There Are No Restraints When It Comes to Challenge Coin Design
Our customers are always coming up with new ideas and finding new ways to make memorable challenge coins. Our job is to help bring their vision to life. We get excited when an idea comes around that catches people’s attention from all over and starts a new trend. Over the last few months, we’ve noticed a very specific trend for law enforcement coins, and decided to share a few of our favorite examples of a popular design that has been spreading like wildfire.
Different teams of soldiers and police officers have been making special unit coins inspired by the equipment and tools used in the field for a long time, but these handcuff bottle openers are something new. Handcuffs are among the most recognizable tools of the trade for law enforcement officials, and creating a custom bottle opener design centered around that simple inspiration proved to be a trendsetting idea. We talk a lot about custom shape coins and bottle opener coins because designs like this show that there are no limits to what is possible in design.
Familiar Shape, Unique Challenge Coins
The recognizable shape and inclusion of the thin blue line American flag make these handcuff challenge coins look very similar at first glance. Even so, this style of design leaves plenty of room to include unique elements specific to each department like emblems, inscriptions and much more.
The Connecticut Department of Corrections was the first group to contact us about creating a unique handcuff bottle opener design. The officers wanted something that would stand out in their collection of challenge coins, and creating a design shaped like the handcuffs they use every day was a fun idea that translated perfectly into a physical coin.
Like all custom challenge coins with cut-out designs, the front and back of the coin look remarkably similar. Each side has a mirrored image of the thin blue line American Flag, but the key and chain section has a different emblem on either side. The overall design proved to be a popular idea, and it didn’t take long for other police departments to catch on and start creating their own handcuff bottle openers.
The Cocoa Police Department located just down the highway from our Signature Coins office made another set of handcuff bottle openers with their own spin on the design. Like the first handcuff shaped coin we helped create, the emblems on the key and chain section is different on either side. Since they were designed for the Space Coast Police K9 Competition, the team found their own way of changing up the Thin Blue Line American flag, including a paw print on one side and German Shepherd police dog on the other.
Instead of high polish silver like the Connecticut Corrections coins, this design uses antique silver. We have a long list of plating options to choose from, but choosing a silver plating options is definitely the best choice for creating a realistic representation of a pair of handcuffs.
Teams in law enforcement create special unit coins to celebrate achievements, to welcome new members to the team and sometimes to celebrate retirements. Officer Salazar of the California Highway Patrol had these coins made for the many officers spread throughout his department. The design is dual plated in antique silver and antique gold to help the California Highway Patrol star pop in the design. An offset printed photograph of Salazar himself is added to the other side of the coin as well. Offset printing is the best way to capture picture-perfect artwork in a design
Not all of the handcuff shaped challenge coins we help design have a bottle opener cutout. Creating a functional bottle opener requires a larger size to accommodate the cutout portion of the design. For customers looking for a more average sized challenge coin, the familiar handcuff shape is still perfect for creating a unique cut to shape challenge coin.
The intricate 3D and 2D designs on either side of the Misawa Air Base coin shows how much is possible in design when you have a little extra room. While the coin may be smaller than all the other handcuff bottle opener coins, the absence of a bottle opener cutout provided enough space for the contact to include all of their artwork ideas.
Getting Started on your own Custom Bottle Opener Design
No matter what style of handcuff design you need or what kind of artwork you would like to include, our Signature Coins team has got you covered. All of these examples make use of the thin blue line American Flag, but there is plenty of room to incorporate different designs and unique artwork. If you have an idea for your own custom handcuff bottle opener challenge coins, let us know! Our team is ready to bring your vision to life!
