Challenge coin
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 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.
Following King Louis XIV's 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, French Protestants began to suffer persecution by the state for their illegal religion.
[8][9] 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 of the Army and Naval Air Service.
[11][14][12] 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.
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.
Separately, the White House Communication Agency (WHCA) has issued challenge coins for foreign heads and military during presidential visits.
In May 2018, controversy arose when WHCA released a coin featuring President Donald Trump and North Korean head Kim Jong-un ahead of peace talks scheduled for June 2018 in Singapore.
[21][22] President Bill Clinton displayed several racks of challenge coins, which had been given to him by U.S. service members, on the credenza behind his Oval Office desks.
President George W. Bush received a challenge coin from a Marine combat patrol unit during his short but unexpected visit to Al Asad Airbase in Anbar province, Iraq, 3 September 2007.
While there are only a few base metals, the patina (finish) can range from gold, silver, or nickel to brass, copper, or bronze—plus the antiqued variations.
[31] While a die struck bronze or brass coin is more expensive, the result renders a far superior product (numismatic quality).
In order to be competitive, most North American companies offering challenge coins rely on having the product manufactured offshore.
Many challenge coins are fabricated in South Korea, as the connection to the US military bases there is strong,[citation needed] and costs are cheaper than those made in the US.
[14][28] Military officials occasionally give them to non-military personnel for outstanding service or rewards, like the case of student athletes at Northeastern University.
NASCAR,[34] the NFL, cadets of the Civil Air Patrol,[35] Eagle Scouts,[36] Canine Companions, and World Series of Poker all have their own challenge coins.
who was injured in the line of duty, has been criticized for containing racist imagery despite the officer being of Afro American West Indian descent.
[44] Another organization in which challenge coins have gained popularity is the "National Association of Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club" (NABSTMC), which has over 85 chapters totaling over 2,000 members.
[4] In 2020, the Secretary of the State of Virginia sent a cease and desist to Louis "Uncle Louie" Gregory regarding a challenge coin he created.
Many businesses are using corporate coins to recognize staff achievements, improve employee morale and reduce turnover,[54] Many labor unions, including the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers[55][56] and the International Association of Firefighters,[57] have adopted the practice of selling and/or disseminating challenge coins.
[59] These coins granted free access to the MGM's theaters in Britain and were popular with aircrew and ground crew alike.
In 1982, the custom was reintroduced by Lieutenant-Colonel Hugh Cunnigham, then the squadron commanding officer; it has since expanded widely within the RCAF tactical aviation community.
[citation needed] Every new officer cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, is issued a challenge coin upon completion of First-Year Orientation Period.
Usually, these are issued to craftsmen at the Canadian Forces School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, in Borden, Ontario, where branch fund membership is first offered.
Many of the CF training centres and staff colleges have a distinct coin—some available for the students to purchase, others available only by presentation by the establishment or the commandant for exemplary achievement while attending the facility.
Police, corrections, security and fire departments have embraced the concept, and have found coins to be an excellent means of team building and creating a sense of brotherhood or belonging.
The challenge coin tradition was introduced into the Swiss Armed Forces by American officers on training missions and other assignments for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, of which Switzerland is a member.
Coins have come into use by various Australian and New Zealand political leaders, senior officers and NCOs, under the influence of presentations from American personnel.
[60] Exchange officers and British military visitors to US units and formations in recent decades have often been presented with challenge coins.
Following a turbulent period of change within the British Military, commanders have tightened restrictions on the consumption of alcohol and any activity that encourages drinking, leaving the traditional challenge coin as a collection item.
