Q: What type of information do I need to provide for you to create a design for me?

If you have an idea for a challenge coin already, we’re ready to put together a custom quote and proof (a digital representation of what your finished coin will look like). We do not need finished artwork to begin the process. Our artists have created amazing coins with nothing more than written descriptions or rough sketches on napkins. With that being said, any images of logos or emblems that you’d like to see featured on the coin are greatly appreciated! After deciding what art elements and text your design will have, decide what colors, metal plating, coin edge, and size you’d like for your coin.

Q: What does it mean when a firefighter gives you a challenge coin?

It’s a mark of respect. Firefighters carry coins bearing their department, station, or academy class, and handing one to someone — a mentor, a retiring colleague, a civilian who helped — says that person is part of the house’s story. The tradition came from the military and runs deep in the fire service, which is why departments guard their coin designs so carefully.

Question 1

What is a challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

A challenge coin is a custom made coin designed to represent an organization or team. The people in a team are given challenge coins as proof of membership, and as a mark of respect and honor. Read more &ldquo;What is a Challenge Coin&rdquo;.
The purpose of many military coins is to build camaraderie, celebrate team history, and honor service.
Fortune 500 companies have custom coins made for branding purposes. Corporate coins are sometimes given to employees for recognition and appreciation.
Challenge coins are also made to commemorate special events and in honor of important achievements. For more custom coin uses click here.
Traditional custom coins are round, and feature custom artwork. Thanks to advancements in the molding and minting process, today&rsquo;s coins are more intricate with 3D art, dual plating, engraving and have dual functions.
There are several origin stories regarding the history of challenge coins, but the first recorded use of challenge coins custom made for a unit came from the United States Army during the Korean War (17th Infantry) and the Vietnam War (10th Special Forces Group-A).

Question 2

What type of information do I need to provide for you to create a design for me?

Accepted Answer

If you have an idea for a challenge coin already, we&rsquo;re ready to put together a custom quote and proof (a digital representation of what your finished coin will look like). We do not need finished artwork to begin the process. Our artists have created amazing coins with nothing more than written descriptions or rough sketches on napkins.
With that being said, any images of logos or emblems that you&rsquo;d like to see featured on the coin are greatly appreciated!
After deciding what art elements and text your design will have, decide what colors, metal plating, coin edge, and size you&rsquo;d like for your coin.

Question 3

Do you sell or stock the designs that you show on your web page?

Accepted Answer

Any stock coins for sale are found here: personalize coins.
If the coin you like on our site isn&rsquo;t on this stock page, it&rsquo;s not for sale as it was a custom project ordered by a customer. That said, we can use the design as an inspiration for your custom project or alter the designs from one of our stock coins we are offering on that page.
If you would like to reach out to our sales team for help redesigning a custom coin, please email info@signaturecoins.com or call us at &#43;1-800-953-3607.
Please keep in mind that custom orders do require a minimum of 50 coins.

Question 4

How do you get challenge coins?

Accepted Answer

Fill out a quote form and send us your ideas. If you prefer to speak to a representative you can call us at &#43;1-800-953-3607 or email info@signaturecoins.com. One of our sales associates will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Our artists will send you a design proof (via email) within 48 hours. If you approve of the art sent, order your quote via website or phone.
If there are any design changes you&rsquo;d like see, send us an email describing what changes you would like to make and include any reference images or sketches that you think will help our art team.
After a payment is made, production will begin. Standard production takes 3–4 weeks; shipping is additional (free, typically a few days).

Question 5

Do you offer a rush service?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer USA Made Rush for challenge coins. UV-printed simulated enamel takes 3–5 days of production; die struck (including die struck with color) takes 7–10 days. Shipping is additional and free — the fastest rush is typically about a week in hand. There are no rush fees that shorten standard production, which takes 3–4 weeks.
If you have a deadline, tell your salesperson and we will do all that we can to meet it.

Question 6

What is the minimum number of coins that I can order?

