A Brief History of Police Challenge Coins

Challenge Coins originally became popular in the armed forces. While there are a few speculations on how it became popular amongst the military ranks, no one knows how the tradition came about. Since many U.S. Officers in law enforcement once served in the military, it seems only natural that the tradition of the challenge coin would follow them into law enforcement. As it is in the military, challenge coins are a way for members of law enforcement to show honor and appreciation for hard work, dedication, and sacrifice, commemorating those who have fallen in the line of duty and celebrating and remembering momentous occasions.

The Thin Blue Line

It is common to see the “Thin Blue Line Flag” incorporated into law enforcement challenge coins. For those unsure of what precisely this signifies, the thin blue line represents the line between life and death and order and chaos. It is this delicate, thin line that our officers serve to protect to maintain the balance of justice and order. It doesn’t just serve as a reminder of why they choose to put their lives on the line every day but also as a way of memorializing fallen comrades and honoring their sacrifice.

St. Michael the Patron Saint of Law Enforcement

St. Michael is the Patron Saint of Law Enforcement, so you will often see him featured in Law Enforcement Challenge Coin designs. Though not often depicted in the bible, St. Michael is essentially God’s right hand and thus fights evil and restores the light to a darkened world. Although he fights demons and wards off evil, he is naturally not violent. Like St. Michael, our law enforcement officers also fight to protect and maintain order while constantly avoiding violence. Moreover, he also represents the spiritual warrior within us and the struggle we fight internally as we wrestle with our demons daily. He is hope, he is freedom, and he is justice. Only those who would disrupt the balance of order need to fear his wrath.

Coins for the Communities They Serve

Law Enforcement Officers often patrol the same beat for years and as a result, grow strong roots in their respective communities. Police Departments often create challenge coins for community members in regards to efforts such as volunteering, fundraising, to bring awareness to an issue, or for doing good in the community. We often get design requests such as these and are always grateful to be a part of them. Knowing that the challenge coins we manufacture reward those that participate and contribute to their communities, gives us a strong sense of purpose. Not only do these challenge coins reward people, but they also strengthen the bonds between the communities and their local law enforcement departments. That is why we love what we do!

Celebrating Man’s Best Friend in Police K9 Units

Police K9 Units are essential in various operations such as search and rescue, drug enforcement, anti-terrorism, locating evidence, etc. They also protect their handlers and will selflessly give their lives to save others. They are loyal, carry out commands without hesitation, and work tirelessly without ever complaining. Their tremendous displays of loyalty, dedication, courage, and sacrifice cannot go unacknowledged. We know the hard work and sacrifices these pups make, so we ensure that it is reflected in the K9 Unit’s challenge coin design.

Partnering Up with Texas’ #1 Coin Manufacturer

There are plenty of reasons to partner up with Lone Star Challenge Coins. Not only are we Texas’ #1 challenge coin manufacturer with over 10 years of industry experience, but we understand our customers and know the products we design and create are a source of pride and honor to those who receive them. We understand this because we have either lived it ourselves, or have people close to us that have. Our sales manager is a USCG veteran and our art director has a brother that has been serving in the Army for over 12 years. Whether your coin is meant to reward excellence, commemorate a fallen hero, or to memorialize an event, we will work diligently to make sure that it’s importance shines through in your design.

Ordering Police Challenge Coins

It’s no question that law enforcement is one of the toughest jobs out there, and we personally feel all the people involved deserve to be rewarded and commemorated for their hard work and sacrifice. We’ve been making all kinds of law enforcement challenge coins for a long time now, and we love what we do. Whether you’re a government branch such as the DEA or a small local Sheriff’s Office we got you covered. We offer a 10% discount to all active and retired law enforcement officers on top of our already competitive pricing. Also, all shipping to the U.S. is free!

If you have a challenge coin you’d like made, or know someone that does, don’t hesitate to send in a free quote request. We’ll give you a free quote as well as free artwork showing you what your coin will look like. There is no commitment to buy and revisions are free! What are you waiting for? Get Started now!

March 28, 2024 No Comments

January 3, 2024 No Comments

J and jarren

10 November 2023

My class spent well over $9,000 on our class coins. First issue, they didn't get them to us in a timely manner. We received them barely in time for graduation. Second, they sent us coins with a misspelled word (brave) as seen in the picture. Third issue, a lot of the spinners came broken, also as seen in the picture. When I reached out to the company, they claim sending replacement coins out at a later date is rectifying of this situation. Very empathetic to the situation at hand overall. Not very professional at all, terrible business practices and they definitely will not receive future business from me nor any recommendations either. Zero stars

M. Wong

27 October 2023

I found this company last year after a recommendation from a friend and I've ordered several times now. What keeps me coming back is the high level of customer service and responsiveness in the projects that have been created. The work product is also great and the quality of the coins, detail and just overall, I am very pleased with. This is my GO TO shop now for coins. Please check them out, you will not be disappointed! PS. Big shout to Corbin for his amazing guest service!

Stephen Ryan

25 October 2023

This company is fantastic! I reached out to them to create a custom shaped coin with custom artwork that they had put together for me. The coins are a Veteran's Day thank you token for those who served at our company. We will definitely be returning for future orders. From start to finish, they were very open with communication, extremely fast to respond to concerns and questions, and lastly delivered something that blew us out of the water. Thank you so much!

Alejandra O'Connor

25 October 2023

I ordered challenge coins on behalf of my government agency. Lone Star was easy to work with and did amazing things with the graphics I sent. They turned the artwork around quickly and each time it was better than what we had hoped for. We did have several back and forth messages to get the coin exactly as we wanted it. Our representative was so patient with us and had excellent customer service. We also got the coins in the mail quickly. Working with Lone Star was a wonderful experience end-to-end.

Italy Mair

18 October 2023

Great service, great communication, and great products! Would definitely recommend them.

Rafael Moronta

13 October 2023

Amazing artwork.. aside from the product what I loved most of our experience was the flexibility to create a coin that’s exceeds your own expectations. Thank you guys so much for making the process seamless and affordable!

Tyler

5 October 2023

Absolutely fantastic company to work with. Communication was always quick, and the final product looked even better than the proof did. 10/10 would recommend!

ALISON BOLAND

26 September 2023

I engaged with Lone star challenge coins to make coins for my fiancé's celebration of life. I was pretty clueless about design, and they provided the perfect design. The coins arrived in time, and we were more than satisfied with the outcome. Their customer service was excellent as well. They guided me (held my hand) throughout the process, and were quick to respond. I cannot say enough about their product and company.

Debbie Avinger

26 September 2023

We are so grateful for the work Lone Star Challenge Coins did for our nonprofit fundraising event! They worked with our budget and gave us medals with ribbons and challenge coins that were better than we expected.

Dan Kiser

22 September 2023

Corbin was very combative when I explained that the design provided was not at all reflective of the requests that I provided on the Inquiry form. Based on the customer service alone during that 1 phone call, I am not inclined to pursue any business with this company. EDIT: I spoke to the owner, Mike, and he helped rectify the situation and framed it as a learning opportunity for his team. This is a good reminder that people make mistakes but first impressions matter.