Opinion
We don’t just collect challenge coins, oh no it’s goes way beyond that. We do in fact honor them for the beauty, distinction, memories, activities they represent, the people they enshrine, and for many other reasons. Challenge coins are fast becoming a staple in today’s collecting world be admired in local newspapers, national magazines, and even on national news like NBC Nightly News. The coins themselves multiplied by the hundreds of thousands each year tend to make their mark on each collector in form or fashion.
One of the coins I honor so much that stays upfront in my collection is the U.S. Challenge Coins’ challenge coins. You have seen it, the one plated in black nickel. Sure I would pick this one you might say but really if you look at the history and the meaning you can surely understand why this coin is the most valuable to me. Do you know our company history? Well, let me give you a brief overview real quick. I started my coin company in 2003 via patch sales. I started with a $20 without any kind of outside seed money. In 7 years I have accomplished a multi-million dollar value in our company and that coin was the result of almost 3 years of development.
So I honor this coin because it’s a symbol of the 20 hour days, the years of struggling to get a profit from selling on eBay, being laughed at for starting a challenge coin company, and much more. This coin is not only has its own level of badassery, but manages to capsulate everything I have gone through to be the company we are today.
Of course there are certainly other coins in which I honor greatly but none that match the struggle that I went through for 7 years. So think about which coins you honor the most. Which is the coin that if you lost today you would be saddened by? Everyone has one coin they truly appreciate and cherish. If by some chance you don’t have one yet then you are bound to get one before you know it. I am one of many collectors’ that have the passion to be called a challenge coin collector. Many share this same feeling and I hope if you don’t have that already then you will before to long.
That’s right, it doesn’t matter where, how, when, why, or anything else that you might think. We are ready, and ready right now! We will make coins for anything you can imagine. We have made coins from making fun of an individual to less than appropriate. I can’t even count how many phone calls I got that were awkward…well not for me. I am use to hearing it all. Some of the more famous coins I think we have done are an even split between the Ammo guys and the EOD guys. I honestly believe it’s a healthy competition to see if we really make coins for anything.
Challenge coins have all kinds of extremes though. I can remember one complaint I received through email from a woman that disagreed with us selling (showing) a couple challenge coins on our site that seemed a bit adult and asked us to take them down. We of course didn’t but it shows the taste of some creators and the obvious following they bring to other collectors. I could have declined to do their order, censor their wishes, and not have done coins for anything. I couldn’t have that though.
I firmly believe in fun and coins that go to extremes from the normality we have grown accustomed to. Just look on eBay at all the cookie cutter coins. Don’t be fooled though, people are scooping those coins up. So I suppose the point of this to help encourage those designers out there that design anything let us mint your anything and let’s create something awesome together. Like I said, we are ready, and ready to mint whatever you can bring to the table. I only ask one thing though; please make it awesome so we both have something to brag about!
What makes black nickel plating one of the most awesome plating’s ever? Well its simple, it’s black and hardly anyone ever uses it which means it’s not over used like brass. Everyone has a brass coin in their collection. How many people can pull a black nickel out of their collection? I have direct access to almost 4,000 different coins and I think I can pull three black nickel and two of them I design which is the SR-71 coin and the U.S. Challenge Coins company coin. So as you can see that 3 out of 4,000 is one very slim margin. That’s less than .00075% of my collection!
So not only is black nickel special to me but I have found it’s very special to many collectors out there as well looking for a unique and special coin to add to their collections. Minting wise I love it because it’s a perfect alternative to black paint and really brings out the features of a coin like the SR-71 coin. There are so many unique ways to make your coins stand out and this is just one simple way to make your coin one that people take an extra look at.
Now, I have shown you how special the plating is but with excellence comes risk and here is no different. If you are thinking about getting some black nickel plating done on your coins then you have to think wisely and probably get a second, or even a third opinion about it. See you can’t just pick any design and put it as a black nickel coin. No, only special designs can take this plating because it needs 3D, design, and character to make use of it. If your coin has grading and dips, crevasses, shadows then it’s a great start. Black nickel needs light to hit it all over to really bring out the uniqueness.
So black nickel can be very awesome when used right and when you see a black nickel coin take a second look and see how they achieved the look and feel of such plating. I think you will agree with me that it really is a special type of plating!