Accepted Answer

Our minimum for custom molded coins is 50 per design. Per-coin pricing improves at every quantity tier above that — compare them on our challenge coin pricing page.
If you need fewer than 50, our no-minimum custom coin builder lets you order as few as one coin, and stock and personalized coins have no minimum either. We can also produce a 5-coin pre-production sample against a larger order, though it isn&rsquo;t cost-effective on its own.

Question 7

Do you guarantee your products?

Accepted Answer

Signature Coins backs each and every product we manufacture with our 100% Quality Guarantee. We will replace (at no additional charge to you) any defective custom product. We only require that you submit your written claim of the defective product to us within 30 days of receipt. For purposes of this question, the term &ldquo;defect&rdquo; or &ldquo;defective&rdquo; means a manufacturing error.

Question 8

Can you replicate our department's badge or patch?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Send a clear photo or scan of your department badge, patch, Maltese cross, or other emblem and our art team will recreate it as coin artwork. Vector files are ideal, but high-resolution photos and existing patch designs work well too. We refine detail so badges and patches read cleanly at coin size, and you get free unlimited revisions until the proof matches your department.
Fire, police, and EMS units often combine the badge with a station number, unit motto, or anniversary date. See our custom firefighter challenge coins, police challenge coins, and EMS challenge coins pages for department examples.

Question 9

What does it mean when a firefighter gives you a challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

It&rsquo;s a mark of respect. Firefighters carry coins bearing their department, station, or academy class, and handing one to someone — a mentor, a retiring colleague, a civilian who helped — says that person is part of the house&rsquo;s story. The tradition came from the military and runs deep in the fire service, which is why departments guard their coin designs so carefully.

Question 10

Do you offer a price break for department-wide orders?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Per-coin pricing drops as quantity goes up, so department-wide, multi-shift, and multi-station orders usually land in a better price tier than a single squad run. Compare volume pricing on our challenge coin pricing page, then send one quote for the full order so artwork stays consistent across every coin.

Question 11

What is an FBI challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

An FBI challenge coin is a custom coin made for a Bureau field office, task force, division, or program and given to the agents, analysts, and staff who serve on it. Some carry the FBI seal in the Bureau&rsquo;s Pantone 281C blue; others are built entirely around a squad&rsquo;s own artwork — a joint terrorism task force emblem, a counterintelligence motif, a state outline, or a special agent&rsquo;s name and dates of service.
They are earned rather than sold: coins mark promotions, closed cases, task force assignments, academy and internship completions, and retirements. See real examples on our FBI challenge coins page.

Question 12

What is a CBSA challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

A CBSA challenge coin is a custom coin made for a Canada Border Services Agency region, district, or port of entry and carried by the officers who work it. Most build on the agency crest — the crown, the maple leaves, and the Protectio, Servitium, Integritas motto — with the command named around the rim: Pacific Region, Pacific Highway District, Okanagan and Kootenay.
Ports of entry mint their own as well: anniversary coins marking the year a crossing opened, unit coins for use-of-force and detector-dog teams, and coins presented to officers transferring in or retiring out. See real district and port examples on our Canadian challenge coins page.

Question 13

What is a retirement coin?

Accepted Answer

A retirement coin is a custom challenge coin presented when someone closes out a career — at a military retirement ceremony, a department&rsquo;s final roll call, or a corporate send-off. Unlike a coin that marks membership in a unit or company, a retirement coin marks a career&rsquo;s whole arc, so the design usually carries the person&rsquo;s name, their span of service, and the units, stations, or roles they served in along the way.
They are given, never sold. A commander, chief, or executive hands one over at the ceremony, and the recipient keeps it as the last coin in a career&rsquo;s collection — often the one that ends up in a shadow box rather than a pocket.
Both halves of the tradition are common: military and first responder retirements built around a badge, crest, or rank device, and corporate retirements built around a logo and years of service. See real examples on our retirement challenge coins page.

Question 14

What is a soccer referee coin?

