When an oversized achievement needs to be commemorated, only an
will do. It’s fine to create a standard 1.75” coin to celebrate graduating from boot camp, but becoming an officer, or overcoming an otherwise exceptional obstacle, is the sort of thing that can best be honored with a challenge coin that symbolizes the size of the accomplishment. As
in the industry, Signature Coins is uniquely positioned to create the best oversized challenge coins you’ve ever seen.
It may not sound like it, but the difference between a 2” and a 2.5” coin is considerable. The feeling of holding an oversized coin in hand is nothing short of impressive. That’s why larger than life achievements demand oversized challenge coins. Honor the exceptional team in your life with challenge coins that match their dedication.
The cut outs at the center of this oversized coin help frame the dragon and crossed guns design. Having an oversized design also allows room for exceptional detail in the artwork.
MFO Fixed Wing Aviation Unit
The crew of the USS Ronald Reagan have designed several coins with our team, and this is one of our favorites. The design is a parody of famous James Bond films, replacing President Reagan with the famous British spy.
The crew of the USS Ronald Reagan have designed several coins with our team, and this is one of our favorites. The design is a parody of famous James Bond films, replacing President Reagan with the famous British spy.
World Tour Tiger EAMU Challenge Coin back
Not all oversized challenge coins have a lot of extra space to include artwork. The custom shape and cut outs incorporated into this design mean that this 3" coin has a similar surface area to a much smaller coin. Be that as it may, the incredible 3D design is remarkable.
World Tour Tiger EAMU Challenge Coin Front
This Naval Special Warfare coin uses dual plating to help the emblem at the center stand out in beautiful detail. The skull and wings are presented in antique silver while the trident is plated in antique gold.
A lot of the Navy challenge coins you'll find have a custom rope edge, but this 3D design kicks it up a notch by filling in the spaces between the rope edge with blue colorfill.
This custom bottle opener coin was designed to look like the static line snap hooks used by paratroopers. Basing the design of a military coin off of the equipment that soldiers use every day is a great way to make a personal design that a team will always cherish.
This cut to shape Army challenge coin might not make use of many colors or upgrade options, but it's a great example of the way changing the shape of your coin creates a completely new effect.
The cut out section of this coin defines the silhouette of Lady Liberty and the skyline of New York City. Including a space for sequential numbering was a nice way to make sure every coin is unique to every recipient.
Creating a 3D challenge coin is one of the best ways to make larger than life artwork, and when you put a 3D design on an oversized 3" coin like this, you're sure to make a lasting impression.
A lot of the Navy challenge coins you'll find have a custom rope edge, but this 3D design kicks it up a notch by filling in the spaces between the rope edge with blue colorfill.
The Sapper Castle is a common sight for Army challenge coins. Whether the entire coin is shaped like the castle or the castle is just featured on the coin somewhere, those red towers are immediately familiar. This cut to shape coin uses its space well to convey the purpose of the coin, the names of important recipients and important symbols and rank insignia.
This Army coin perfectly makes use of its red, white and blue colorfill and antique gold plating for a great contrast. The recessed lettering around the coin edge is another unique touch.
While simply making the coin larger sounds like a great idea, the truth is that creating custom coins will always come with its fair share of concerns. Moving away from the standard challenge coin size is doable, and quite rewarding, but making sure you’ve partnered with a company that knows the ins and outs of coin design is the best way to ensure you get a final product you’ll be happy with. Knowing the rules is the only way to be sure you know how to expertly break them.
Custom minting large coins is not something every coin design company is capable of achieving. When partnering with a new company, you’re forced to ask how big is too big for a challenge coin? Luckily, with Signature Coins, the only limits to your challenge coin design are those of your imagination and your budget.
On average, custom coins range in size from 1.5” to 2”, however even the 1.5” size is on its way out. The most common size for a challenge coin is 1.75”. These ranges in average size mean that any coins smaller than 1.5” are considered small, while any coin over 2” is considered to be oversized.
