A coin check is the tradition the challenge coin is named for. One member produces their coin and challenges everyone present to produce theirs. Anyone who cannot pays the forfeit, traditionally a round of drinks. If everybody produces a coin, the challenger pays instead.

The rules as commonly observed:

  • Initiating. The challenger produces their coin, usually by placing it firmly on the table so it is both seen and heard. Some groups accept a verbal challenge.
  • Responding. Everyone challenged produces their coin. The usual convention allows a step or two to retrieve it, and reasonable judgement applies to whether it was genuinely on your person.
  • The forfeit. Anyone who cannot produce a coin buys a round for the group. If everyone produces one, the challenger buys for everybody.
  • Dropping a coin. Accidentally dropping your coin is generally taken as initiating a check on yourself.
  • Not negotiable. The forfeit is paid. Arguing it is considered worse form than not having the coin.

Rules vary between units, departments and organisations, and local convention always takes precedence over any written version. Some groups restrict checks to social settings, others allow them anywhere.

The underlying point is that the coin is carried. A coin in a drawer at home is not doing what it was given to you for.

See challenge coin rules or what a challenge coin is.