Challenge Coins

[bigjarofwasps]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me what a Challange Coin is for?

BJOW

[Ed_Haynes]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me what a Challange Coin is for?

BJOW

Making money for the people who manufacture them?

I cannot for the life of me figure these things out. Something between dumb and silly?

[Christophe]

What's the size of these ?

Are they table medals ? Or something you "proudly" display in the display cabinet in your office ?

Ch.

[Tom Y]

What's the size of these ?

Are they table medals ? Or something you "proudly" display in the display cabinet in your office ?

Ch.

They're about the size of an old silver dollar (Crown to Euros) and yes, they're table medals. Not sure what they're for other than use in Officers Club pi$$ing contests

Here's one I got from the late Ken Jasper.

[coastie]

check this link out it's one of many but consistant with the "rules" and history of challenge coins.

challenge coins

here are mine:

[Chris Boonzaier]

I read the link...

So... when you are captured... only yourname, rank and number... and the emeny will tell your unit from the coin you carry ;-) ....or do you swallow it before capture?

[coastie]

I read the link...

So... when you are captured... only yourname, rank and number... and the emeny will tell your unit from the coin you carry ;-) ....or do you swallow it before capture?

That's a poser isn't it? Maybe you're supposed to challenge the enemy to produce his coin and if he doesn't you're released?

[Laurence Strong]

Challenge Coins....You throw yours down on the bar at the mess....and the poor sod who does not have one buy's the round.

from the left:

The coin issued to me upon completion of my basic gunners course, and registred in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery Museum located in CFB Shilo (The Home Station of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery), A Bty issued coin (78Bty 20th Fd Regt), The coin issued by 3PPCLI upon completion of tour in 92/93

Edited April 3, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Laurence Strong]

The reverse of the coins. When everyone could produce a coin....then the BS started...my tour was....we had....and tended to result in a visit to the Vehicle compound, and worked out by the rules of the "Marquis de Knuckles"

In the Artillery, the #1's (Detachment/Gun Commander) are also fair game for their "Parallax shield", should a Bty Officer, especially the Bty GPO (Gun Position Officer, who's almost god on the gun position, except for the BSM) ask a #1 for his sheild and he can't produce...tend's to cost a round. A "Parallax shield" is used to bring the barrel and sight of a Gun together, a crucial piece of kit built out of the lid or base of smoke grenade can's.

Hope this helps

Edited April 3, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Doc]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me what a Challange Coin is for?

BJOW

In the US Army at least, they really started to be common following their introduction during the Viet-Nam war (I think originally in some of the SF units). The concept of a "challenge coin" was originally as noted by other members (see the link provided by Coastie, though I am not sure that story is actually true)-- a way to build unit esprit and get some free drinks. About 20 years ago, though, the concept moved way beyond unit pride ("See, I have the coin of my unit, and I'm proud of it) to almost an unofficial awards system. There are now coins not only for units, but for individuals-- I have seen Commanding General's Coins, Command Sergeant Major's Coins, etc. Although orginally I think they were used at Group (i.e. regimental for you Brits) level, they have metastacised, and I have seen sub-company level coins. They are given out as an unofficial "Attaboy!" to someone who has done well, or to a high-ranking visitor to your unit. Sort of like the old certificate of Achievement/Appreciation, but without any paperwork or need to have it approved at a higher level.

In my humble opinion (30 years in the US Army), they have become nearly meaningless-- sort of like wall plaques for units you have been in or visited. Souvenirs. Many people collect them, and try to get all the ones from a specific base or in a specific larger unit (e.g. Division)-- They sit on coffee tables, and some people have gone so far as to make/buy racks to show them off in.

So now they are sort of souvenirs and sort of unofficial awards (which can never be documented, as there is no paperwork and no records). Personally, I always preferred to get my deserving troops real awards, which would help them in their apprearances before promotion boards. Doc

[Dave Danner]

NO self-respecting soldier in a special operations unit would be caught dead without his challenge coin, but as noted their main value is winning drinks. They spread outside the special operations community and, like berets, are a device for esprit de corps, of which some are airily dismissive and others take some pride. To each his own.

These days, though, Ed is on track that many coins, like the ones BJOW illustrates, are like baseball cards, something made just to be sold to collectors.

Many units make a big deal out of ceremonies granting new members their coins, consistent with what I noted about developing esprit de corps, so these shouldn't be dismissed as mere tokens. And regarding coins given by commanders for various deeds, these do function as a form of award without the bureaucracy of the formal awards system. For example, I received the "Commander's Coin of Excellence" from the colonel commanding the 36th Engineer Group (Combat) for work I did developing intelligence on the Sava River bed, which the Group was tasked with bridging when IFOR deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina. I also received one from the Commanding General of the US Army Training and Doctrine Command for serving as a staff officer for the Army's Senior Leader Training Conference. Not "nothing" but not a really big deal either. My own unit coin, from 11th Special Forces Group (Airborne), is the one I always carry with me.

I would place little stock in enameled challenge coins unless there is some provenance (such as coastie's). Because they are meant to be carried, unit coins generally shouldn't have enamel since it tends to break off.

[bigjarofwasps]

Cheers Guys, well that answers that one for me. I was thinking about this thread after, I`d posted it. I have somewhere one I was given by some American Sgt Maj in Sarajevo in about 1996, I`ll see if I can dig it out. If I can find it I`ll scan it and post it on this thread. I remember all the guys throwing them on the bar and getting very drunk, funny how you forget things isn`t it, only to remeber then years later!! Anyway Someone might recognise the unit, and be able to tell us some war story or other about them . Thanks again guys

[Christophe]

Guys,

Thanks for the info.

Ch.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I was given one by an American colonel once..... thing was, he was a collector visiting me to see my then WW2 german collection.....

I assume the real meaning behind these is often lost... in a big way....