How Do Challenge Coins Work? The Basics Explained

Take a look at the military, police force, or firefighter crew: all of these have close-knit coworkers. In fact, they have such a bond that they often exchange challenge coins.

Never heard of them before? Are you wondering, “how do challenge coins work exactly?”

Read on to find out all the answers to your burning questions!

What Are Challenge Coins?

Challenge coins look like fancy collector’s coins. But when you take a closer look, you’ll realize that they’re unique to the organization they’re from.

The challenge coin history actually goes back pretty far. Some say it dates back to Ancient Roman days, while others say it originated in World War I. In either case, we’ve been trading challenge coins for a while!

How Do Challenge Coins Work?

Not everyone in an organization is given a challenge coin. There are even some top-tier ones given by the president (and sometimes vice president) through a secret handshake! Otherwise, there are military, first responder, and police challenge coins that are given out to notable people, such as those who have served during a certain time or have stood out with their services.

But how are they given out to deserving members?

How Are Challenge Coins Given?

The top-tier challenge coins are given out secretly by the president through a secret handshake. Some organizations also give out challenge coins in the same fashion for a bit of fun.

But for most organizational challenge coins, they’re presented to members during a ceremony. They’ll also just hand them to new recruits as a type of welcome present to make them feel right at home.

Challenge Coin Rules

Once you’ve received a challenge coin, you’re expected to adhere to some rules. They might be different for each organization, but here are some basic ones that are pretty universal.

First of all, you must have the coin on you at all times. If you’re in the military, this means you need to bring it everywhere, even the shower!

You can be challenged by another coin holder at any time. They’ll do so by either telling you or placing their own coin in plain sight.

When this happens, you must display your coins fast. Some organizations will have strict rules; they might require that your coin is on you somewhere. Others aren’t as strict and allow you to take x steps to get your coin.

If you’re not able to produce your challenge coin, you’re “punished”. In most cases, this just means buying a round of drinks for everyone.

Challenge Coins

Now you know the answer to the question, “how do challenge coins work?” It’s a fascinating item that has history and weight.

If you’re ever given one, make sure you have it on you at all times. Otherwise, if you get challenged, you’ll have to buy some drinks!

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