I was talking with a few Ammo guys the other day and they were talking about the size of challenge coins (I swear, for once we had a clean conversation). One of the guys was completely against a 2” coin and wouldn’t even consider a 1.75” coin. He felt it was so overwhelming big that he wouldn’t even carry it. His preference was 1.5” or less and wouldn’t put anything bigger in his wallet. He wasn’t even petite so it surprised me but I am not judging him for liking small coins, I mean I believe they are adorable too. Ok I jest a bit, but this conversation drove me to think about a normal coin size and what is normal period when making coins. I have seen so many types of coins made that I don’t even think there is a normal anymore. So I decided to think of them in 2 classes:
Coins that Carry
I personally carry a 2” coin because that’s what I am comfortable with (the Official U.S. Challenge Coins coin). Now I deal and collect coins so I am happy to be putting down a serious piece of metal when I am at the bar. I am an exception though and I believe most people refuse to carry something precious and something bigger than 1.75” to the bar for a challenge. Most people are comfortable with a nice brass or minimally colored 1.5” that isn’t worth but a few bucks. This is what I called a carrying coin. These are up for the abuse and eventually you know they are going to win any awards…just beer.
Coins that Display
These are all coins and it doesn’t matter what size or design. These are each and every coin you come across. However, with this you are not going to normally put a scratched up coin that you play within your display (or perhaps I am wrong on this). Generally when I think display coins I am talking about coins that are 1.75” or larger and are of good design. I like to show off my special coins, you know, the ones that really shine or scream,”Come take a look at me!”
So while I felt that Ammo guy had every right to think that having his coin produced at anything larger than 1.5” would prevent him from carrying the coin; I think he is wrong. The size should never dictate what you do with it. However, I firmly believe that 1.75” is the right size. Like me thinking the other guy is wrong for his belief, you should be saying I am wrong right now. The fact there is no right answer. The point really is that you should have a coin on you and it’s as simple as that…especially if you are around me.
In the hobby of trading challenge coins no other area has exploded like police challenge coins. We see this everywhere and are thrilled that it has exploded the way it has. People are trading from coast to coast and traders are seeing their collections expand like never before. We such a huge network of police coin collectors it’s no wonder why this is working so very well. Even here at U.S. Challenge Coins we did a police coin trade in our very own trading section and it went well. We traded a LAPD coin with a retired police officer in Malta.
So what does this mean? It means a few things. The first is that challenge coin trading is very much alive and it should be. These coins are becoming a staple in today’s collecting hobbies. The second is the coins are expanding outside of the military in a major way and all kinds of organizations are finding it to be a great tool to making people happy. The third reason is that people are actually talking and communicating with each other about their coins and helping each other build bigger collections.
In the hobby of challenge coins we need a way to become more united, more synchronous, and more interactive about the coins we love and collect. We need a bigger area for this and more ways to become connected. U.S. Challenge Coins has become a leading site on the internet over the last few years in building that relationship with collectors through the forum, trading area, and overall site content. Today we stand ready to serve police coin collectors and any other collectors around the world.
Come and get involved and see how you can improve your collecting by simply joining and seeing what our site offers. You will find that thousands of people are looking to trade here, but until you post your trade you will never know. As we posted the first public trade we had offers in minutes. Our traffic is some of the best traffic on the web and we want to put that to use for you. Come collect your police coins and when you are ready, come and trade them right here!
Get ready, get set….whoooa. Hold on now. You seen a great collection or some video online and now you are ready to dive head deep in building your own collection. Let’s take a look at what challenge coins are first of all. They are brass, bronze, or some alloy blank that is die struck or cast (yuck) just like a country’s currency. They symbolize a place, event, person, or thought. For the most part each is pretty awesome. They are handed out by a person which is what many collector’s say are earned. They can be purchased, and certainly can be traded.
Now real quick as a note: There are a certain amount of people that call foul about buying coins. They say they must be earned. We appreciate the dedication on the level they play but completely disagree on the basis that it is impossible to a wide variety coins based on that criteria. Many people after 20 years of service would boast a 5 coin collection if that was a rule.
Ok back on target now. Where can you find coins to buy, trade, or earn? Well if you are reading this then U.S. Challenge Coins is the biggest place to start. We have more coins listed than eBay or anything other site out there. Next you can find many sellers on eBay to include us as well. Amazon is very slim with only two sellers and we are one of them. You can try trading boards which we have setup for our members to trade away. Currently there are no other trading boards that exist. There are several other online stores like Mall of Coins, Challenge Coin Auctions, and other listed in our link section.
Ok so you have the basic information on where to find them. Next let’s see how to display them. You can make your own wooden racks or take a look at a challenge coin display from elsewhere on the internet. There are wide varieties to choose from and I am confident in writing this you will find the right one. You can also box them in protective cases, or put them in a velvet bag or something.
Once you figure out your display situation you are probably going to ask somewhere down the line how much they are worth. Well some people seek out Delta or SEAL coins, perhaps high ranking official coins. To them those coins are worth the most because that’s what they collect. Some people might value NSA coins more than a Presidential coin. The point is there really is no coin value to speak of. Mostly it’s loose guides and hearsay that drives the sellers and buyers. People decide what they coin is worth by buying the coin and at what price.
