A bottle opener challenge coin is a coin that opens bottles. A shaped lip and fulcrum are built into its metal, so nothing is attached and the design stays intact. The lip catches the cap’s edge, and lifting the far side pops the cap off.
How Does a Bottle Opener Coin Work?
A bottle opener needs two features. A lip catches the underside edge of the cap. A fulcrum behind it gives the coin a point to pivot against. Lift the far side and the cap pops off.
Neither feature can be decorative, because both take the full force of the lever. The metal around the opening has to resist bending. Thin parts of the design stay away from the point of leverage.
A coin that opens bottles also has to sit comfortably in the hand, so outline and thickness are settled together. Share your idea and we will tell you what works for your shape. Our custom bottle openers cover other shapes and formats too.
Visible Notch or Hidden Opener?
A bottle opener challenge coin can be built two ways. On a round coin, the usual method is a notch cut into the edge. It is easy to spot, and most people know it on sight. On a figurative coin, the opener can be worked into the body of the figure.
The USS Tortuga coin takes the second route. The opening sits in the lower shell of the turtle. Polished metal outlines it, so it reads as part of the shell. You can see a different approach in another bottle opener project.
A broad turtle shell gives an animal-shaped challenge coin room for an opening. A thin or spindly outline may not. So the choice depends on your design. A round coin suits a visible notch, and a figure with open space suits a built-in one.
What Else Can a Coin Do?
Many groups order a bottle opener or keychain alongside the coin, so one design shows up on several items. Custom metal keychains pair easily with a coin. Lapel pins and belt buckles are other places a unit can put its insignia.
About This USS Tortuga Coin
The Dry Tortugas, coral islets west of Key West, Florida, gave the Navy dock landing ship USS Tortuga (LSD-46) her name. Tortuga is Spanish for turtle, so the coin took that shape.
The ship’s First Class Petty Officers ordered the coin for their own group. Groups aboard a ship often order apart from the full crew, and our coins for groups aboard a ship show another example.
The coin includes:
- Shape: a green sea turtle with a head and four flippers.
- Flippers: fine scale texture cut into the metal and filled with green.
- Shell lettering: yellow text around the shell reads “USS Tortuga First Class Petty Officers.”
- Lower line: a second line along the lower edge reads “First There Were Firsts.”
- Insignia: the ship’s insignia sits at the top of the shell in blue, gold and red, with “LSD 46” beneath it.
- Edge: polished silver outlines the whole turtle.
- Opener: a working bottle opener built into the lower shell and framed in polished metal.
Three details needed planning. Narrow flippers leave little metal at the tips. The finished coin keeps all four at full length, with the scale texture cut into the metal.
Small painted detail sits on curved surfaces. Metal lines separate each color, which keeps the insignia and lettering readable across the shell.
The opener has to hold up to being levered against. Polished metal frames the opening and forms a solid working edge.
Start Your Navy Challenge Coin Design
Can a Ship’s Insignia Go on a Challenge Coin?
Ship crests and Navy emblems are official marks. Using one without authorization can bring legal trouble, even when the intent is innocent. Approval from the command usually comes first, so ask your chain of command early if you are ordering for a group aboard.
We build coins from artwork you are cleared to supply. Without a crest, we can still design around your group’s own identity.
Design a Coin for Your Ship or Group
Send us the shape and quantity you have in mind, and we will confirm what a bottle opener needs for your design. Artwork is free, revisions are unlimited, and you approve a digital proof before production starts.
Shipping within the continental U.S. is free. Most orders finish 45 to 50 days after artwork approval, and rush production is available. Embleholics is veteran-owned and SDVOSB registered in SAM.
Begin with a free quote. For more Navy designs, see our custom Navy challenge coins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a challenge coin be a bottle opener?
Yes. The opener is a shaped lip and fulcrum built into the coin’s metal, so nothing is attached. The coin keeps its design and opens a cap like any bottle opener.
How does a bottle opener coin work?
A lip catches the underside edge of a bottle cap, and a fulcrum behind it gives the coin a pivot point. Lifting the far side pops the cap off.
Can the opener be hidden in the design?
On some shapes, yes. The opener can sit inside part of a figure, such as a turtle’s shell, with polished metal outlining the opening. The shape needs open space in the right place.
Can a coin be made in the shape of an animal?
Yes. A coin can follow an animal’s outline, as the USS Tortuga LSD-46 coin does with a sea turtle. Narrow parts such as flippers need careful planning, and the artwork proof shows the result before production.
Are bottle opener coins thicker than normal coins?
They can be. The metal around the opening has to resist bending, so thickness is planned along with the design. Thickness depends on the design, and we will confirm what works for yours.
Do bottle opener coins cost more?
They can, because the shape and the working opening add complexity. Pricing depends on size, shape and quantity, and every quote is free. Send us the details and we will price the design.
Can a ship’s crew or a group aboard order its own coins?
Yes. A group aboard a ship can order its own coins. The USS Tortuga LSD-46 coin was made for the ship’s First Class Petty Officers.
What is the minimum order for bottle openers?
Minimums for bottle opener coins depend on the shape and design. Tell us the shape and quantity you have in mind, and we will confirm the minimum for your project. Artwork and quotes are free.
More Navy Projects
