designs. Logos and emblems like the ones on the Oklahoma Iron Legacy coin have small details that are difficult to fully appreciate on smaller coins. Making an oversized coin is not necessary, but to ensure people recognize the shape and artwork of your coin right away, it helps if a coin is larger than 1.75”.
As far as finishing up all 50 states is concerned, we just have to wait for requests to come in for the states we’re missing. We need a few tough ones like Colorado and Wyoming (although we have made plenty of square-shaped coins, so maybe we could fake it), but we’re proud of everything we have done so far. If you have some ideas ready, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We will be more than excited to help, especially if you live in one of the states we’re missing!