So going through this we gave you some ideas of what a challenge coin is, where to find them, how to find a display, and how much they can be worth. This is meant as a very basic overview of the coins and make sure you check out our other articles on challenge coin collecting.We all get to a point where we might feel like we hit a wall in coin collecting. Perhaps all the coins we have seen are the same ones we already have. Maybe you aren’t feeling like the collecting is accomplishing anything. You sit and buy coins and you have no outlet in sharing your awesome collection of coins. I know this and I think many collectors in the challenge coin hobby have been down this road before. No doubt if you haven’t been there you will eventually unless you prepare yourself for this feeling.
So if you know that one day it might come that you think you just want to sell off your collection or you just don’t have it in you take a look at some great opportunities to get yourself back into it all like when you received your first coin. There are two ways that we will discuss here. The first is joining a community of other collectors and share what is going on, new things, and even connect with real people when you are traveling. The other is broadening your horizons on where you look for coins. Just picking up new coins on eBay can be cumbersome. Everyone has the same things over and over again with maybe one or two new coins a month being thrown in the mix.
So let’s look at the community aspect. There are several really great outlets to join and discuss challenge coins. There is the largest forum on the net at U.S. Challenge Coins, there are opportunities to talk and trade right at the Challenge Coin Trading Site, and the Challenge Coin Forum. You have several other avenues if you look hard enough. Being among friends can help your experience and develop you into an even better collector. You get to explore new avenues and hear about the latest and greatest things in the hobby and even get some personal feedback about all things.
By missing these chances to grow you are destined to become bored and under developed with a passion that has no reason to dither away from lack of interest. A forum or message board is a great fix. In many cases I personally have met other collectors in person because of the forum. Some people are looking to connect with collectors like them and you could be missing out on so perfect opportunities.
The second and probably the biggest common mistake is people will hop on a place like eBay and be flooded with some of the most common coins that are always for sale by the same people. There are of course new entries from time to time. Most people on eBay get the retail coins from the same wholesalers so you are left with lackluster choices that could be avoided by expanding your search for coins up for trade or sale just by using Google. To most collectors Google is something unknown. Some of the best coins never go up for auction. In fact most great coins are on actual websites.
Take a few minutes and search Google for some challenge coin stores. The only time I recommend using something like eBay is when you find a website you know carries their coins on an auction site and you want to try to get it cheaper. Besides that one reason exploring the web is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Make sure you explore past page one in the search results for even more hidden gold. I think you might just be surprised of what is out there.
What you think you know about coin racks might be more limited than you think. Most people don’t take the time and really find something that fits them or their unique style. Most people just go to eBay and see what’s available for them. There is nothing wrong with doing just that, however, as you and your collection grow older you might want to really look for something special that will really set your coins apart from others. When you have reached the point of a solid collection then it might be time for you to take a look at possibly getting a custom coin display.
Custom coin displays gives you an opportunity to really put your coins into a finely made wooden coin rack and that’s when you know you have gotten something very special. The difference between the average display that was machined in some overseas shop compared to a teak coin display made from the finest rainforest wood is truly incomparable. You pay more for the custom but the wood and quality you walk away with is indescribable in many ways.
We used to provide a custom coin display service; however, it had to be discontinued until we can find another way to provide the service. Even without us being able to build you that something special we can tell you how to find a site that does give you that high quality display. We can tell you what looks good and what doesn’t. Don’t pay big bucks for low quality stuff and that’s the biggest lesson we can teach you.
So what woods to look for? Well there are too many to even think of mentioning here. First and foremost I am a red oak fan, or a mahogany fan. I like hardwoods with character and color. Anything with a polished surface with a red tint in the grain is what I am usually after. I’m not going to lie though, my dream display is a purple heart wood. It’s very expensive and very difficult to work with in the shop. My father always told me know which could be the reason I want one so badly. Now the ones I stay away from: Oak, Pine, Maple, Ash, Plywood, or really anything you can find right off the shelf at Home Depot or Lowes. Not that it’s bad wood per say but those build average displays. I want to be able to show off some showroom coins in a showroom type of displays.
Some sites out there that might want a word with me for saying their displays are lower quality because they stock their wood from those locations. Please don’t email me, all I am saying is that those woods are for regular displays. I am talking about upscale displays right now. I feel your concern and in fairness we sell displays from overseas factories that are machined so we are even. Look, I even built a Pine display that holds 600 coins just for the NBC Nightly News Shoot in December of 2008. That thing is awesome, but it’s not my dream display and that’s what I am after.