All coins over 2” are considered oversized, but that doesn’t factor in the ranges possible in your coin design. When we say that the size of your coin is only limited by your imagination, what does that realistically look like? The largest coin we’ve created thus far was 9”.
When designing an oversized custom coin, there are a couple factors to keep in mind:
Oversized custom challenge coins aren’t simply ordered by customers looking to commemorate a big event. Competition is another motivating factor in these coins being ordered. As such, military units who come into contact with the coins earned by soldiers in other units or in other branches of the armed forces will often increase the size of the coins in their next order to one-up each other. Military coins from any branch are likely to be oversized for this reason.
However, if one type of customer is more likely to consistently order large coins, it’s Officer Candidate School graduates. Soldiers in OCS typically get together with the others graduating with them, or form a committee among graduates, and design their class’ unique challenge coin. These coins are almost never smaller than 2.5”.
Military challenge coins might be the most frequent to show up larger than your average challenge coin size, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only customers capable of creating such a coin. Corporate challenge coins can also benefit from being bigger than usual. While company coins are often reserved for occasions such as promotions or years of service, the successful completion of an oversized project is the kind of event that perfectly lends itself to the presentation of oversized corporate coins.
Even if your industry doesn’t regularly order large coins, that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t supersize your next order. Simply give us a call or fill out the quote request form on any page on our website to get started today. Our design a coin template even has an area where you can specify a coin size up to 3”, or where you can write in your preferred size.
Our custom coin template is a great tool for organizing your thoughts, and it’s exceptionally useful for customers who need to sketch to get their best ideas flowing, but it isn’t a necessity to place an order. Our art team is just as capable of creating amazing designs with nothing more than a bulleted list of ideas. If you’re thinking of requesting an order of oversized coins, just let our sales team know and we’ll get to work.
An order of oversized coins might take a little longer to complete, but all orders with Signature Coins come with free shipping within the continental U.S. via UPS next day air. So while our industry leading 14 day turnaround time might not be a given, we’ll still get your coin order to you faster than any other custom coin company in the industry.
In addition to our amazing customer service, you’ll also benefit from our 100% quality guarantee. If any of your coins arrive with a production defect, simply let us know, and we’ll replace them free of charge.
A lot of work goes into minting coins larger than average, but we love a challenge. So the next time you go to order a set of custom coins, consider supersizing your coin design.
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $6.03 | $3.66 | $3.24 | $3.16 | $3.08 | $3.02 |
| 1.75" | $6.83 | $4.16 | $3.74 | $3.69 | $3.64 | $3.59 |
| 2" | $7.61 | $4.63 | $4.29 | $4.23 | $4.18 | $4.13 |
| 2.25" | $8.28 | $5.24 | $4.87 | $4.81 | $4.73 | $4.68 |
| 2.5" | $9.30 | $6.21 | $5.84 | $5.71 | $5.70 | $5.65 |
| 2.75" | $10.27 | $6.83 | $6.48 | $6.23 | $6.07 | $6.02 |
| 3" | $11.40 | $7.43 | $7.12 | $6.72 | $6.46 | $6.40 |
| 3.25" | $15.15 | $8.20 | $7.84 | $7.43 | $7.12 | $6.72 |
| 3.5" | $16.66 | $9.02 | $8.63 | $8.16 | $7.83 | $7.39 |
| 3.75" | $18.33 | $9.91 | $9.48 | $8.99 | $8.61 | $8.12 |
| 4" | $20.16 | $10.91 | $10.43 | $9.88 | $9.47 | $8.93 |
