Our graphics department is the core of what we do – designing and manufacturing great looking coins. We try our very best to get your coin design back to you as fast as possible. There are some things you can do to prepare our graphics staff so that your design shows up even quicker. Think of this as the foundation of your home, if the foundation is shaky It doesn’t matter how awesome the house is, sooner or later its going to fail. The same can be said about artwork and challenge coins. If your artwork is junk and then your coin 9 out of 10 times is going to be junk as well.

Images: Click GO CUSTOM and upload up to four images; one for the front of your coin, and one for the back. Try to make sure you send us the largest possible images so that we may extract the most detail from the image into your challenge coin design. If you have your artwork pre-drawn in vector or PDF format, this will greatly speed up the process. Extremely complicated challenge coins sometimes take up to 5 hours to compose (especially those with 3D requests). Vector artwork will drastically reduce this time.

3D: Many customers wish to have one or more elements of their custom coins manufactured using a 3D process. For this to be most successful, your image must be high resolution. Our 3D technique is unique to us – no other company renders 3D coins like we do, and while the process is very time consuming on our end, the end result is fantastic.

Worth The Wait: An average design submitted to us for proofing takes about 2.5 hours of work from our graphics department. A challenge coin with 3D included takes up to 4 or more hours. With the amount of requests we receive every day from customers, we may not be the fastest to get your custom design back, but we are willing to bet our artwork is superior. If you are in a rush, please indicate this on your request submission, or give us a call, and we can prioritize your project accordingly. You may want to read “How to design Challenge coins” for even more information.

Bigger Really Can Be Better: If you are looking to get the absolute most detail possible into your coin, consider some of the larger sizes. We are often asked to cram an enormous amount of detail into a 1.50” coin. Although we usually come up with a solution by simplifying certain details, in the end most customers are much more satisfied if the coin has ALL of what they wanted to see. There are times when a coin has so many detailed “parts” to it, that a larger coin is warranted. For example, military ratings combined with one or more 3D images and/or seals with small wording. If in doubt, you can leave it up to us and we will make your custom coin artwork at the smallest possible size to accurately fit your wishes.

Options and Delivery: Need your coins fast? Here are a few examples of options that will slow the delivery of your coins: epoxy, silk screening, edge engraving or numbering, complicated color schemes, dual plating, specialty edging, hard enamel challenge coins and offset printed images.

As an illustration, the challenge coin on the left will deliver much quicker than the coin on the right. This is due to the many colors and small spaces on the right hand coin that must be hand filled at our factory.

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are one of our specialties. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life. If your interested in making something awesome in metal, so hot you need glove to put it on your belt check out Pitch and Rudders Custom Military Belt Buckles.

Challenge coins, once only give by the military, are now designed for other government agencies and for the private sector. The main use of these attractive medallions is for identification and awards. Also called honor coins, they boost morale in an organization when they are given to individuals or teams who have shown outstanding effort in their field.

Custom challenge coins are made for police and fire departments as well as emergency rescue units to honor the people who risk their lives in the line of duty. Military coins have much more meaning than merely an award. To the person who receives it, or to the family of a soldier killed in action, they represent a symbol of the ultimate sacrifice.

There are certain characteristics that challenge coins should have. First of all, it needs to have the name of the group, unit or company that is awarding the coin. The graphic or design should be attractive and, if possible, inspiring. The style, symbolism and theme should be unique. The color should be suitable for the purpose of the coin. Other considerations are whether a mascot, logo or motto should also be on the coin.

Custom challenge coins also represent strong ties between scout troops, school and college associations, religious groups as well as groups that join together to save the environment, beautify a city or promote literacy.

Challenge coins may be worn around the neck, but are generally not turned into paperweights or coffee mug decorations. Traditionally, they should always be kept with the recipient as a coin and shown to anyone who asks to see it. They can be kept in a pocket or purse but not left on a desk or dresser at home. Members of a group who carry challenge coins can challenge another member to show their coin.

Whether challenge coins are given for extraordinary military service or for recognition of a job beyond the expectations of leaders in the private sector, they represent a specific action or time in the recipient’s life. They are cherished as a representation of acknowledgment from superiors as well as proof of belonging to a distinguished group

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are one of our specialties. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life. When your working with us, we want to be as transparent as possible if you’re looking for shirts, you are going to be working with Chuck’s and his Team, If you’re working with metal you will be working with Grady’s Team. If your interested in making something awesome in metal, so hot you need glove to put it on your belt check out Pitch and Rudders Custom Military Belt Buckles.