Accepted Answer

A soccer referee coin is the custom coin an official carries to the midfield coin toss instead of pocket change. The referee flips it, the visiting captain calls it, and the winner chooses which goal their team attacks in the first half — so the coin is a genuine piece of match equipment, not just a keepsake.
Most are made for a club, a state or regional association, or a tournament rather than for an individual: one side carries the crest or association mark, the other carries a soccer ball, the season, or the certification level. Associations often hand one to every official they certify, and clubs present them to the referee crew that worked their season.
See real club, league, and association examples on our custom soccer referee coins page.

Question 15

How does the coin toss work in a soccer match?

Accepted Answer

The referee and both captains meet at the center of the pitch before kickoff. The referee flips the coin, the visiting captain calls it, and the captain who wins the toss picks which goal their team will attack in the first half — which means the team that loses the toss kicks off with possession of the ball. Both are reversed at the start of the second half.
Unlike football, soccer only uses the toss once. Possession in extra time isn&rsquo;t decided by a second flip; it simply swaps again the way it does at halftime. That single-use tradition is part of why officials carry a coin worth flipping — see our custom soccer referee coins page.

Question 16

How does a safety challenge coin program work?

Accepted Answer

Most safety coin programs work one of three ways: an on-the-spot award a supervisor carries and hands out when they catch someone doing the right thing, a milestone coin for hours or days worked without a recordable incident, and a tiered program where the same design is plated in bronze, silver, and gold for escalating levels of recognition.
Order one design in multiple platings if you want tiers, and plan quantity around a full year of recognition rather than a single event — per-coin pricing drops as quantity goes up. See program examples on our safety challenge coins page.

Question 17

Do you offer quantity discounts for ongoing recognition programs?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Per-coin pricing drops at 100, 300, 500, and 1,000 coins, and ongoing programs benefit twice: we store your molds for two years after each order, so annual or quarterly reorders of the same design skip the mold fee entirely and land at your quantity tier. Compare tiers on our challenge coin pricing page, or ask your sales rep to price a full year of your program at once.

Question 18

What materials are your coins made from?

Accepted Answer

The base metal of our coins is either brass, zinc or, on rare occasions, copper. Each coin is then either plated or powder coated in another metal/material, and, when necessary, painted.
Why Do You Choose Those Materials? There are different qualities to each of the metals that make them perfect for different types of coins. The production team looks at the proof of the coin and determines which base metal is best to use.
Brass An alloy of copper and zinc, brass is perfect for 2D coins up to 2.50". Brass has higher malleability than zinc, making it perfect for the die striking method used to create most coins. It is also a quite dense metal, which gives the coins a good weight in hand. This heft is one of the key determinants of increasing perceived value with recipients.
Zinc A naturally occurring element, zinc&rsquo;s strength and durability make it perfect for high relief 3D coins, large coins and even 360° Molds. As a harder metal, zinc is used in the die-casting process used to make certain coins. It also has a relatively low melting point which makes it perfect for this application. Creating a coin out of zinc gives us incredible flexibility in design, and we&rsquo;re able to incorporate details that wouldn&rsquo;t be possible in a traditional stamped (die-struck) coin.
Copper Not a very common base metal used in coins, copper is only used by special request and is perfect for coins that are going to be turned into jewelry. You can choose between an antique copper or a high polish copper look for your coins. One key use case is when a customer wants us to make a custom coin for them, and then they want to use those coins to make custom rings.

Question 19

What is the most popular size for a challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

Challenge coins are typically 1.5" or 1.75" in size. This makes them larger than the coins in circulation around the U.S., but they easily fit in the palm of your hand. Most people carry these types of challenge coins in a pocket or wallet. Click here for more challenge coin size information.

Question 20

What is the average weight of your standard size custom challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

Our standard coin sizes are 1.50", 1.75" and 2.00". We measure weight in ounces, and the figures below can be used as a general rule of thumb for knowing how heavy your coins will be.
Coins with cut out designs will be much lighter than the standard weights listed above. If you want your coins to have more weight, choosing a design that is 4mm thick, as opposed to the standard 3mm, will increase the weight of each coin by 33%.

Question 21

What size should a soccer flipping coin be?

