Military challenge coins have been a staple in the military for decades. Legend has it that a pressed bronze coin saved an American pilot’s life in World War I by identifying him as an ally of French forces.
However, not every military challenge coin is the same. Some coins are much more valuable than others based on how and why they were issued. The following is a rank-by-rank list of challenge coins military officers and veterans take pride in:
Medal of Honor Recipient Coins
These coins are usually issued to recipients of the Medal of Honor. It is given to active and retired service members.
Military School Coins
Military school students can be issued with challenge coins upon graduation.
Military challenge coins have been a staple in the military for decades. Legend has it that a pressed bronze coin saved an American pilot’s life in World War I by identifying him as an ally of French forces.
However, not every military challenge coin is the same. Some coins are much more valuable than others based on how and why they were issued. The following is a rank-by-rank list of challenge coins military officers and veterans take pride in:
General Officer Coins
General officers purchase and issue these military challenge coins to troops with outstanding achievements.
Unit Coins
These are custom military challenge coins branded with different units’ insignia and issued to troops who do something outstanding. There are four types of unit coins broken down by rank:
- Branch coins
- Divisional coins
- Brigade coins
- Battalion coins
Unit coins are less valuable than the first three coins because they are much more common.
Promotional Coins
These custom military challenge coins are engraved with company brands and issued to active troops and veterans to build brand awareness.
Significance of Challenge Coins in the Military
Ever since WWII, challenge coins have been used to identify service members. Active and retired military members now use them to connect, especially the coins issued to members who participated in specific missions.