Challenge coins are now capable of being designed with different kinds of cutouts within the face of the actual coin. By adding these alterations to the typical coin, it is becoming a favorite choice among advertisers and challenge coin collectors. Thanks to the craftsmanship that goes into creating these coins, as well as their varied cuts and shapes, collectors and businesses have another great way to personalize their challenge coins.

THE SKILL BEHIND THE CHALLENGE COIN CUT OUT

The cut out challenge coin is a relatively new technique. Cut out challenge coins are defined by the fact that a single piece or multiple pieces of the coin are cut out or added to the design. The cut out effect brings a unique quality to the look and feel of the customized coin. Two of the most popular cuts include:

• The Bullet Hole Cut: This cut is used to enable the challenge coin to be attached to a chain or rope. Challenge coins can then be worn around the neck as jewelry, dangled from one’s pants, or even attached to a key chain. These new ways to display your challenge coins make them memorable, functional, and attractive.
• Cut Around the Full Logo or Insignia: By cutting out patterns around a logo or insignia, an added charm is brought to customized challenge coins. This kind of cut also gives emphasis to the purpose of the coin by focusing the viewer’s eye on the design. This style of cut out challenge coins is perfect for businesses that wish to use them to increase brand or product recognition.

CUT OUT CHALLENGE COIN SHAPES

There are various shapes that are available when designing cut out challenge coins. The customized cut out coin does not have to be round like the change in your pocket. Instead, it can come in wide variety of shapes, such as the following:

• Rectangular, pentagon, triangle, square, oval, etc.
• Protruding out of a basic shape
• Indented in from a basic shape

Customized cut out challenge coins have brightened up the pot by adding so much more variety to the standard challenge coin. The cutting technique adds a new dimension, a new appeal, and a new feel to a classic collectors item and promotional tool.

ORDERING CUT OUT CHALLENGE COINS

Businesses can order cut out challenge coins that are similar in shape to their logo or latest product. Athletic teams can have coins cut in a way that resembles a shape specific to their sport, such as equipment items and apparel. Organizations can use cut out challenge coins that are designed to commemorate a special cause or celebratory event, giving added meaning and collectability to the item.

With so many different cut out coin options available to you, the most important question to ask before ordering should be as to how you would like to see your customized challenge coins designed. We encourage you to contact us today, and one of our representatives will work with you to decide on the perfect cut out challenge coins design for your order.

PITCH AND RUDDER SERVICES

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are our specialty. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life. 

How many times have you been given a business card only to stuff it in your pocket or throw it away without ever giving it a serious look? Odds are that has happened more often than not in your lifetime. The truth is that the majority of these outdated cards get lost in wallets or pockets, or they are simply discarded.

A card’s design is often the determining factor in how effective it is in promoting a business. The more unique its appearance, the more likely it is to garner a second look. It is for that reason that many businesses are using such customizable items as challenge coins.

While the overall appeal and uniqueness of challenge coins makes them highly effective marketing devices, they alone still do not guarantee optimal conversion rates. There is no way of knowing whether or not the recipient of the challenge coin is going to visit your website or further familiarize themselves with your product or service upon returning home or to their office. In order to improve conversion rates, companies are taking their use of challenge coins one step further by adding QR codes to their surface.

QR CODES AND CHALLENGE COINS: A FRESH IDEA

QR codes, better known as quick response codes, are able to store large capacities of information that can be accessed in seconds. With the help of a basic application, potential clients can use their smart phones to access such data as hyperlinks, text, and even coupons that are stored in the QR code located on a coin. The QR code allows your clients to import your information to their smart phone without so much as a click of a button.

Challenge coins featuring QR codes were first used at a conference in Las Vegas when a business owner sought a way to stand out from the rest of the crowd. He created a coin with a QR code that stored his company’s information, as well as his contact data and website. Not only did his challenge coins capture the attention of other attendees at the conference, but also the QR code design enabled him to immediately identify interested customers and start the negotiation process.

With a standard card, you may have to wait days or even weeks to hear back from a client. In fact, your card may get lost among the countless others that potential client received during the same event. He or she may also have simply forgot about the deal or business proposition that the two of you had discussed.

By using challenge coins that feature a QR code with your contact information and any relevant company data, you can be sure that they will not get lost among the common forms of media given out by your competitors. Even more importantly, your potential client can use their smart phone to immediately access any details that may be influential in closing the deal.

With all the details they will need right at their finger tips, your potential client will be far more likely to move forward with a transaction. The details of your deal will be fresh in their mind, and because everything is there for them in the QR code, they’ll likely contact you first when it comes time to finalize everything.

