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Military challenge coins are small, customized medallions bearing a unit's emblem that symbolize camaraderie, identity, and appreciation across the armed forces.                                    

Ancient and Early Roots

• Roman Empire: Some historians trace the earliest concepts to Rome, where soldiers received special coins featuring a legion's insignia as a reward for exceptional service or bonus pay.

• Renaissance and 17th Century: European rulers minted portrait medals for loyal service, and French Protestants carried communion tokens to identify each other during times of religious persecution.  

World War I Legend

• The Flying Squadron:  The most famous origin story dates back to World War I and an American flying squadron (often associated with volunteer pilots before the U.S. officially entered the war).     

• The Saved Pilot: A wealthy lieutenant had bronze medallions struck with the unit's emblem for his men. One pilot was shot down behind enemy lines and captured by the Germans. Stripped of identification, he managed to escape during an artillery barrage and reached French forces. Mistaken for a spy or saboteur, he avoided execution when a French soldier recognized the squadron emblem on the coin he carried.

Evolution in Later Conflicts

• Korean War: The oldest physically verified modern unit coin dates to the Korean War (1950–1951), belonging to the U.S. Army's 17th Infantry Regiment commanded by Colonel "Buffalo Bill" Quinn.    
• Vietnam War: The tradition accelerated sharply among Special Forces and other units, where coins became powerful markers of elite status, shared danger, and unit identity.

• The "Coin Check": The popular off-hours bar ritual—where a member slams down a coin and demands others produce theirs or buy a round of drinks—grew widespread during the Vietnam era.

Modern Tradition

• Handshakes and Recognition: Today, senior leaders and commanders across all military branches use challenge coins to quietly and directly reward excellence or welcome visitors, often palming the coin during a traditional handshake.

Challenge coin etiquette centers on carrying your token at all times, handling challenges fairly, and exchanging coins through a discreet handshake.

The Golden Rules of the "Coin Check

• Always Carry Your Coin:  You must keep your organization's coin on your person at all times. A challenge can happen anywhere and at any time.

• How to Initiate:  A challenge (or "coin check") starts when someone draws their coin, places or slams it on a hard surface, or holds it aloft, loudly declaring a coin check.

• The Response Window:  Everyone challenged has a short window—typically 10 to 15 seconds—and is allowed one step and an arm's reach to produce and show their coin.

• The Penalty:  If you cannot produce your coin, you must buy a round of drinks or a meal for the challenger and anyone else who successfully produced theirs.

• The Challenger's Risk:  If every challenged person produces their coin, the challenger must buy the drinks for the group.

• Never Hand Over Your Coin:  Do not physically hand your coin to someone else during a challenge; holding it up or placing it down yourself keeps control of your property.           

Giving and Receiving Coins

• The Secret Handshake:  Traditionally, presenting a challenge coin to someone is done via a covert handshake, with the coin concealed in the palm of the giver's hand.

• Quiet Acceptance:  When you receive a coin in a handshake, accept it quietly and pocket it immediately without drawing unnecessary attention or loudly inspecting it right away.

• Show Respect:  Do not drill holes, alter, or deface your challenge coin. Treat it as a symbol of camaraderie, not as a belt buckle, bracelet, or cheap trinket.

References;    

 Wikipedia    Challenge coin – Wikipedia          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenge_coin

U.S. Department of War (.gov)        The Challenge Coin Tradition: Do You Know How It Started?

https://www.war.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/article/2567302/the-challenge-coin-tradition-do-you-know-how-it-started/

 Cristaux International      12 Essential Rules of Challenge Coin Etiquette | CRISTAUX

https://www.cristaux.com/blog/challenge-coin-etiquette/

 Department of Public Safety – Syracuse University

History of the Challenge Coin - Department of Public Safety – Syracuse University

https://dps.syr.edu/law-enforcement/history-of-the-challenge-coin/

 Military Coins USA            Challenge Coin Etiquette: How to Give and Receive Military Coins

https://www.militarycoinsusa.com/blog/challenge-coin-etiquette-how-to-give-and-receive-military-coins