Air Force Challenge Coins
Challenge coins are available for all branches of the military, police forces all over the country, and many other organizations. The commemorative aspect of giving the coin exists for many reasons – for services provided or for membership for a period of time. The coins can be for many years of loyal service to a company. However, the main meaning behind the coins originates with the US Air Force.
Police Challenge Coins
Coin collecting has been around for many years. You might have started collecting coins when you were younger at the encouragement of your parents, you might still have a dusty book of them somewhere too. There are many types of coins to collect, you can start with your birth year and collect a coin for each year of your life or start with a centennial. It’s fun and it’s a great memory to pass on to your children. What type of coins you collect depends on what you’re interested in. The true collector starts with a certain theme and stays there.
Police challenge coins are special because they can be custom designed to reflect the departments attributes. Although some collectors are more interested in obtaining these precious one of a kind coins for collector reasons only other people think that it devalues them when civilians seek them as prize possessions without understanding the meaning behind the coins design.
Perhaps you’ve have had somebody in your family that has been in law enforcement. A police challenge coin can be a symbol of their hard work and dedication while on the force. Those who are lost in the line of duty can have a coin made in their name and their remembrance can be minted for those to keep and pass on to others.
The whole premise behind the term “challenge coin” is that a person who is in law enforcement can use their coin as a challenge. The coin is seen as a right to challenge others who walk the blue line too. A person who has a challenge coin can bring their coin out for show and tap it in a bar and those who possess police coins have thirty seconds to show their coins or they own the person a beer. It’s also a way to show your pride in your department.
Because coins last forever and can be handed down to the next generation for bragging rights they also encapsulate a time that somebody served and protected. Coins, unlike rings or badges, can be enjoyed by everyone who remembers them. Police challenge coins are created to keep the police force family as close knit as possible. It’s best to keep your police challenge coin on you at all times. There is a time and place to use it for a challenge, don’t make a rookie mistake and challenge it at the wrong precincts bar.
Police challenge coins can be made to highlight any department or agency. Those who want a special coin can design one that only a few people have and even though a collector might want one, they would not be able to obtain. Some coins are so rare that even some police departments only show them to each other as a symbol of brotherhood among themselves. Those coins will live and die with the owners.
Article By Frank Cassidy - Unit Coins