Celebrating Life on the Road
What makes something like a custom coin so special is how it becomes a source of shared identity and acceptance within a group. We make all sorts of different products for clubs, hobbyists and teams around the world, and one of the biggest groups we work with are motorcycle clubs. The coins we design for the groups like the Blue Knights law enforcement MC and the Gold Coast Wheelers MC are used to identify members from different chapters and branches around the country. But even more than that, these types of coins are a celebration of a particular kind of freedom only offered by the open road with your closest friends nearby.
Motorcycle clubs have strict rules for their logos, patches and colors, so the coins we make need to stay true to the group’s established image. This may seem simple enough, but it can get tricky, especially when we work with two of our biggest customers: the Iron Order and Iron Legacy. These two motorcycle clubs started out as the same group but over the years split into two stand-alone clubs. This may sound like grounds for tension, but the truth is that the Iron Order and Legacy both describe themselves as having law-abiding values and are committed to giving back to their local communities any way that they can.
Riders may be a part of separate groups, but they all share the same love of the open road. Take a look at some of the coins we have helped design for the two groups, and you may see that they are not so different after all.
Iron Legacy Challenge Coins
The Iron Legacy is a motorcycle club open to anyone looking for the particular style of freedom the open road offers. While the coins they create with our team often times look tough, the group is actually much nicer than you may think. They describe themselves as having law-abiding values, and the entire network of Iron Legacy chapters is committed to giving back to their local communities. These coins were made specifically for an Orlando chapter of the club, right in our own backyard. The black metal serves as the perfect base for the bright yellow and white colorfills, while also giving the hydra on the back a menacing quality.
Adding color to a challenge coin is all about creating a beautiful contrast to help the design stand out. Groups like the Iron Legacy have the perfect colors already established, and many of the coins they make show off the bright yellow and white against black metal. While the group is mainly a fraternal organization, the branch known as Iron Legacy Hearts is comprised of the “better half” of each rider in the club. These coins are another example of the beautiful black and yellow color scheme at work made for all the women involved in the organization.
Custom coins like these only scratch the surface of what is a deep and widespread culture that spans the whole country and beyond. While these coins are usually collected by riders, or nomads as they call themselves, they are also used in community programs and traded with members of other clubs and chapters of the Iron Legacy as a sign of respect.
Iron Order Challenge Coins
Just like any motorcycle club, the Iron Order has a specific logo that is used in almost all of their promotional and initiation materials. Even though the Iron Oder and Iron Legacy started out as the same group, they have each created their own logo. Just like a military unit or team of officers, having a symbol to rally behind is the perfect way to get everyone on the same page, and to show the world what you are here to do.
The skull with the twin stroke engine coming out of its head is by far the most famous Iron Order logo. Riders have it sewn on the back of their jackets and bags, and have it stamped into their challenge coins (as you can see). This coin was specifically made for the New Hampshire chapter of the Iron Order.
The Iron Order is a fraternal organization, focusing on brotherhood and freedom, but they don’t exclude women from the club by any means. The Iron Maidens, similar to the Iron Legacy Hearts, is made up of the significant others and spouses of the club’s riders. These coins are made specifically for the Maidens and take their own spin on the classic design from the club.
Interactive challenge coins like this are a fun way to change up the regular challenge coin formula. Included in the center of the cross on this coin is also a space for sequential numbering so that no two coins are ever the same. No matter what kind of coin members of the Iron Order create with our team, the designs are always specially crafted for specific teams so that they can celebrate what makes their brotherhood or sisterhood so strong.
Not So Different After All
Even though these clubs have split off from one another, they still celebrate where it all started together. If you look at these Iron Legacy and Iron Order coins, you will see a diamond hidden in each design with an “8” at its center. This is a reference to the original group and the eight founders who started it all. While they stand apart from each other, Iron Legacy Nomads and Iron Order Riders are all looking for the same thing: brotherhood, camaraderie and freedom on the open road.
The challenge coins they design with us are just a celebration of their shared love of riding with friends and forming close bonds with like-minded people all across the country. If you are looking for something to bolster a sense of brotherhood in your club, or just want to offer your team something special to remember you by, give us a call, and we will get started on a custom design for you. Our Signature Coins team will be happy to help in any way that we can!
