Did you know that the custom challenge coin has roots going back to American soldiers during World War One? Designing and producing custom challenge coins is a great way to bring a team or a group of individuals closer together. These customized challenge coins signify that these individuals are part of something larger than themselves.
Creating a challenge coin design comes with a lot of responsibility as these coins have powerful symbolism for the groups that they represent. It’s understandable if you’re nervous about getting started with creating your favorite types of challenge coins.
The good news is that you’ve found the right spot to learn everything you need to know to start creating your own custom challenge coin like the Coast Guard coin. Keep reading this article to learn more today!
Consider the Challenge Coin’s Purpose
The first place that you should start when it comes to the challenge coin design is understanding the purpose of the coin. Take some time to think about the people that you’re designing this coin for. Many challenge coins represent an act of service or courage that is significant.
Even simple challenge coins have an important purpose behind them so you should never take that for granted. It doesn’t matter if you’re honoring a single act or a group of heroic individuals, you need to make sure that the customized challenge coins are living up to their purpose and the people that they’re honoring.
Sketch Out a Concept
If you possess good drawing skills then this is a great time to apply them. You can draw inspiration from other challenge coin designs or you can come up with your own from scratch. No matter which route you choose, it’s always a good idea to come up with a rough draft or a concept of what you want the challenge coin to look like.
Think about the imagery and the emblems that you want to display in order to honor the recipients. Colors and text are also important, so think about phrases that reflect the bravery of the people receiving the challenge coins. Phrases like “Semper Fi” for a United States Marine Corps challenge coin make a ton of sense.
Your custom challenge coin should be more than a metal coin with a logo on it. Consider different designs in the form of plating and unique patterns on the outside of the coin. The options for making these challenge coins personal and customized are nearly endless. These coast guard coins are a wonderful example of a thought-out challenge coin design.
Explore Your Plating Options
You should also dive into your different options when it comes to plating your custom challenge coins. The most popular plating options for customized challenge coins are gold and silver, but your options don’t end there. Other people prefer to go with polished finishes or antiquated plating designs.
The plating makes a big statement with your custom challenge coin design. It sets the tone for the rest of the design so you’ll definitely want to make sure that you get the plating just right.
The best coins for using plating are those that use few colors. Your plating choice will also determine if your challenge coins have a warm color tone or a cooler color tone. Think of the plating that you choose as the backdrop for the coin’s design.
Use Top-Notch Art
Once you’ve come up with a general theme or design idea for the challenge coin it’s a great idea to find a professional artist to help you get the fine details just right. The overall design will look much cleaner and more professional if you work with an artist with superior skills.
The professional designer will have no problem taking your design idea and taking it to a new level that will blow your team away. The colors will be precise and the design will pop out of the coin in a way that will put smiles on everyone’s faces. It will also increase your odds of getting the design right the first time rather than going back to the drawing board with a second edition.
Make Your Challenge Coin Local
Another great idea when you’re designing challenge coins custom is incorporating local landmarks and buildings. If you’re creating customized challenge coins for the local fire department then you should look to incorporate the firehouse into the coin’s design.
The same concept works well if you’re creating a challenge coin design for a business. You can make use of the company’s building as a focal point in the coin’s design since it is something that the employees at that business see as a symbol of their success. You can include text and symbols that are important to that company’s identity to accompany the building.
Double-Check Your Designs
You should also double-check your design to ensure that everything is exactly how you’d like it before you finalize everything and start producing these coins. The challenge coin won’t do the group or the business justice if it isn’t perfect or it features prominent flaws.
Think of your custom challenge coin as a written work of art. You wouldn’t want to submit a written piece that is filled with grammar and spelling errors. Always check the challenge coin design to make sure that it’s flawless before starting production. It’s more expensive and time-consuming to go back and redo a coin design when you could’ve checked your work to make sure that it was good to go.
Design Your Own Custom Challenge Coin Today
A custom challenge coin is a great way to grow the camaraderie of a business or a unit of individuals that are working towards a higher goal. Make sure that you put a lot of thought into the challenge coin design and try to incorporate local landmarks into the art. You should also make sure to double-check your design before making the coins if you want the best customized challenge coins.
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