Accepted Answer

Between 1.5" and 1.75" for a coin that&rsquo;s actually going to be tossed. That range fits a referee&rsquo;s hand, flips cleanly, and still leaves room for a club crest or association mark on both faces. Stay near the standard 3 mm thickness too — a 4 mm or 6 mm coin lands heavy and short rather than tumbling.
Larger 2" designs are better used for presentation coins handed out at the end of a season than for the coin the official carries onto the pitch. See design examples on our custom soccer referee coins page.

Question 22

How many soccer coins should a club or league order?

Accepted Answer

Order for the group that will actually receive one, not just the officials who flip it. Our custom minimum is 50 coins, and per-coin pricing drops as quantity goes up, so a club usually covers its full roster, coaching staff, and referee crew for little more than covering the crew alone.
State and regional associations tend to order for every official they certify in a season, which lands well past the first quantity break. If you reorder each season, keep one side of the design constant — we store your molds for two years, so the next run skips the mold fee entirely. Compare tiers on our challenge coin pricing page, or use the no-minimum custom coin builder if you only need a handful.

Question 23

How thick are your challenge coins?

Accepted Answer

The standard challenge coin is usually 3 mm thick. Here at Signature Coins we can make custom coins with thicknesses that range from 1.2 mm - 6 mm thick. The thicker the coin the heavier your coin will feel.

Question 24

What presentation options do you offer?

Accepted Answer

When it comes to protecting your collectibles, we offer plastic coin envelopes, acrylic cases, coin capsules, plastic stands, velvet coin bags and velvet coin cases.

Question 25

What is coin plating?

Accepted Answer

Plating is a manufacturing process by which a layer of metal is added onto another item. For example, jewelry is often plated in gold or silver as opposed to being made completely out of those precious metals.
Each challenge coin produced by Signature Coins is made from a base metal of brass or zinc alloy. We choose these metals because of their overall durability and because they are the best for the die-casting and die-striking processes used to create your coins. While these metals are perfectly serviceable on their own, here at Signature Coins, we believe customers should have as many options for the final look of their coins as possible. That&rsquo;s where coin plating comes in.
Coins that are not put through the plating process will retain the original look of the base metal used to create them.
Improved Corrosion Resistance
Decorative Appeal + Far More Visual Options
Increased Solderability
Enhanced Strength
Reduced Friction
Altered Conductivity
Enhanced Paint Adhesion
These benefits are some of the reasons plating is used on metals and objects in car manufacturing and the creation of electronics parts. But aspects like corrosion resistance, decorative appeal, enhanced strength and paint adhesion are some of the reasons we recommend coin plating so highly.

Question 26

Are any of the materials used to create my coin toxic?

Accepted Answer

No. Signature Coins only uses the safest, non-toxic and highest quality materials in the creation of your challenge coins. Our factories are inspected and certified regularly to ensure that exceptional level of safety.

Question 27

Do you make custom poker chips?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we make custom poker chips. Our designs can be used for home gaming sets or special events such as fundraising, team building, event hosting and in countless other settings.
Signature Coins can create custom poker chips designed to showcase sponsorship names and venues. Dates can be added to mark to occasion, as well as numbering to make each coin unique. These durable ceramic coins are sure to remain a precious keepsake, and you can be confident of their longevity.

Question 28

What kind of poker chips do you make?

Accepted Answer

We make ceramic poker chips. Designs are heat transferred onto blank ceramic chips through a dye sublimation process. This creates a seamless and permanent finish. We do not use stickers to transfer designs onto stock chips.

Question 29

Do you sell cases for custom poker chips?

Accepted Answer

No, we do not sell any poker chip cases. We handcraft custom artwork and deliver the finished ceramic chips in individual PVC pouches to protect them during shipment.

Question 30

What sizes do custom poker chips come in?

Accepted Answer

Custom poker chips are made in 1.55", 1.75", and 2" diameters. 1.55" is the standard casino size and the one most home and tournament sets use. 1.75" and 2" give the artwork more room, which suits chips that carry a full logo, a unit crest, or a block of text.

Question 31

Are custom poker chips the same thing as challenge coins?