Before you decide on what to get for your coin sled, do yourself a favor and find a small wood store. See if they carry rare woods, and if they say yes go and check them out. Go find out what each wood is then if you can build one do so. If you can’t then find someone who does incredible work and commission your display. After you get your display finished please send me a picture so I can stare at it in envy. After that we can highlight is on the site and really get your rack on the net for all to see.
A visit to the embroidery factory gave me hands on perspective of what has developed around the world and not just in the United States. We often just provide a straight embroidery service when making patches for our customers but now we can that changing throughout this year and couldn’t be more excited about it. See woven labeling has been a staple in the garment industry for a long time and when we produce our jerseys and t-shirts we have our custom woven labels made also. They hold very fine detail unlike an embroidery patch. In fact if you look at a Tommy Hilfiger t-shirt you will find a woven label as your t-shirt tag.
Now imagine the high detail you can put into your unit’s patch or police department’s patch by going to a woven patch. I seen it personally and I will say it is breathe taking by any standard. We often pride ourselves on the high quality our coins bring to the table and for the first time we foresee doing the same thing in our embroidery. Just imagine a High Definition patch! The possibilities are limitless and this is on serious feature we are going to introduce in the second quarter.
I think the best part was seeing that the woven label and the embroidery patch became a hybrid in some instances. Create the label them embroidery right on it to bring something bold out. Even the edge can be an embroidered edge and not just over locked like you see mostly on a police patch. If you are looking into a custom made patch we highly recommend checking out what a woven patch can do for you. Get the detail that you deserve and turn a “that’s a nice patch” into a “wow, that’s a serious patch”!
Woven Badges will be coming in April 2010 at U.S. Challenge Coins.
The Misconception Base
A lot of collectors, coin makers, and coin sellers have a misconception of price and quality when it comes to challenge coins, pins, and other military collectibles. Some people cannot connect quality and price together when it comes to a low price. For some reason in the U.S. we are stuck in the mindset that when you pay more you get a higher quality. This is a shame in the essence that people that want to make a custom coin will search for the highest price because they think it’s going to be an awesome coin. This is simply not true. You should see a portfolio of coins when looking around and never base a coin purchase on price alone.
We often get the comparison to companies that have been around for more than 20 years like NWTM, or other American mints. Longer does not mean better, it means they have done more over time. When you shop with a company that has been around a long time and has done Presidential coins and high ranking military coin you can know one thing; they make these coins because when tradition was set they were the only ones around. There is nothing wrong with these companies, but to choose them on how long they have been open or company size does not mean you will have to best coin at the end.
Middle Man Syndrome
Many small companies or start up eBay sellers are middlemen selling for larger factories as salesmen. They do not mint the coins, they don’t do artwork, and they are a mouth piece to make a commission. How does paying the middleman help you get a better coin? Facts are you should be looking for a place that will handle your artwork directly, walk you through a minting process, and support you through the entire process. The biggest challenge coin companies in the world that make some of the oldest coins hire or source out their sales department to bring in jobs they otherwise would not get on their own through a site or storefront.
Stagnant Shopping
A common theme in custom coin making is that people mint with who they think is the best for what they are looking for at the time. People shop around for custom coins based on price, quality, what Google pulls up, word of mouth, and who they always minted with. The ladder is the most common in the higher tier of government coins and high ranking military officers. They have only heard of a couple companies that make coins during their long careers and don’t shop around. Also some of the longer running companies have stores in the areas that these people work in so it’s in a way lobbying for their business directly. This is an awesome way to build one heck of a portfolio and I wish we could do it also, however we would have to pass that cost to our customers and we would rather not.
Some of our target audiences in collectibles don’t shop around. The aides and friends of these people do it for them in some cases and they take the easy way out because cost is of no regard to them. High cost means it’s what the President or General is looking for is what they will get. In some cases they are going to get a high product for high cost. Challenge coins are a tough niche to build a solid business on. A company better put out great customer service and product to grow.
Last Words on Shopping
Don’t believe the propaganda out there on whose making coins where, or even who’s been in business longer. Look at what counts which are samples, portfolio, personal touch, degrees in art, experience, and other important factors when making a coin. You should see if the site you’re shopping on is informative, does it look like an overnight fly by site, can you contact the person easily, or can find support easily. These are all very solid questions and frankly there is hardly any sites out there that give you this.
Here, take this as a last word…if you don’t want to shop with us then ask us to send you somewhere that will take care of you. Think of us like progressive insurance, no matter where you go we don’t want you to be short changed.
Contact Us
Have an Issue?
Got a Comment?,
Just need help?
Call 1-888-700-7022 or email us.