This was not a coin order on its own. The New Mexico Professional Firefighters Association ordered a coin and matching cuff links together, built on the same Maltese Cross and the same logo, which is a different way of thinking about what you are buying.
Ordering a Matched Set
Once artwork exists for one item, it can be used for several, and that changes the arithmetic.
The design work is already done. The largest part of the effort on any custom piece is settling the artwork, and that cost does not repeat when the same design goes onto a second product. Adding cuff links to a coin order is not the same as commissioning cuff links from scratch.
Different items suit different occasions. A coin is handed over; cuff links are worn. For an association with a formal calendar of banquets, memorials and installations, the two serve genuinely different purposes rather than duplicating each other.
And a matched set reads as a program rather than a purchase. An organization whose coin, pin and cuff links all carry the same mark looks like it has a visual identity, because it does.
What does not carry over is the minimum. Minimum quantities differ between products, and cuff links, lapel pins and keychains are each quoted separately from coins, so ask about all of them in the same conversation rather than discovering it later. See a matching association lapel pin and a matching association keychain for the same approach.
The Maltese Cross as a Coin Shape
The pieces are built on the Maltese Cross rather than a disc, which is the most natural custom shape in the fire service.
It is the symbol, so the shape does the identifying. Nobody needs to be told what a Maltese Cross means in a fire context. Using it as the outline rather than as a device printed on a round coin means the piece is recognizable before any detail is read.
It has a usable center. Unlike a star, whose points eat most of the outline, a Maltese Cross has a broad central area where a logo sits comfortably. The arms frame it rather than competing with it.
Two production points. The cross has eight points, and like any point they are the parts that bend, so slightly rounded tips are both traditional and sensible. And the notches where the arms meet are concave, which concentrates stress during the strike, so softening them very slightly is standard practice. See custom shaped challenge coins.
A State Bird on the Reverse
The reverse carries a sculpted relief of the Greater Roadrunner, New Mexico’s state bird, painted a blueish gray.
This is the right solution to a problem every statewide organization has. An association covering a whole state needs to say which state, and the options are a name, an outline, a seal or a symbol. A name has to be read. An outline is flat and, for some states, not distinctive. A seal is dense heraldry that loses its detail at this size. A symbol is a shape, which is what a coin wants.
Sculpting it rather than printing it is what makes it work. A bird in relief catches light across its back and casts shadow under the tail, which gives the reverse a presence the logo side does not need to compete with. One face graphic, one face sculptural, is a reliable way to divide a two sided piece.
The muted blue gray is also a considered choice. Against the red, black and white of the logo side, a soft neutral keeps the two faces from shouting at each other.
Why Associations Order Coins
A professional firefighters association is a labor organization representing paid firefighters and other public safety workers, and it sits in a different position from a single department.
Its members work for many different employers. A department coin represents one station or one city. An association coin represents something its members share across every department in the state, which is a harder thing to put on anything else.
It has a formal calendar. Conventions, officer installations, memorial services, legislative days, awards and scholarship presentations. That is a recurring set of occasions.
And membership turns over. New members join continuously, which makes coin orders recur rather than being a single purchase.
Challenge coins came from military tradition and were adopted by the fire service, where they carry a similar weight of honor, camaraderie and recognition. The Maltese Cross itself stands for honor, courage and sacrifice. See more firefighter challenge coins and a volunteer firefighter challenge coin.
Order a Coin and Matching Pieces
Professional artwork is free with unlimited revisions, and nothing goes into production until you approve a digital proof. Standard production runs about 45 to 50 days after final artwork approval, rush production is available on many projects, and shipping within the continental United States is included. Embleholics is veteran-owned, SDVOSB and registered in SAM.gov.
Two things worth doing in one conversation. Ask about every item you might want at the same time, because minimum quantities and pricing differ by product and the artwork only has to be settled once. And if your association’s logo is held under a national or state body’s rules, confirm the use before ordering; we produce from artwork the customer is authorized to supply. Request a free quote to begin.
Coin Back
Coin Front
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a firefighters association coin?
It is a coin made for an association of firefighters rather than a single department, usually a statewide or regional body. It represents what members share across different employers, which is something a department coin cannot do.
Can a coin be shaped like a Maltese Cross?
Yes, and it is the most natural custom shape in the fire service. The symbol does the identifying before any detail is read, and unlike a star the cross has a broad central area where a logo sits comfortably.
Do the points of a Maltese Cross coin break?
They bend rather than snap, and slightly rounded tips are both traditional and practical. The concave notches where the arms meet matter more, since they concentrate stress during the strike and are usually softened very slightly in artwork.
Can we order cuff links or pins to match our coin?
Yes, and it is more economical than ordering them separately, because the artwork only has to be settled once. Minimum quantities differ by product, though, so ask about every item you want in the same conversation.
Are the minimums the same for coins and other products?
No. Cuff links, lapel pins and keychains are each quoted separately from challenge coins, with their own minimums and pricing. Raising all of them at the quote stage avoids a surprise later.
How should a statewide organization show its state on a coin?
A state symbol, such as the state bird or animal, usually works best. A name has to be read, an outline is flat, and a state seal is dense heraldry that loses its detail at coin size. A symbol is a shape, which is what a coin wants.
Why sculpt one side and keep the other flat?
Because it divides the work. A sculpted element catches light and casts shadow, giving that face presence, while a graphic logo face stays clean and readable. One face to identify, one face to look at, is a reliable split on any two sided piece.
Why do associations reorder coins?
Because membership turns over continuously and the calendar repeats. Conventions, installations, memorials, legislative days and awards all recur, so a coin becomes a working stock item rather than a one-off purchase.
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