5 Fun Facts About the History of Challenge Coins

Challenge coins are something very vintage. If you have one in your possession, this could be because of multiple reasons. These coins often come from military origin but they can be seen as so much more than a keepsake from the war. Here are 5 fun facts about the history of challenge coins.

Fact 1: These coins are very valuable. Since they are were created such a long time ago, they are considered vintage. And since they are connected with the war and have such an interesting history, they are valuable. If you have a coin, you should make sure it stays in great condition. It can be worth a lot of money one day, if it isn’t already worth a lot of money.

Fact 2: These coins are an important part of American history. Back in WWI, times become very rough and extremely dangerous for everyone. In order to keep his unit safe, a wealthy lieutenant created bronze coins for the men to carry with them. This was to make sure that if they were ever backed into a corner with the other men, but did not want to give up their information, they could show the coin. This would show the other men that they were on the same side, and they would know to watch out for each other.

Fact 3: The coin quickly became a party trick. If you were at the bar with other members of your unit, you would pull out your coins to see who would be buying the current round of drinks. Someone would simply place their coin on the table and whoever pulled out their coin the slowest would be responsible for buying the drinks that round. These coins were still used for identification during these times, but the men decided to have a little bit of fun with it.

Fact 4: These coins were usually passed out by handshake. This would allow complete anonymity when handing out coins and no one around would think anything of it. You would simply shake someone’s hand and if they handed you a coin, you would put your hand in your pocket to stash it away for later. That would be the entire exchange. Nothing suspicious, no one would question it.

Fact 5: Every president, starting with Bill Clinton, has had a challenge coin. Presidential challenge coins are even more rare than challenge coins from the war, but President Clinton did have his own challenge coin. And Vice President Dick Cheney did too.

Evan Shaner