Some of you know what I do, others don't, and that's okay. But my question is how often have you ever received a challenge coin for doing this line of work? I recently got my first one, and it is honestly pretty awesome. I know some agencies do it, and it seems mine does, so the question becomes how do you trade them? Like, do you have multiple copies of the original?

Never,
I was active duty from 88 to 99
Then reserve from 00 to 11

I got my first coin from another police officer-it was a coin from my agency
I got my Chiefs coin when I made GMC in 08
( I forgot it when deployed in the oil spill. -it really curtailed my going out....).

Back in my day, we just did the job.

No challenge coins, no pats on the back, no attaboys. Just be on time for the mission brief, and don't fuck up...

And if you get it right, you can do it again tomorrow.

But, no hate for the coins. Glad to see people don't have to hide what they did and who they were.

'88 - '93 Active,
'93 - '95 reserves

Challenge coins were never a big thing back then. There were a few units, some Staff NCO's, a few Field Grade Zeros or above but when someone slapped one down on the bar, everyone else just looked at them like the were from a different planet.

Much like Sigmonkey said, If we got it right, we got to do it again tomorrow. No "Hey Marine, you did a phenomenal job out there! How do you feel?" while an approving pat on the back was given. It was more of a "Shut the fuck up!" whilst a well worn combat boot was delivered to ones ass.

I got on the Police Dept in '95, no coins back then either. Now? Hell, seems like everyone's got one. Everyone's got to be special or different. Every other week, some different unit or district comes out with a new coin.
If I get one, I'll try to return the favor and give them a Chicago one. The only one I like to keep around has a bottle opener in the middle, so it's more of a "Hey, that's cool!" and utilitarian purpose.

I'd never heard of them until I started surfing message fora. I do have some SF coins now.

flashguy

My first deployment in '03 we were still looking for Bin Laden and the group I worked with had a cheesey logo, so a couple of the Marine Non-Coms and I designed a more better one. The guys liked it so much I had it made into a coin when I got back. We only had 100 made. It was my first and the only one I carry regularly. The only other ones I keep are those I feel I've truely earned from the presenter. So, they're special to me.

Never heard of them when I was active, but I'm old.

No idea what they're about or the "challenge" etiquette involved is. Wouldn't mind learning if there's some sort of "standard" procedure.

We had them about halfway through my time - honestly they started as something the unit could sell so memebers could give them to family / friends. Then every unit had their own and if you did an op with them or helped them out theyd give you one. They’d also do deployment coins you could buy which was kinda cool.

One unit i was with issued you a coin and if you couldnt present it on demand, you bought a round of drinks.

IDK if people got excited about them or not. I have a bag of them in a box with all my other stuff in the closet.

Active duty USMC ‘88 to ‘93 also, and don’t believe I ever saw a challenge coin. My son, who was a Navy Corpsman from ‘08 to ‘12 and assigned to a Marine unit, says they are commonplace now. He actually gave me one and I cherish it.

There are several stories detailing the origins of the challenge coin.

The Roman Empire rewarded soldiers by presenting them with coins to recognize their achievements.

Challenge coins were also known as "Portrait Medals" during the Renaissance, and were often used to commemorate specific events involving royalty, nobility, or other types of well-to-do individuals. The medals would be given as gifts or awards, and people also exchanged them with friends and associates. The most common format was for one side to depict the patron while the other showed something that represented that individual's family, house, lineage, and/or seal.

According to the most common story, challenge coins originated during World War I. Before the entry of the United States into the war in 1917 American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war.

In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck. Shortly after acquiring the medallion, the pilot's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. However, he was without personal identification. He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. Saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him. He had no identification to prove his allegiance, but he did have his leather pouch containing the medallion. He showed the medallion to his would-be executioners and one of his French captors recognized the squadron insignia on the medallion. They delayed his execution long enough for him to confirm his identity. Instead of shooting him they gave him a bottle of wine.

Back at his squadron, it became tradition to ensure that all members carried their medallion or coin at all times. This was accomplished through challenge in the following manner: a challenger would ask to see the medallion, if the challenged could not produce a medallion, they were required to buy a drink of choice for the member who challenged them. If the challenged member produced a medallion, then the challenging member was required to pay for the drink. This tradition continued throughout the war and for many years after the war while surviving members of the squadron were still alive.

According to another story, challenge coins date back to World War II and were first used by Office of Strategic Service personnel who were deployed in Nazi held France. Similarly, Jim Harrington proposed a Jolly sixpence club amongst the junior officers of the 107th Infantry.The coins were simply a local coin used as a "bona fides" during a personal meeting to help verify a person's identity. There would be specific aspects such as type of coin, date of the coin, etc. that were examined by each party. This helped prevent infiltration into the meeting by a spy who would have to have advance knowledge of the meeting time and place as well as what coin was to be presented, amongst other signals, as bona fides.

While a number of legends place the advent of challenge coins in the post-Korean Conflict era (some as late as the Vietnam War), or even later, Colonel William "Buffalo Bill" Quinn had coins made for those who served in his 17th Infantry Regiment during 1950 and 1951.

Colonel Verne Green, commander of the 10th Special Forces Group-A, embraced the idea. He had a special coin struck with the unit's badge and motto in 1969. Until the 1980s, his unit was the only unit with an active challenge coin tradition.

