A Different Kind of Inspiration
Most pairs of Levi's, Wranglers and other types of denim jeans have a fifth pocket inside the front right pocket. It’s small and mostly ignored these days because the pocket watches they were originally intended to hold have gone out of style.
As this fifth pocket has gotten smaller over the years, it has transitioned from a watch pocket to a coin pocket. Some people keep small bits of change there, but others use it to carry something a little more important like a special prayer coin.
Religious challenge coins and prayer coins are similar to traditional military challenge coins but they carry a different kind of meaning. Challenge coins represent unity, camaraderie and support within a team, but religious challenge coins add a much more spiritual aspect to the mix.
Some people carry them on key chains, leave them in the car for protection, or carry them in the small coin pocket of their jeans as a source of comfort and inspiration wherever they go.
Custom Prayer Coins
Prayer coins are the perfect tool for silent reflection. Any specific prayer can be pressed into the coin face with sharp definition and clear text so that the coins are easy to read while still being small enough to carry around. Having a prayer coin handy also helps with the repetition of certain prayers and can even incorporate elements like beads or notches to help keep track of the number of prayers recited.
This Gulf Coast coin doesn't have a specific prayer stamped into the metal, but it does have small dots around the edge that are intended to mimic prayer beads. So, this coin can be used like a rosary during silent reflection.
Most custom prayer coins have actual prayers stamped onto one coin face, making them text heavy, and leading some customers to believe there will not be enough room on the coins to create beautiful designs. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
Our art team has experience handcrafting designs that balance the perfect amount of intricate design and text-heavy elements like this fireman’s prayer coin. The unique wrap-around text acts as a perfect frame for the 3D molded fireman kneeling in the center of the coin.
Custom prayer coins like these are a popular gift awarded to firefighters and police officers who put their lives on the line every day. The prayers themselves honor fallen brothers and sisters in the line of duty and ask that the carrier is protected from harm. This makes each coin a reminder of the dangers of service and the precautions that should be taken, as well as serve as a source of comfort.
There are several different ways text is added to challenge coins, but the key is to ensure there is enough contrast to make the letters stand out. These police officer prayer coins, for example, are plated in antique gold, and the area around the text is filled with black enamel. This ensures the prayer is legible and the coins can be taken out at any time and read quietly or recited with ease. If you are unsure about the best ways to include a prayer in your custom design, just let us know, and our team will be happy to offer helpful suggestions.
Building a Faith Community with Custom Coins
While prayer coins are perfect for helping people find time to reflect on their faith alone, religious challenge coins are perfect for celebrating in a community setting as well. Custom challenge coins have been a core tradition in the military for years, so it’s only natural that members of the chaplain corps should have their own personal coins.
Coins like these help promote a community of trust and comfort. Priests award personal chaplain corps coins to the soldiers they meet overseas, and to members of their daily congregation.
Outside of the military, members of religious groups create their own personal coins and use them to inspire members of their community as well. Just like military unit coins are a representation of shared understanding and experience, so too are these coins a source for building a strong sense of belonging within a group.
Sometimes a pastor will hand out a religious challenge coin to raise a person’s spirits, and other times they will be used in fundraisers or awareness campaigns to help the church. In either case, the coins are something members of a faith community can share and carry along as a source of comfort and spiritual inspiration.
Experiencing a Sense of Unity With Religious Challenge Coins
Whether you’re looking to create a custom prayer coin so people can reflect on their own or to craft a custom religious coin to celebrate an entire church community, our Signature Coins team has got you covered. No matter what circle you are a part of, challenge coins serve as a familiar symbol of trust and camaraderie.
Some people like to include bible verses in their coin designs while others prefer to approximate prayer beads and feature important imagery. In either case, the main purpose is always to inspire a sense of belonging and comfort in a community. It doesn't matter if a person carries one alone or among friends and family; they are always a source of inspiration and a reminder of a special community of faith.