The combination of the unique look and shape of the challenge coin, and the readily available information in the QR code provides for better conversion rates than you would likely see with other traditional advertising. As such, challenge coins featuring QR codes are the perfect option to supplement the standard business card as a means of effectively advertising and promoting your business.

PITCH AND RUDDER SERVICES

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are our specialty. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life. 

Challenge Coin Facts

Military challenge coins have an interesting history and can be used as reminders of special events or friends. Here are some facts you need to know about them.

Challenge coins can be offered by superior officers to members who are participating in a specific program or mission. These medallions are typically two inches wide and made of metal. It’s not uncommon for them to be traded between personnel and have seen an increasing popularity to commemorate events outside of the military.

If you’re new to the concept of challenge coins or if you’ve just received your first one, you should get to know what they’re all about. Here are six facts about military challenge coins that you probably didn’t know.

1. Military Challenge Coins Are Collector’s Items

Go to any flea market or military supply show and you’re sure to come across a few display cases worth of challenge coins. Every coin has its own story and they are often tied to the history of a particular mission, unit, or organization. Because they’re fairly easy to produce, offices can produce enough to distribute to every member.

While there are rare coins are made of solid gold, while others are made of cheaper brass or zinc.

Some coins will be rarer than others. This is fairly easy to discern from the content of the coin itself. If the coin commemorates an event or a unit you’ve never heard of, there might have been only a few produced.

Coins that are rarer will yield a higher value and carry a special premium to any collector who receives one.

If you know of anyone who was in the military, they might have a coin or two that are sitting and collecting dust under the bed. Ask around so you can start building your collection.

2. History Buffs Love Challenge Coins

If you or anyone you know has a deep love of history and military campaigns, challenge coins can be great centerpieces for conversation.

History buffs might know that military challenge coins were given out in ancient Rome after a soldier returned from a particularly serious battle. They were replaced with other symbols until the first World War where one rich lieutenant made them for his own unit.

During that war, one soldier rescued by American allies was assumed to be German or to be a spy. The only piece of identification he had was the bronze coin his lieutenant had offered him.

By presenting his coin, he was supposedly spared from death at the hands of his own country’s allies. This is what gave them the name “challenge coins” and made them a practical and powerful instrument in the fog of war.

3. They Are Expected To Be Presented

The instances of being presented with a challenge where you have to show your coin are rare and specific. To increase morale, troops decided to find other reasons to have to present them. One is a game where the last person to put down their military challenge coin on the table needs to buy the next round of drinks.

This comes from a German drinking tradition where one person calls for everyone to put a penny or pfennig on the table.

While there were still some instances where the coins would need to be used for identification, over time it became more of a morale booster. You could be a bar and suddenly hear a cacophony of slams and realize it’s time to slam your own on the table.

4. Coins Can Be A Recruiting Tool

Inside and outside of the military, challenge coins can be used to recruit new members. They are passed during a handshake to tell new members that they are one of the in-crowd.

They provide a symbolic representation of achievements and alliances to be made by joining a group. It could be something as clandestine as a secret society or something as important as a fire department.

Even though they were created to acknowledge the service of military staff, they are now used in civilian life for all kinds of recruitment efforts.

5. They Commemorate Civilian Events

Military challenge coins no longer need to be tied to war and conflict. They can be used by companies to recognize the achievements of their best sales staff. As the price to produce them has decreased, they can even be used for something like commemorating a stag trip or family reunion.

Even within the military, the exchange of coins is more tied to camaraderie and social networking than for their identifying purpose. You will still find some groups keeping up the tradition of the drink-buying challenge.

You now find interesting custom logos from organizations, corporations, and social clubs all throughout the challenge coin world. They can now be found honoring people who reach a special executive or cultural achievement as often as they’ll be given out within the military.

6. Most Presidents Have a Special One

Since the 1990s, presidents have been creating and handing out their own challenge coins. They will make one version available in gift shops and for the general public.

The last few vice presidents have also produced their own challenge coins to hand out in honor of some civilians.

If you ever get recognized by the president for your contributions to the country, expect to be handed one directly from them.

Military Challenge Coins Create History

When someone commissions a challenge coin for their company, association, or military group, they are creating a marker of history. Each person who receives one is known to have a special connection to the event or the organization depicted on the coin. This makes everyone involved feel uniquely tied to an elite group of people.

PITCH AND RUDDER SERVICES

Making custom quality challenge coins and Military belt buckles are our specialty. If you’re interested in getting a designing a custom buckle or Quality Challenge coin for your Division, Command, or Mess we’ve streamlined the process, click the get started link at the bottom of the page and someone from our design team will be with you within 48 hours to bring your vision to life.