Every custom challenge coin order starts with the same questions: what it will cost, how long it takes, whether 50 coins is really the minimum, and who needs to sign off on the insignia. This page collects every answer we’ve written, grouped by topic so you can find yours quickly.
Embleholics is a veteran-owned challenge coin company in Port Orchard, Washington, founded by a US Navy veteran. We design coins for military units, federal agencies, fire and police departments, and organizations across the country. These answers reflect how we actually work, including the details other suppliers leave vague. Don’t see your question? Ask us directly.
Cost & Budget
Custom challenge coins don’t have a fixed price. Size, quantity, plating, enamel, shape and add-ons all move the number. These answers explain what drives cost, where you can save without making the coin feel cheap, and what to expect at common order sizes.
Minimums & Small Orders
Our minimum for custom challenge coins is 50. That number comes from the cost of making a mold for every new design. Here you’ll find why minimums exist, what small sections and watches can do, and the minimums for our other products.
Timelines & Deadlines
Production takes 45 to 50 days after you approve your artwork, so the clock starts at approval, not at your first inquiry. These answers help you plan backward from a ceremony, deployment or change of command so your coins arrive on time.
Artwork & Design Help
You don’t need a finished design to order. Artwork is free, revisions are unlimited before production, and you approve a digital proof before anything is made. These answers cover what you can send us, from a rough idea to a photo of an old coin.
Permissions & Trademarks
Unit insignia, agency badges, state seals and company logos often need approval before they go on a coin. These answers explain who is responsible for getting that permission, what we can and can’t reproduce, and how to clear a design through your chain.
Choosing Specs
Most coins are 1.75 or 2 inches, though sizes run from 1.5 to 3.5 inches. These answers cover size, thickness and base metal, and how each choice affects the look, feel and price of your coin.
Choosing Plating & Finish
Plating sets the color of the metal, and the finish decides how the detail reads. These answers compare gold, silver, nickel, copper, antique, polished and dual plating, and explain how each holds up over years of handling.
Choosing Color & Enamel
Enamel adds color and changes how a coin feels in the hand. These answers compare soft and hard enamel, explain how we match exact brand and insignia colors, and cover when a coin looks better with no color at all.
Shapes, Cutouts & Features
A coin doesn’t have to be round. These answers explain custom shapes, cutouts, 2D versus 3D relief, edge options and built-in features like bottle openers. They also cover where a design may need adjusting to stay durable.
Personalization
Each side of a coin can carry its own design, and names, ranks, dates and serial numbers can make every coin personal. These answers explain what can change from coin to coin and what stays the same across a batch.
Packaging & Presentation
How a coin is handed over matters as much as the coin itself. These answers cover what packaging comes standard and the presentation options available for retirements, promotions and formal ceremonies.
Beyond Coins
The same design process works on more than coins. These answers cover belt buckles, bottle openers, keychains, lapel pins and fidget spinners, and how to carry one design across several products.
Reorders & Repeat Designs
Reordering a design is simpler than starting from scratch. These answers explain how repeat orders work, what can change between runs (such as color or finish), and how a reorder affects your cost.
Payment & Procurement
Custom coins are made to order, so paying for them works differently than buying off the shelf. These answers cover when payment is due, which methods we accept, and how purchase cards and purchase orders fit into the process.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping is free within the continental US, and we ship to APO and FPO addresses. These answers also cover international orders, delivery to deployed units, and what to expect once your coins leave production.
Government & Military Buying
Military units and government agencies buy differently from everyone else. These answers cover SAM.gov registration, what SDVOSB status means for buyers, the procurement steps involved, and how long a government order takes from request to delivery.
Quality, Risk & Guarantees
Your approved proof is the specification we produce to. These answers explain what our guarantee covers, what happens if an order arrives wrong, and whether you can see a physical sample before committing to a full run.
Choosing a Supplier
Not every challenge coin company is set up for unit, agency or department orders. These answers give you the criteria and questions to use when comparing suppliers, including what matters most for military and government buyers.
Trust & Legitimacy
Paying upfront for something that doesn’t exist yet takes trust. These answers show you how to verify a challenge coin company before you order, why custom work is paid in advance, and what protects you as a buyer.
Traditions & Etiquette
Challenge coins carry a long military tradition that now reaches well beyond the armed forces. These answers explain what a challenge coin is, the occasions coins mark in military, first responder, corporate and civic life, and the etiquette of giving and receiving one.