A Day in the Spotlight
Quite often, our blogs are created either around a single design element that multiple coins share, or they’re about one customer who’s created a unique and interesting challenge coin program. But every so often, we get an order in that’s so impressive we think it would be a mistake not to share it with you.
Maybe they aren’t pushing the boundaries of what’s typical in the custom coin design world, but they do showcase what is possible when the different options we offer are utilized to their best effect. These coins are our Signature Spotlights.
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of D-Day With Army Birthday Ball Challenge Coins
The last coin we put under the spotlight was a beautiful antique copper coin from the Jerome Police Department. Our team loved the natural contrast created by its recessed sandblasting and dual plating that mixed the earthy copper tones of the overall design with antique gold metal. Today’s spotlight shines on another kind of coin, with a completely different set of unique features.
At 3” tall and 4mm thick, Joint Base San Antonio’s Army Birthday Ball coins have a significant weight that leaves quite an impression. The average size of challenge coins is about 1.75” across and 3mm thick. The base metals used for challenge coins varies depending on the style and size of a project, but multi tool challenge coins like these Birthday Ball coins always start life as bare brass metal. Brass challenge coins are heavier and harder than other types of custom coins, making them perfect for bottle opener cut-outs and other functional elements like the flathead screwdriver at the bottom of this coin.
A cutout included at the top corner of each coin is used for key chain attachments, giving soldiers an easy way to keep them handy no matter where they go. It’s not often that our team makes coins this large, with so many different functions, but another aspect of design that helped these coins stand out in our eyes is the beautiful balance of plating and enamel paint.
Antique nickel plating results in a dark, almost matt finish that helps bright colors really shine. The white and yellow enamel used throughout this design creates a beautiful contrast in color that helps define the artwork. Black enamel is used to fill in some of the smaller text as well, ensuring the legibility of the message.
Birthday Ball challenge coins often have important dates and messages included in the design, and we encourage customers looking for a coin like this one to follow our best practices for making text heavy challenge coins. This coin serves as a prime example of how to make a beautiful and memorable gift for soldiers attending any type of military birthday ball, and our team was excited to share them as soon as we had a chance to hold one in person.
Put Your Custom Coin in the Spotlight
Army Birthday Ball challenge coins are designed to celebrate the shared identity of soldiers across all generations. Honoring the 75th anniversary of D-Day with these Birthday Ball coins was a beautiful way to recognize the shared story of the soldiers of the past as well as the soldiers of today. On their own, the dynamic shape, multi tool elements and natural contrast in color would make these coins stand out, but having helped commemorate such an important occasion makes these Birthday Ball coins all the more special in our eyes.
If you think your custom coin is deserving of a spot in the Signature Spotlights series, let us know in the comments, or shoot us an email. And be sure to continue creating interesting and unique designs that catch our eye.
