Although custom-minted commemorative coins and custom challenge coins may seem similar, do you know that there is a significant difference between the two? In this article, we will answer the question of what challenge coins are and explain the huge variety of custom-minted coins. That way, if you ever want to create your own custom-minted coins, you’ll know exactly where to start!

Originating in the military, challenge coins are small, embossed, often coloured custom-minted coins made of different metals. Historically, they have been given to members of special units to denote affiliation with a particular troop or to commemorate acts of valour. Custom-minted coins distributed among members of the unit thus become tokens of camaraderie and integrity. Today, challenge coins are also handed out by a huge number of different rescue and service agencies, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, and government agencies.

What Are Custom Challenge Coins Good For?

Individual challenge coins commemorate specific missions, deployments, and events of a military unit or rapid response unit. Custom-minted coins serve as proof of affiliation to a particular group and are to be presented at coin checks.

Custom-Minted Coins: From Coin Check to Coin Display

In terms of design, commemorative challenge coins usually have an embossed organisation’s emblem and are fully in keeping with its values: endurability, resistance and purpose-driven. Often, they include the organisation’s name in addition to a slogan or motto. Challenge coins are as varied as the organisations they represent. At CoinsForAnything, we mint custom challenge coins from 24K pure gold, .999 fine silver, German silver, black nickel, and many more. The custom-minted challenge coins are symbols of pride and honour. This is why people often display them on special coin stands or in frames, for all to see.

Custom-Minted Commemorative Coins

Commemorative coins are similar to challenge coins. However, instead of commemorating the military or lifeguards, they celebrate special events, milestones, and achievements of various teams in a broader sense. Institutions such as universities, museums, and others often use custom-minted coins to pay tribute to their employees. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of custom-minted coins.

Corporate Custom-Minted Coins

A coin manufacturer uses a wide range of materials to craft individual corporate coins. Companies on a tight budget can order impressive custom-minted coins using sheet metal, or PVC, as the basic material. On the other hand, Fortune 100 companies with more resources can choose to stamp custom-minted coins in the more luxurious 24K gold or pure 999 silver.

In the corporate world, companies of all sizes, from start-ups to international conglomerates, utilize custom-minted coins. They use custom-minted coins to:

• Serve as a unique replacement for a standard paper business card;
• Honour the outstanding efforts of a company’s employees;
• Celebrate important corporate milestones and anniversaries;
• Serve as loyalty tokens entitling devoted customers to discounts and additional benefits.

Universities Need Custom-Minted Coins

Educational institutions often order custom-minted coins to celebrate the achievements of their researchers, alums, and the university as a whole. University challenge coins are unique and meaningful commemorative items. The custom-minted coins encourage the recipient to reflect on their academic achievements. Custom-minted coins are an ideal memento and source of inspiration for alumni, current students, professors, visiting professors, honorary alumni, and staff.

Universities might use custom-minted coins to:

• Commemorate university graduation;
• Pay tribute to research breakthroughs;
• Celebrate special events in the college calendar, such as historical anniversaries or significant events;
• Mark first-year students at the start of their studies at the university;
• Award distinguished individuals who receive honorary educational degrees or pay tribute to retiring professors.

Custom Sports Challenge Coins

Just as challenge coins celebrate the comradery of first responders and military personnel, custom-minted coins are often used to champion the fellowship of a sports team. As it’s not always the winning but the taking part that counts, custom-minted coins can be used to celebrate both athletic success and also participation in a particular sporting event.

Sports medals are a unique and memorable keepsake that lasts long after an athlete has hung up their trainers for good. Custom-minted medals can be presented to individual athletes, entire teams, and all those who come to view and cheer for sporting events.

Here are some of the most common reasons our clients wish us to stamp sports medals for them as:

• Medals for the victors of sporting competitions;
• Keepsakes for all participants in a sporting tournament or match;
• Mementoes for the fans of a particular sporting event.

Now that you’ve got a good idea of the different types of custom-minted coins you could create, it’s time to take the next step. Here, at CoinsForAnything, we make that simple. Proceed to our Coin Configurator, draft the first look of your custom-minted coins, and the team of professional coin designers will soon get back to you to bring them to life!

Disclaimer: Our products on this page are known as “Coins” in order to comply with general linguistic usage. It should be expressly pointed out that it concerns, however, individually embossed medals and no current or former means of payment/currency.