# Challenge Coins



## SafetyPro2 (May 27, 2005)

Just curious if any of your agencies award challenge coins to your members?

For those who don't know, challenge coins originated in (and are still quite popular with) the military. They're usually awarded for some sort of recognition (completing a training program, promotion, recognition of exemplery service, etc.) The challenge aspect is that in a bar, if you lay down your coin on the table, everyone else has to produce their coin. Anyone who can't buys the drinks, but if everyone lays one down, then the original challenger pays.

They seem to be gaining popularity with fire, police and other emergency agencies (though less so with EMS it seems).

The DMAT team I belong too has issued them in the past and is planning on getting some new ones made up. They're awarded to members who successfully complete the entire NDMS training program. I've been thinking about suggesting the idea to the FD as well.

I don't have one of my "own" yet, but I have started collecting other fire/EMS related ones (mostly military, but a few from FDs).

This is an example...one from another DMAT (in Florida) from my collection.


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## ECC (May 27, 2005)

Usually the 'nosers' get it though.


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## MedicPrincess (May 27, 2005)

Hey..that one you have from DMAT-1..thats the DMAT I am looking at joining once I pass the state test.


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## TTLWHKR (May 28, 2005)

What is a challenge coin? I still don't get it.


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## SafetyPro2 (May 28, 2005)

Here's a good overview of challenge coins.

Wikipedia - Challenge Coin

The one I posted the pictures of is fairly typical. They're usually 1 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter and adorned with official and/or unofficial "unit" crests and logos (or like the one I posted, the logo of the unit on one side and the larger "parent" organization on the other).


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## usafmedic45 (May 29, 2005)

Does it count if you have your own challenge coin?  :lol:


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## rescuemedic7306 (May 29, 2005)

Where can you get them? (to buy I mean)


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## MedicPrincess (May 29, 2005)

> _Originally posted by rescuemedic7306_@May 29 2005, 10:09 AM
> * Where can you get them? (to buy I mean) *


 E-Bay..

Search Challenge coins...

I did a quick search, it brought back 1628 items found for challenge coins


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## rescuemedic7306 (May 29, 2005)

My bad....I should have said: where can you get them to buy for your organization, and are they expensive?


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## MedicPrincess (May 29, 2005)

Google Search..

Custom Designed Challenge Coins


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## rescuemedic7306 (May 29, 2005)

Thanks!


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## usafmedic45 (May 29, 2005)

I'll try to find the contact info for the people that did my coins for me.   

My coin was from when I was in the Air Force- all the colonels who held command positions and generals had their own coins so I decided that I (as an E-3, Airman First Class who really didn't like the military) needed my own to trade.  There's an Airman's Association chapter on every base and I decided with a group of my friends to found a group we called the Dirtbag Airman's Association (the DBAA) because that's what the commander called any airman who didn't want to be in the service.  I was the first chapter president of the DBAA and as such I had a coin struck.  Note: I really wasn't a bad airman, I just didn't like being in the service and decided to have some fun with my situation.

On one side of the coin (which was 2 1/4" across) it had the words "Dirtbag Airman's Association"  above a very dissheveled looking cartoon airman (hat on backwards, saluting with the wrong hand, holding a bottle of booze in the other) and the words "Andrews Air Force Base Chapter" below.  On the back it had a "core values" of the DBAA around the edge-  Amusement First * Profit above all else * Mediocrity in all we do"  Those are a corruption of the Air Force core values of "Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do).   In the center of the coin there was an upside down set of Airman First Class stripes and the words:
A1C Stephen R----------
Founding  Chapter President
Andrews AFB DBAA


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## ECC (May 29, 2005)

That is funny right there...I do not care where you are from!


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## SafetyPro2 (May 29, 2005)

Sometimes, you just have to poke some fun at your situation to stay sane. Been there myself a few times.


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## usafmedic45 (May 30, 2005)

The funny thing was the Chief of Staff of the Air Force (his daughter was one of the ER nurses at the hospital with me so he used to stop in and see her from time to time) traded me one of his coins for one of mine. He was like "That's the most unique coin I've ever seen.  Would you like to trade one of yours for one of mine?" Only thing he said about my "attitude" was, "At least you are having fun with your situation Airman."    :lol: 

"Yes sir, that I am."   :lol:  :lol:


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## FFEMTMIKE (May 30, 2005)

I am Active Duty Navy stationed here in Egypt and have about 200 of them but really cant find a good way to display them with both sides showing. Any ideas?  Also I dont have any PD,FD,or EMS ones and I am willing to trade my Military Unit one for some.

Mike


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## SafetyPro2 (May 30, 2005)

> _Originally posted by FFEMTMIKE_@May 30 2005, 03:01 AM
> * I am Active Duty Navy stationed here in Egypt and have about 200 of them but really cant find a good way to display them with both sides showing. Any ideas?  Also I dont have any PD,FD,or EMS ones and I am willing to trade my Military Unit one for some.
> 
> Mike *


 There's a number of displays for sale on eBay at any given time. Some of them have slots that you set the coins vertically in, so you can kinda see both sides.


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## DrParasite (Apr 21, 2014)

*Bumping an old thread instead of creating a new one*

Does anyone have coins like these?  my FD made them up, and I'm looking ot try to trade them for EMS agency ones to get an EMS collectoin started.

in case you don't know what they are, I am attaching pictures of a coin I am willing to trade from my collection


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## hitman196 (Apr 23, 2014)

I used to have a coin that looked like this and may get a new one to keep with me just as luck. 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/271338503336?lpid=82


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## CFal (May 6, 2014)




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## ally926 (May 6, 2014)

This sounds like a great way to reward medics. I'm at a university, and this would be a great way for us to show appreciation.


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## Meursault (May 7, 2014)

CFal said:


> (snip)



I was just pulling that up.


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## rails (May 7, 2014)

SafetyPro2 said:


> Just curious if any of your agencies award challenge coins to your members?
> <snip>
> The DMAT team I belong too has issued them in the past and is planning on getting some new ones made up. They're awarded to members who successfully complete the entire NDMS training program. I've been thinking about suggesting the idea to the FD as well.
> <snip>



We have awarded them based on merit / special acts.

I really like the idea of awarding them based on completing various advanced training programs.


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## maxchallenge coins (Aug 13, 2014)

I really wanted to do a build thread, but I forgot to take pics. So this is more of a beginning and end thread.


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## Milton (Aug 13, 2014)

The only time I ever saw a Challenge coin was when I asked my EMT Instructor (back when I was in school) who was a firefighter if he had ever seen one or heard of them being used. He thought about it for a bit, then he produced a FD Challenge coin from his wallet with some difficulty as it had been there for some time, and showed it to me. He explained that he kept it in there since the fire academy and never used it, as he would use his fire ID badge instead. So they are definitely out there, but mostly for fire and police not so much for EMS agencys in my personal experience. Though it would definitely would be cool if more EMS agency's used/ gave them out. Thanks for starting this thread, its interesting.


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## AtlasFlyer (Aug 31, 2014)

We got one the day we started academy. It lives in my jewelry box with my high school class ring, flight attendant wings and [airline] company seniority pins.


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