Accepted Answer

They serve the same purpose and they are ordered the same way, but they are made differently. A challenge coin is struck from metal and finished with plating and enamel. A poker chip is a ceramic blank with the artwork dye sublimated into its surface, so the design covers the entire face edge to edge and can include photographs, gradients, and fine detail that a struck die cannot hold.
Units, departments, and companies order poker chips for the same reasons they order coins — recognition, membership, commemorating an event — and many order both.

Question 32

Can custom poker chips be numbered or have a custom edge?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Chips can be sequentially numbered so each one in the set is unique, which is common on limited editions and commemorative sets. The edge spots are part of the artwork rather than a separate process, so you choose their color and pattern the same way you choose the rest of the design.

Question 33

Can a custom poker chip be used as a golf ball marker?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A 1.55" chip is close to the size of a standard poker chip ball marker, and it sits flat on the green. Tournaments and charity outings often order chips instead of metal markers because the full-color printing carries a sponsor logo more cleanly.
If you want a marker that snaps into a magnetic hat clip, a custom golf ball marker is the better fit — those are struck in metal and sized for the clip.

Question 34

What exactly is included in my belt buckle order (do you sell belts?)

Accepted Answer

All of your custom belt buckles will be secured in bubble wrap to protect them from scratching, and the entire order of buckles will be shipped together. All of the buckles are good to go as soon as they come out of the box, so make sure to have some belts handy to try them out!
Unfortunately, we do not sell belts along with our custom belt buckles.

Question 35

How big is too big for a custom belt buckle?

Accepted Answer

We make custom belt buckles from 2" to 6" across. Most orders land between 2.5" and 3.5" — large enough for a crest, a ship&rsquo;s name, or an event and a year, and still comfortable to wear all day.
Uniform buckles are the exception: the branch regulation sets the size, so start there and fit the artwork to it. Trophy and rodeo buckles run the largest, since being seen from a distance is the point.
Size and quantity both affect the per-buckle price — see the belt buckle pricing tables.

Question 36

What kind of belt buckles do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We make box frame belt buckles and hinge and hook belt buckles.
Box frame belt buckles have a hollow box on the back side with a sliding lock pin inside, and are used with webbed belts.
Hinge and hook belt buckles have a hinge for the belt to slide through and a hook, or pin, that secures the buckle to the belt on the back side. This will work with any belt that has traditional prong holes on the strap.
Like all of our products, the belt buckles we make are completely custom and designed to meet the specifications of individual clients.

Question 37

What is a hinge and hook belt buckle?

Accepted Answer

Hinge and hook belt buckles are used with any type of belt that has prong holes on the strap. The front is custom molded with any kind of artwork imaginable, while the back has only a hinge to loop the belt through and a hook, or pin, to put through the prong holes on the belt strap.
A hinge and hook belt buckle is the most common style of belt buckle found on belts sold in stores. Chances are when you think of a belt buckle, this is the style you&rsquo;re imagining.

Question 38

What is a box frame belt buckle?

Accepted Answer

Box frame belt buckles are designed for webbed belts. There is a hollow box on the back side of the buckle that has two windows for the belt to slide through. Inside the box frame is a lock pin that the belt slides over to get to the other side. The inside of the box frame is cut to allow the lock pin to slide from left to right with the belt as it is inserted and pushed through the buckle.
The lock pin is lined with teeth that catch the fabric of the belt and hold it in place. By sliding the lock pin to the right, you can secure the belt from slipping. To take off the belt, slide the lock pin to the left and the webbed belt will be able to slide freely out of the box frame.
Box frame belt buckles do not work with leather belts or traditional style belts with prong holes on the strap. They only work with webbed belts, which are made from fabric and do not have prong holes on the strap.

Question 39

Do you offer other products besides challenge coins?

Accepted Answer

Yes, here at Signature Promotional Group we offer custom lapel pins, challenge coins, embroidered patches, lanyards, charms, medallions, wristbands and more.

