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<p>[QUOTE="schatzy, post: 633493, member: 17401"]<p style="text-align: center"><b><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">History of Challenge Coins</font></font></b></p><p><br /></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">The origins of the challenge coin are a matter of much debate with little supporting evidence, most common with many military traditions.</font></font></p><p> </p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">The story is........ </font></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Each member of a particular WWI airborne squadron was given a bronze medallion by their lieutenant. </font></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">One of these soldiers was captured by the Germans and later escaped, only to be re-captured by the French. The French, not knowing that the soldier was a friendly American, were set to execute him. But before the time came, one of the Frenchmen recognized the medallion that was worn by the American and his life was spared. </font></font></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><b><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">Why Are They Called Challenge Coins?</font></font></b></p><p><br /></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Following World War I, it became a growing tradition to carry these medallions, or "coins", and it was a fun little game that gave them the name "challenge". </font></font></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">It went something like this...</font></font></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Squadron members would challenge one another to reveal their coins. If the member being challenged did not have his or her coin on them, they would have to buy a drink for the person who challenged them. If, however, they could produce the coin, then the challenger had to buy them a drink. Thus, the "challenge coin" evolved.</font></font></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><b><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">Challenge Coins today</font></font></b></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Today challenge coins are everywhere in the military. Besides using coins for challenging, they are also used as rewards or awards. Most higher ranking officers have challenge coins made so that they may give them out as rewards. Bill Clinton had coins made so that he could give them out to military people. Getting a challenge coin from high ranking official was like be one of the proud and the few. Most of them would get 1000 coins made and they were usually numbered so you were only 1 of 1000 to have the coin. Almost all career military people I now have a challenge coin rack with all of the different units that they have been in.</font></font></p><p> </p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman">Many other organizations have also adopted the challenge coins like police departments, fire departments, nascar, NFL, colleges, fraternities, special clubs, etc.</font></font></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>Are Challenge Coins Worth Collecting?</b></font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">Most coins are really not worth much and really only carry sentimental value. Many collectors just collect them for the fun of it. </font></font><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">I collected them while I was in the Navy and have about 10 of them but I only bought a couple of them and the rest were given to me.</font></font></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>Getting your own challenge coins made!!</b></font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="3">There are lots of companies out there that will make the coins for you. It usually cost a few hundred dollars to get the die made and then only a few dollars for each coin to be produced. Below is some websites of companies that make challenge coins.</font></font></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.militaryservicecompany.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CustomCoins" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.militaryservicecompany.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CustomCoins" rel="nofollow">http://www.militaryservicecompany.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CustomCoins</a></font></font></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.challengecoinusa.com/faqs.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.challengecoinusa.com/faqs.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.challengecoinusa.com/faqs.html</a></font></font></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.allaboutchallengecoins.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.allaboutchallengecoins.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.allaboutchallengecoins.com/</a></font></font></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4"><b>Pictures</b></font></font></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="4">This coin was bought at the gift shop in Pearl Harbor.</font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/008copy.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/009copy.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/010copy.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/011copy.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/ChallengeCoins.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p> <p style="text-align: center"><font face="Times New Roman"><font size="2"><img src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/LargeMilitaryChallengeCoinCherry.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></font></font></p><p>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="schatzy, post: 633493, member: 17401"][CENTER][B][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]History of Challenge Coins[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The origins of the challenge coin are a matter of much debate with little supporting evidence, most common with many military traditions.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]The story is........ [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Each member of a particular WWI airborne squadron was given a bronze medallion by their lieutenant. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]One of these soldiers was captured by the Germans and later escaped, only to be re-captured by the French. The French, not knowing that the soldier was a friendly American, were set to execute him. But before the time came, one of the Frenchmen recognized the medallion that was worn by the American and his life was spared. [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT] [CENTER][B][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Why Are They Called Challenge Coins?[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Following World War I, it became a growing tradition to carry these medallions, or "coins", and it was a fun little game that gave them the name "challenge". [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]It went something like this...[/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Squadron members would challenge one another to reveal their coins. If the member being challenged did not have his or her coin on them, they would have to buy a drink for the person who challenged them. If, however, they could produce the coin, then the challenger had to buy them a drink. Thus, the "challenge coin" evolved.[/FONT][/SIZE] [CENTER][B][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]Challenge Coins today[/SIZE][/FONT][/B][/CENTER] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Today challenge coins are everywhere in the military. Besides using coins for challenging, they are also used as rewards or awards. Most higher ranking officers have challenge coins made so that they may give them out as rewards. Bill Clinton had coins made so that he could give them out to military people. Getting a challenge coin from high ranking official was like be one of the proud and the few. Most of them would get 1000 coins made and they were usually numbered so you were only 1 of 1000 to have the coin. Almost all career military people I now have a challenge coin rack with all of the different units that they have been in.[/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman]Many other organizations have also adopted the challenge coins like police departments, fire departments, nascar, NFL, colleges, fraternities, special clubs, etc.[/FONT][/SIZE] [CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4][B]Are Challenge Coins Worth Collecting?[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]Most coins are really not worth much and really only carry sentimental value. Many collectors just collect them for the fun of it. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]I collected them while I was in the Navy and have about 10 of them but I only bought a couple of them and the rest were given to me.[/SIZE][/FONT] [CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4][B]Getting your own challenge coins made!![/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]There are lots of companies out there that will make the coins for you. It usually cost a few hundred dollars to get the die made and then only a few dollars for each coin to be produced. Below is some websites of companies that make challenge coins.[/SIZE][/FONT] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][URL]http://www.militaryservicecompany.com/catalog.aspx?catid=CustomCoins[/URL][/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][URL]http://www.challengecoinusa.com/faqs.html[/URL][/FONT][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][FONT=Times New Roman][URL]http://www.allaboutchallengecoins.com/[/URL][/FONT][/SIZE] [CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4][B]Pictures[/B][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER] [CENTER][FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=4]This coin was bought at the gift shop in Pearl Harbor.[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/008copy.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/009copy.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/010copy.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/011copy.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/ChallengeCoins.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=2][IMG]http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff301/schatzyjrebay/LargeMilitaryChallengeCoinCherry.jpg[/IMG][/SIZE][/FONT][/CENTER][/QUOTE]
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