What Are Challenge Coins?

A challenge coin is a coin that carries the unique insignia or motto of a group or unit. Usually seen in the military, these coins give those who carry them a sense of pride. The size of challenge coins was originally about one inch in diameter. Now, they’re about 1.75″ in diameter. Most of them are round, just like a coin, but there are some that are in the shape of a rectangle or pentagon. They’re issued to show appreciation, for serving in a military operation, and soldiers will show them to identify themselves as part of a particular unit. They can be traded and exchanged like trading cards or business cards among military members.