Question 40

Do you make coins for fraternal organizations like the Masons?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We design membership coins for fraternal lodges, chapters, and similar organizations, including Greek-letter fraternities and sororities ordering for a pledge class, initiation, or alumni weekend. For Freemason-specific designs — square-and-compass artwork, lodge emblems, and mark-penny tradition — see our dedicated custom masonic coins page.

Question 41

What goes on a Christian challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

Whatever your congregation already uses to identify itself. The most common designs pair a central symbol — a cross, a dove, an ichthys, a flame, a shield, praying hands, or the church&rsquo;s own logo — with the congregation&rsquo;s name around the rim and a verse, motto, or date on the reverse. Ministry and men&rsquo;s-and-women&rsquo;s-group coins often carry a theme instead (&ldquo;man of faith&rdquo;, &ldquo;armor of God&rdquo;, a program name and year). Send us the symbol and the wording and our artists will build the layout; you&rsquo;ll see it on a free proof before anything is struck. See Christian challenge coins for examples.

Question 42

Can you put a Bible verse or scripture reference on a coin?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it&rsquo;s the single most requested element on a Christian coin. A short verse fits comfortably on a coin face; a longer passage usually works better as the reference alone (Ephesians 6:10-18) with the theme carried by the artwork. Send the verse exactly as you want it worded, including the translation, since wording differs between the KJV, NIV, ESV, and others and we set what you send rather than substituting a version. Deep text engraving and raised lettering are both options, and either can be filled with color or left as bare metal.

Question 43

Do you make prayer coins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A prayer coin is a pocket coin carried as a reminder rather than presented as an award — usually a prayer, a short verse, or a saint&rsquo;s image on one side and the church, ministry, or program on the other. They&rsquo;re commonly handed out at services, hospital and prison visits, recovery meetings, and by chaplains. Because they&rsquo;re meant to be carried daily, most are ordered in an antique finish, which wears in rather than wearing off. Minimum is 50 coins per design.

Question 44

Do you make Catholic parish and Knights of Columbus coins?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Parish coins carry the church&rsquo;s name and patron saint, diocesan coins mark jubilee years and pilgrimages, and sacrament coins are handed out at First Communion and confirmation. Saint medals — St. Benedict, St. Michael, St. Christopher, or a parish&rsquo;s own patron — are usually struck in antique silver or antique gold with a Latin inscription around the rim. For Knights of Columbus councils we mint council coins carrying the emblem of the Order with the council name and number, plus separate designs for the Fourth Degree or an officer slate that changes each year. Catholic Daughters, Altar and Rosary societies, and Holy Name societies order the same way.

Question 45

Can you make a coin for a papal visit, jubilee year, or parish anniversary?

Accepted Answer

Yes — commemorative coins for a jubilee year, a papal visit, a parish centennial, or a pilgrimage are among the most common Catholic projects we mint, usually pairing the church or destination with the year and the group that traveled. One limit worth knowing up front: we make custom coins from your artwork, and we don&rsquo;t reproduce official Vatican or papal insignia, coats of arms, or seals without documented authorization from the body that owns them, and we don&rsquo;t sell official Vatican coinage. If your parish or diocese has the rights to a mark, send them along with the approval and we&rsquo;ll build the design around it.

Question 46

What is a religious challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

A religious challenge coin is a custom minted coin built around a faith community&rsquo;s own symbols, wording, and scripture. It works like any other challenge coin — carried, presented by hand, and kept for years — but what it marks is spiritual: a baptism or confirmation, an ordination, a mission trip or pilgrimage, a parish anniversary or jubilee year, or membership in a congregation. Congregations, ministries, and chaplains order them; see our religious challenge coins page for design options, or Christian challenge coins for scripture and sacrament artwork specifically.

Question 47

Do you make coins for faiths other than Christianity?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We&rsquo;ve minted coins for Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and Sikh communities, and for interfaith groups and chaplaincies that represent several traditions at once — synagogues, temples, community centers, meditation and retreat programs, and religious schools. Every design is directed by you: you tell us the symbols and text that matter, our artists build a free proof, and nothing goes to production until you approve it. We don&rsquo;t guess at religious iconography, and we&rsquo;ll ask rather than assume. See our religious challenge coins page.

