Army Challenge Coin History

Where Did Army Coins Come From?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 41 million Americans have served in the U.S. military since 1775. The Army, established on June 14, 1775, is the largest and longest-running branch of the country’s military.

For over a century, soldiers have carried custom Army challenge coins. These historical coins are especially meaningful to Army veterans and active-duty Army soldiers alike.

So, what are the details of Army challenge coin history? Even the U.S. Department of Defense seems unclear about the origins of military coins. In 2017, the DOD posted an article called “The Challenge Coin Tradition: Do You Know How It Started?” on its website, but it has since been archived.

But it would appear you can trace Army military coin traditions back to World War I. At Embleholics, we’ve dug into the past to discover where challenge coins originated and their place in the U.S. Army.

What Is an Army Challenge Coin?

Before we dive into Army challenge coin history, let’s ensure you know what Army challenge coins are. Even though they’ve been around a long time, not everyone is familiar with Army coin heritage.

Army challenge coins celebrate a person’s time in the Army. They feature images, words, and emblems that symbolize a specific soldier’s service. They often feature unit logos, mission names, or a soldier’s name and rank. Commanding officers regularly give them to soldiers who’ve done something above and beyond their normal duties.

Many types of Army challenge coins are available today, including:

• Army Airborne Challenge Coins
• Army Ranger Challenge Coins
• Army Special Forces Challenge Coins
• Army Infantry Challenge Coins

You can also explore our challenge coin manufacturing options to see different sizes, finishes, 2D and 3D artwork, edge details, cutouts, and other ways to customize a design.

What Is the Story Behind Army Challenge Coin History?

The origin story is murky.

However, all indications suggest Army challenge coins first appeared during World War I.

Legend has it that the first Army challenge coins surfaced in the mid-to-late 1910s courtesy of an Army lieutenant overseeing a squadron of volunteers. He reportedly created solid bronze medallions displaying his squadron’s emblem to build morale. It boosted morale and may have also saved the life of one of the squadron’s soldiers.

This soldier was in a plane that sustained serious damage from ground fire. He had no choice but to land the plane behind enemy lines, and when he did, German soldiers quickly captured him.

The soldier escaped German captivity a short time later and fled to a French outpost where he thought he would be safe. But French soldiers suspected he may be a saboteur and sentenced him to death. It wasn’t until he showed them his Army challenge coin that they believed he was an American soldier and not a threat.

The soldier eventually returned to his squadron and told his fellow soldiers what happened. As the story goes, they all vowed to begin carrying their Army challenge coins at all times from then on.

This also helps explain some challenge coin rules and the challenge-and-response tradition.

How Are Army Challenge Coins Used Today?

As noted above, soldiers primarily used these coins to identify themselves. As challenge coins evolved, they became the center of a lighthearted game many soldiers enjoy.

The game goes like this:

1. An Army soldier approaches a fellow soldier and asks to see their challenge coin.
2. The other Army soldier either shows their challenge coin or reveals they don’t have one.
3. The second Army soldier buys the first soldier a drink if they can’t produce their challenge coin.

Army challenge coins are also used today for promotions, retirements, deployments, unit anniversaries, changes of command, reenlistments, awards, training milestones, and other important moments in military service.

Order Custom Army Challenge Coins Here

Army challenge coins have a storied history and are as meaningful today as they were generations ago. Embleholics is a veteran-owned and operated company with experience creating custom challenge coins for military units, organizations, and individual projects.