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $5.69 | $3.45 | $2.97 | $2.92 | $2.86 | $2.81 |
| 1.75" | $6.32 | $3.79 | $3.40 | $3.34 | $3.27 | $3.22 |
| 2" | $6.93 | $4.27 | $3.84 | $3.77 | $3.69 | $3.64 |
| 2.25" | $7.82 | $5.02 | $4.57 | $4.54 | $4.48 | $4.43 |
| 2.5" | $8.92 | $6.13 | $5.65 | $5.11 | $4.75 | $4.70 |
| 2.75" | $9.71 | $6.62 | $6.26 | $5.86 | $5.58 | $5.53 |
| 3" | $10.77 | $7.00 | $6.88 | $6.60 | $6.40 | $6.34 |
| 3.25" | $13.78 | $7.83 | $7.58 | $7.28 | $7.07 | $6.20 |
| 3.5" | $15.16 | $8.61 | $8.34 | $8.01 | $7.78 | $6.83 |
| 3.75" | $16.68 | $9.47 | $9.17 | $8.81 | $8.55 | $7.51 |
| 4" | $18.34 | $10.42 | $10.09 | $9.69 | $9.41 | $8.25 |
| Size | 50 | 100 | 300 | 500 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5" | $5.26 | $3.23 | $2.73 | $2.67 | $2.61 | $2.56 |
| 1.75" | $5.80 | $3.51 | $3.05 | $2.97 | $2.94 | $2.88 |
| 2" | $6.29 | $3.83 | $3.34 | $3.24 | $3.20 | $3.14 |
| 2.25" | $7.44 | $4.75 | $4.01 | $3.79 | $3.73 | $3.67 |
| 2.5" | $7.87 | $5.38 | $4.30 | $4.26 | $4.08 | $4.03 |
| 2.75" | $8.97 | $6.13 | $5.53 | $5.29 | $5.05 | $5.00 |
| 3" | $9.95 | $6.90 | $6.77 | $6.35 | $5.99 | $5.94 |
| 3.25" | $13.13 | $7.60 | $7.46 | $7.00 | $6.62 | $5.89 |
| 3.5" | $14.44 | $8.36 | $8.21 | $7.70 | $7.28 | $6.47 |
| 3.75" | $15.89 | $9.20 | $9.03 | $8.47 | $8.00 | $7.12 |
| 4" | $17.47 | $10.12 | $9.93 | $9.31 | $8.81 | $7.83 |
(on coins up to 2.5")
| Size | 1 Side | 2 Sides | Order 300+ Coins |
| 1.5" | $50.00 | $100.00 | FREE |
| 1.75" | $62.50 | $125.00 | FREE |
| 2" | $75.00 | $150.00 | FREE |
| 2.25" | $87.50 | $175.00 | FREE |
| 2.5" | $100.00 | $200.00 | FREE |
| 2.75" | $112.50 | $225.00 | - |
| 3" | $125.00 | $250.00 | - |
| Size | 1 Side | 2 Sides | Order 300+ Coins |
| 1.5" | $50.00 | $100.00 | FREE |
| 1.75" | $62.50 | $125.00 | FREE |
| 2" | $75.00 | $150.00 | FREE |
| 2.25" | $87.50 | $175.00 | FREE |
| 2.5" | $100.00 | $200.00 | FREE |
| 2.75" | $112.50 | $225.00 | - |
| 3" | $125.00 | $250.00 | - |
Choose the Edge Style that fits your needs
Select from a wide array of custom coin options
Interactive coins where part of the coin is designed to spin or rotate freely.
Not only can the outer shape of the coin be customized, but the interior areas can be “cut out” as well
3D coins have an unlimited number of sculpted levels. We can round edges and create smooth gradations.
The perfect option for anyone looking for trackable coins or just a fun way to make every coin a little more special.
Choosing from our selection of glow enamels ensures your design will continue to shine even when the lights go out.
Not only can you design the front and back of your coins, but the true edge can be engraved with messages as well.
A challenge coin is usually a metal coin or medallion, bearing an organization's insignia, emblem or logo and carried by the organization's members. Traditionally, challenge coins were used by the military and displayed by service men and women to prove exclusive membership when challenged, and to enhance the military units' morale.
Historically, challenge coins were awarded by military unit commanders in recognition of special achievement made by a member of the unit. They are also known to be exchanged and traded during recognition visits to different international organizations, bases and service tours. These coins have been heavily collected by active and retired service members and law enforcement personnel for years.
Modern challenge coins are made in a variety of sizes and often include popular culture references such as superheroes as well as known characters in a parody. Many companies today are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand. Challenge coin designs today are pushing the boundary of what a challenge coin could mean or be used for. One thing is for sure, personalized coins further strengthen the sense of bond within people that both give and receive them.