Question 48

Can you put Hebrew, Arabic, Latin, or other non-English text on a coin?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it&rsquo;s common on religious coins — Hebrew lettering on synagogue coins, Latin inscriptions on Catholic designs, Arabic on Islamic ones, and Sanskrit or Pali on Buddhist coins. Send us the text exactly as it should appear, including diacritics, vowel points, and reading direction, ideally as copyable text rather than a screenshot. Our art team lays it out and you&rsquo;ll see it on your free digital proof before anything is struck, so any spacing or letterform issue gets caught while it&rsquo;s still free to fix.

Question 49

Do you make coins for military and hospital chaplains?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and chaplain coins are a category of their own. Because a chaplain serves everyone in the unit or department regardless of faith, the design usually pairs the chaplain corps insignia or the department badge with a verse, prayer, or line the chaplain uses in counseling, and the coins are handed out one at a time rather than at a formation. We mint for military chaplains and chaplain assistants in every branch, and for chaplains attached to police, fire, and EMS agencies, as well as hospital, hospice, prison, and campus chaplaincies.

Question 50

Can you make a religious coin into a charm or keychain?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A coin can be minted with a hole or a soldered bail so it hangs from a cord, a keyring, or a bag — a common request for temple and retreat coins, medallions, and keepsake pieces. If you want a true charm rather than a coin with a hole in it, our sister brand Signature Pins makes custom charms in smaller sizes with jump rings already attached. Tell us at quote time which you want, since the bail or hole placement has to be part of the mold rather than added afterward.

Question 51

What is a masonic challenge coin?

Accepted Answer

A masonic challenge coin is a custom minted coin carried by members of a lodge as a token of membership, a marker of a milestone, or a gift between brothers. The artwork is what makes it masonic: the square and compass around the letter G, the all-seeing eye, the twin pillars, the checkered pavement, and the lodge&rsquo;s own name, number, and jurisdiction. Beyond the artwork it behaves like any other challenge coin — carried in a pocket, presented by hand, and kept for decades. See our custom masonic coins page for design options.

Question 52

What is a mark penny, and do you still make them?

Accepted Answer

A mark penny is the original masonic coin — a small personal token carried since the 18th century as proof of a member&rsquo;s place in the fraternity, traditionally struck with a mark the brother chose for himself. Antique mark pennies are collector pieces, and we don&rsquo;t buy, sell, or appraise them. What we do make is the modern equivalent: a custom minted coin for your lodge, with your artwork, your wording, and your choice of size, plating, and edge. Most lodges order a lodge coin for the membership and a separate personalized version for degree ceremonies.

Question 53

Can you put our lodge name, number, and jurisdiction on the coin?

Accepted Answer

Yes — that&rsquo;s the most common masonic coin we make. Lodge name and number typically run around the rim with the jurisdiction below (A.F. & A.M., F. & A.M., the Grand Lodge of your state), and the lodge&rsquo;s own emblem goes in the center. Send us the wording exactly as it should appear, including any accents or non-English text, and it goes on your free digital proof that way. Districts and Grand Lodge programs order the same way, often with a second design for officers.

Question 54

Do you make coins for a Made a Mason or degree ceremony?

Accepted Answer

Yes. &ldquo;Made a Mason&rdquo; coins are presented when a brother is raised and usually carry his name and the date of his third degree, and the same approach covers Past Master coins, officer coins, and District Deputy Grand Master coins. Because the name and date change every year, most lodges order the first run with a custom mold and then rerun it with new back artwork — reruns cost far less than the first order since the mold already exists. Minimum is 50 coins per design; for a single presentation coin, use our no-minimum custom coin builder.

Question 55

Do you make coins for Shriners, Scottish Rite, York Rite, and Eastern Star chapters?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We mint for Blue Lodges and for appendant and concordant bodies — Shrine temples, Scottish Rite valleys, York Rite chapters, commanderies and councils, Order of the Eastern Star chapters, and youth organizations like DeMolay, Job&rsquo;s Daughters, and Rainbow. Send the emblem your body already uses and our art team will build the coin around it. Prince Hall lodges and chapters order the same way.

