Why So Serious?
The history of challenge coins is situated in the armed forces. For a number of people, that suggests that the coins are tightly regimented or hallowed and sacred. But they’re also created by and for soldiers, which actually means they have the ability to be silly and comical at times. One common military tradition is the creation of morale patches. These patches often feature funny and crass sayings intended to improve the morale of soldiers far from home. The same concept is often applied to challenge coins.
Challenge coins are often created in a manner meant to represent a specific team or unit, and when comedy is an important aspect of the team’s personality, you’ll start to see that bleeding into the design of their custom challenge coins. We can’t claim to be experts on comedy, but we wanted to share a few of the coin designs we’ve seen that have gotten a laugh out of us.
Fun With Current Events
Comedians have looked to contemporary events as a source for material. It’s the reason shows like The Daily Show have been so popular for so long. With the things that happen in the world affecting us all, it’s only to be expected that the events everyone’s talking about will find their ways onto challenge coins.
There wasn’t much to laugh at during the extended government shutdown. In particular, you would be hard-pressed to find a government employee, unsure of where their next paycheck would come from, who was laughing at the situation. With a little distance and time, these coins were ordered by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Saying that Essential Personnel were held “hostage” is a fun and tongue-in-cheek way to look back at what happened during the closure.
The polar vortex breaking free of its arctic prison and pushing its subzero temperatures down into the northernmost reaches of the U.S. was a harrowing event for most. Granted, here in warm, sunny Florida, we were mostly untouched by the frigid weather, but that doesn’t stop us from commiserating with our customers up north.
The orders from the 501st Legion are often some of the funnier coin orders we get in. But by comparing their time in Indiana to a stint on the ice world Hoth, the Legion members aren’t just combining two different pop culture references; they’re bringing their love of Star Wars into the events of the real world.
Speaking of Pop Culture
Sometimes, comedy is found in taking the expected and twisting it into something unexpected.
This coin commissioned by Homeland Security decided to take the fun and jolly Kool-Aid Man and ask what if he didn’t bust through the wall to bring refreshment, but to bring a lot of firepower and destruction. Seeing the Kool-Aid Man with those weapons and the determined look on his face really makes you rethink the meaning behind his trademark “Oh Yeah!”
When Jurassic Park first opened in 1993, it had more in common with the horror in Spielberg’s Jaws than it did with the big-eyed vulnerability and cuteness on display in E.T. No matter how scary the original film intended that T-Rex to be, these coins decided to flip the concept on its head and just lead with cute. The desire to pinch the baby T-Rex’s cheeks and point out how adorable he is is almost overwhelming.
What’s The Funniest Thing You Can Put on Your Coins?
For every coin order we get in with overt and obvious jokes on one or both faces, there are a number of coin designs that feature inside jokes specific to the team or unit that will be receiving them. The funniest thing you can think of to put on your coins doesn’t have to be something that’s obvious to us or to everyone seeing your coin. It can just as easily be specific to you, and we’ll find a way to convey all of the image’s personal meaning and to make sure that the comedy of the moment comes across.
No matter where your sense of humor lives, bring your thoughts and your plans to the table and let our well-trained art team bring your funny idea to life.
