Storing and Caring for Your Challenge Coin Collection
Your challenge coins are a beautiful reminder of your service to the United States, to your company or fraternal organization, or to the world. They’re an important reminder of milestones in your career and the relationships that you have built. This is not an ordinary coin collection locked up in a safe deposit box somewhere. You want to put them on display, but how?
Who Collects Challenge Coins?
Military challenge coins were initially used to identify soldiers from specific units to sentries on the battlefield. When initiating a coin check, the soldier being challenged would produce a coin to identify his unit. While challenge coin history is rooted in the battlefield, their use has grown into a symbol of respect and service, traded freely between individuals from different organizations and often awarded to recognize exemplary service.
Challenge coins have continued to evolve, and are used by law enforcement, fraternal organizations such as the Masons, sporting teams, corporations or even individuals who mint their custom coins for sale or trade. We can help you design and mint your own unique challenge coins.
While there is a great deal of military etiquette surrounding the use of challenge coins, their broad appeal and use by hobbyists mean that there are no hard and fast challenge coin rules today. There is a thriving marketplace involving collectors from all walks of life all over the world.
How to Store Challenge Coins to Protect Them
Your coins should be stored away from heat, light and moisture. They should be handled rarely and gently, cleaned with a soft cloth with a solution that will not damage the enamels, metals and alloys that the coins are manufactured from. Taking good care of your coins will prolong their life and preserve their value. Be careful not to accidentally drop your coin while handling it. We have several products available to store individual coins, such as sleeves, boxes, pouches, etc.
There are albums designed specifically for challenge coins made by the US Mint, Dansco and others. These albums have rigid pages that allow viewing multiple coins on each page. If this method of display does not appeal to you, you could make your own.
How Do You Make a Challenge Coin Display?
A simple challenge coin display case can be made by placing them on a rich felt or velvet liner within a shadow box, under glass. Or, if you’re not “crafty”, you could purchase a veteran-made display online.
Whether you choose to purchase an album or construct one of your own, we recommend that you display your challenge coins proudly while protecting them from the elements.