Challenge coins are often used as a physical token or symbol to represent membership to an organization, unit, or team.
Challenge coins also serve as a lasting personal award for anyone that has received one. Since they are custom and long lasting, challenge coins serve well to commemorate the time and experience put in to overcome overwhelming obstacles or the extraordinary effort and sacrifice needed to reach a given achievement. These keepsake coins become a life long reminder of the achievements made.
Challenge coins can also be used as a token to commemorate a special event or anniversary. You can view some of our commemorative coins here.
Our bravest first responder services also have a history of using challenge coins. Whether for fire departments, emergency medical technicians or law enforcement officers, challenge coins have been used to award bravery, acts of heroism and department camaraderie.
Many companies today have been started by veterans, or are veteran owned and are beginning to use the challenge coin tradition to help represent accomplishments in their businesses. This modern approach to awarding challenge coins has garnered some criticism from the traditionalists. Signature Coins has been making challenge coins for 20 plus years, and we see more and more companies joining in on awarding custom challenge coins to customers, staff, and volunteers. They are using them to build morale in teams, link people with similar interests and even to promote their brand or charities.
Generally speaking you give someone a challenge coin when you want to honor them for a good deed or for their hard work.
Challenge coins still play a major role in the military today, much like a "Thank you Plus" or "Great Job Plus". In the armed forces not every action rates an honorable medal or certificate, for those moments when someone is deserving of more than a thank you, awarding them with a challenge coin fills the gap.
As a very simple miltary example. You're out on a 3 day field op. One of your guys or gals busts their butt during a particularly stressful couple hours of it. Shows great attitude, effort, and was overal top notch. If you tried to write it up, it wouldn't "quite" be "award worthy" but definitely deserved "recognition."
Now even if you’re not a veteran or a member of the armed forces, you can still recognize and award someone with custom challenge coins.
You can use challenge coins to reward employees after the completion of a special project or if huge accomplishments have been made company wide. The coin design can be representative of the achievement, the employee or the company goals. Studies show when employees are recognized for a job well done, they feel more satisfied with their job performance, are more likely to reach for higher goals, and are more loyal to their organizations.
Finding the right time and place to give someone a challenge coin can be, well, a bit challenging.
Military tradition has a few ways of approaching this honor. One being "The Secret Handshake" where commanding officers, department officials or the president himself would shake a soldiers hand and "slip" them the coin via the handshake. Transferring the coin shouldn’t be dramatic or obvious, like a quiet wink and a nod, this honor is more personal to the people giving and receieving the award and less ceremonial. Although a bit more obvious, another military tradition is to hand them out in front of a formation or during a meeting, but it's more commonly done one on one.
As more civilians and businesses use challenge coins, they have taken a more ceremonious and inclusive approach to awarding them. When looking to give a challenge coin to an employee or team member most businesses will do it during a team meeting. Some businesses have even integrated their employee award recognition into their annual and quarterly ceremonies. Awarding their employees in front of others can be a great way to show the rest of the team that you too can be "recognized" if the effort is there.
Modern marketers are also finding that custom challenge coins make for great business cards, so many high end service providers, such as lawyers, accountants and commercial developers are now giving their custom coins out as a means of promoting themselves or their business offerings.
Challenge coins typically cost $3.00 -$5.00 per coin for a full production run of 100 coins generally speaking.
More specifically though, it depends. Challenge coin pricing is dependent on a variety of factors including size, quantity, and coloration. Your organization’s insignia or logo, as well as the brand standards surrounding it, will often dictate coloration. The level of complexity, industry standards, and personal preference will dictate the size of the coin.
You can view our challenge coin pricing here.
Designing challenge coins is a lot of fun, but there’s also a ton of things to think about before getting started. Luckily, we have years of experience making custom coins, and we’re happy to help you every step of the way.
We have put together a how-to guide that will tell you everything you need to know about challenge coin design.
Challenge Coin Design 101: A How-To Guide For Creating Challenge Coins
