THE OLDEST CHALLENGE COIN
Do you have an old challenge coin or military coin? If so please send me a scan and I will put it up on this blog. It would be interesting to see how far back we can go.
WHAT MILITARY COIN WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO OWN?
I get asked this question frequently. Usually it is either this or what challenge coin do you carry with you?
It is true that I have thousands of them. Usually it is whatever is on my desk right now. If I think about it I choose one from a personal friend. It is tempting to carry David Letterman’s or the Governator’s coin but I think I should keep them close hold. Same with Sean Astin’s coin. They are really cool but I like to keep them special.
SO WHY NOT CARRY SPECIAL OPERATIONS COINS
Because I am not a special operator and I think that people who are not special operators but who flash these challenge coins around are a pretty sorry bunch. I know a guy in a certain Special Operations group who was coined by a guy flashing his own unit’s coin. Sad really. He did have a good laugh at the guy’s expense.
WHAT HAPPENS TO CHALLENGE COINS WITH ERRORS ON THEM?
IT depends. Sometimes the units can use them at a discount. IF we catch the mistake before they leave the factory we can recycle them. Most of the time they go in storage. I have some military coins that date back over a decade. We are very careful not to have errors. The best thing is to avoid them in the first place. That is why each customer approves his/her presentation coin at least twice. Besides, we what them to be perfect
WHAT DO OTHER COMPANIES DO?
I can’t answer that. I know that at least one sells coins that they have made for others. Another company claims to be the only challenge coin company owned by a retired soldier. That is, of course a lie. There are several that I know of including ours. Advice to customers. Before you buy any challenge coins from anyone make sure they will not be copied and sold.