There is another story about an American soldier scheduled to rendezvous with Philippine guerrillas during WWII. As the story goes, he carried a Philippine solid silver coin that was stamped on one side with the unit insignia. The coin was used to verify, to the guerrillas, that the soldier was their valid contact for the mission against the Japanese.


Two coins issued by various units of the Belgian Air Component
The challenge coin tradition has spread to other military units, in all branches of service, and even to non-military organizations as well as the United States Congress, which produces challenge coins for members of Congress to give to constituents. Today, challenge coins are given to members upon joining an organization, as an award to improve morale, and sold to commemorate special occasions or as fundraisers. In the Air Force, military training instructors award an airman's coin to new enlisted personnel upon completion of their United States Air Force Basic Military Training and to new officers upon completion of the Air Force Officer Training School.

The tradition of a challenge is the most common way to ensure that members are carrying their unit's coin. The rules of a challenge are not always formalized for a unit, and may vary between organizations. The challenge only applies to those members that have been given a coin formally by their unit. This may lead to some controversy when challenges are initiated between members of different organizations and is not recommended[according to whom?]. The tradition of the coin challenge is meant to be a source of morale in a unit, and forcing the challenge can cause a reverse effect. The act of challenging is called a "Coin Check" and is usually loudly announced.

The challenge, which can be made at any time, begins with the challenger drawing his/her coin, and slapping or placing the coin on the table or bar. In noisy environments, continuously rapping the challenge coin on a surface may initiate the challenge. (Accidentally dropping a challenge coin is considered to be a deliberate challenge to all present.) Everyone being challenged must immediately produce the coin for their organization and anyone failing to do so must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and everyone else who has their challenge coin. However, should everyone challenged be able to produce their coin, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for the group.


While most holders of challenge coins usually carry them in their pockets or in some other readily accessible place on their persons, most versions of the rules permit a challenged person "a step and a reach" or if an individual has an extra coin to pass it off to the person closest to them. Coins on belt buckles or key chains are not acceptable for meeting a challenge. However, a coin worn around the neck is acceptable for meeting a coin challenge.


Variants of the rules include, but are not limited to, the following: If someone is able to steal a challenge coin, everyone in the group must buy a drink for that person. During a challenge, everyone in the group must buy a drink for the holder of the highest-ranking coin. A coins rank is determined by the rank of the giver of the challenge coin. For example, a coin presented by an Admiral would outrank a coin presented by a Vice Admiral, while both would outrank a coin presented by a Captain. Traditionally, the presentation of a coin is passed during a handshake. Some units provide strict time limits to respond to a challenge.

Traditionally, rules of a challenge include a prohibition against defacing the coin, especially if it makes it easier to carry at all times. If the challenge coin is attached to a belt buckle or key ring, or has had a hole drilled in it to attach to a lanyard, it no longer qualifies as a challenge coin

Well, we did have a "VD Free for 90 days" banner on the company guidon. That was often quite a challenge. They made us get rid of them around 1977, I think.

I carry my Glock challenge coin, it was given to me in 2006 by the NE Area Glock rep when he heard my story of why I changed to the Glock 19 from the SIG pistols.

I have a coin from my Army unit, given to me by my Company CO (he gave all of his platoon leaders one before a dining inn) I have purchased a couple at different training schools that I attended. I also have several others that I have been given and purchased for myself.

A couple of years ago, I purchased a set of Molon Labe challenge coins. I presented them to my shooting friends as a gift, I included some paperwork explaining the history of what Molon Labe meant along with what a challenge coin was. It was a big hit. I included my dad in this, he never had or knew about the challenge coin and really liked it.

Never saw one or even knew of them in the Corps (89’ to 93’).

Last year a good friend gave me a DEVGRU coin, and while I don’t know exactly what he does, I know that he rates to carry and give a coin like that. It holds a special place on my desk.

Thanks for the explanation.

quote:

Originally posted by fatmanspencer:
Some of you know what I do, others don't, and that's okay. But my question is how often have you ever received a challenge coin for doing this line of work? I recently got my first one, and it is honestly pretty awesome. I know some agencies do it, and it seems mine does, so the question becomes how do you trade them? Like, do you have multiple copies of the original?

I have mine so I don't have to buy at the bar.

I'm with most here. Never heard or saw them while serving.

After retiring from the military is when I started receiving challenge coins. Some are of units / activities I was with back in the day (Naval officer - Army enlisted). Some from my DOD civilian work or from military personnel I met then. Ended up having a nice display made for them which sits on my coffee table.

I retired in 2005 and the coins were just becoming a big thing. The best one I saw was given to the Command Master Chief of VS-35 by President Bush (the squadron which flew Bush to the USS Lincoln).

The highest ranking one I have came after retirement and is from Ryan Crocker, the ambassador (at the time) to Iraq.

I have a couple. This one I cherish, and will never forget the day it was presented to me.






The first pic should be turned the other way

While I never served, I've done plenty of business with units that presented them to us, ended up with a box load. The last 10-15 years they've become quite popular, you'd see the brass come around, congratulate/glad-hand folks and hand them out, if anything they're a inexpensive way to say thank you. Been in the bar twice when a coin was thrown down, and it was always the goof-ball who was doing the challenging, to which the response was always...you're a fuckin' poge, here's your beer

I never heard of them until the day I retired from the Navy in 1999. My Air Force brother in law gave me a Air Force coin at my retirement.