Question 56

What is the minimum order for a club or membership program?

Accepted Answer

Custom membership and club coins have a minimum of 50 coins per design. For smaller needs, our no-minimum custom coin builder lets you order as few as one coin, and stock and personalized coins have no minimums.

Question 57

Can members buy individual coins, or does the club have to order in bulk?

Accepted Answer

Traditional custom membership coins are ordered by the club or lodge as a bulk run (minimum 50 coins per design). Individual members who want a single custom coin — or a small personal batch without a custom mold — can use our no-minimum custom coin builder.

Question 58

What's the difference between an award coin and a recognition coin?

Accepted Answer

Recognition says thank you; an award says you earned it. Recognition coins mark appreciation — work anniversaries, everyday above-and-beyond moments, team milestones — while award coins are tied to a specific accomplishment: a contest won, a quota reached, a certification earned. Both use the same design options and pricing, so the real difference is the story on the coin. If you&rsquo;re building an appreciation program, start with our employee recognition coins; if you&rsquo;re crowning a winner, you want an award coin.

Question 59

Do you make achievement coins for certifications or milestones?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Achievement coins are one of the most common award coin projects we design — certifications earned, project completions, safety records, production milestones. Designs usually pair the organization&rsquo;s logo with the specific achievement and its date, and many programs add sequential numbering or engraving so each coin is unique to its recipient.

Question 60

What's the difference between a years-of-service coin and a retirement coin?

Accepted Answer

Years of service coins mark the milestones along the way — 5, 10, 20 years — and usually belong to a tiered series an employee collects over a career. A retirement coin is the capstone: a single, often premium design honoring the whole career at its close. Many organizations design both as one family, so the retirement coin reads as the final coin in the series.

Question 61

What goes on a military retirement coin?

Accepted Answer

Most military retirement coins pair the retiree&rsquo;s identity with their service history. One side carries the unit crest, command insignia, or rank device; the other carries the retiree&rsquo;s name, rate or rank, and the span of the career — often with the duty stations, deployments, or commands listed around the rim.
Traditional touches show up again and again: a retirement date beside the enlistment date, a branch motto, an anthem line, or the shadow-box framing a career&rsquo;s final coin usually ends up in. Antique gold and antique silver are the most requested finishes because the recessed detail in a crest reads deeper on an antiqued face.
We design for every branch — see our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pages for unit examples.

Question 62

How many retirement coins should we order for a ceremony?

Accepted Answer

Order for the room, not just the retiree. A retirement coin is usually handed to the retiree and then to the people who marked the career with them — the immediate team, the command or command staff, family at the ceremony, and a few held back for people who could not attend. Most ceremony orders land well above the retiree&rsquo;s own coin for that reason.
Our custom minimum is 50 coins, and per-coin pricing drops as quantity goes up, so it usually costs little more to cover everyone than to cover the front row. If you are honoring several retirees in the same cycle, one order with a shared common side keeps the artwork consistent and avoids a second mold fee. For a single coin instead of a ceremony run, use the no-minimum custom coin builder.

Question 63

Can we order a tiered coin series for different milestone years?

Accepted Answer

Yes — tiered series are the standard approach for years of service programs. Most series share one common side across every tier, which keeps the set cohesive and saves on mold fees, then escalate the other side: bronze or copper plating for early years, silver for mid-tenure, gold at the top, with options like dual plating, gemstones, or added enamel detail to make the highest milestones visibly special.

Question 64

What's the difference between a commemorative coin and a memorial coin?

Accepted Answer

A commemorative coin celebrates an occasion — an anniversary, a graduation, a founding, a milestone event. A memorial coin honors a person or a loss: fallen officers and service members, departed colleagues, in-remembrance keepsakes for family and friends. The design language differs too — memorial coins tend toward understated finishes like antique silver and black nickel, while commemorative designs are usually celebratory. We craft both with the same free artwork and unlimited revisions.

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