How would you feel about being part of a tradition dating back thousands of years? Every time you hold a challenge coin, you have a piece of history and tradition in your hands.

How did this tradition get its start, though? How have military challenge coin rules evolved over the centuries? Do modern militaries apply this tradition in ways their historical counterparts didn’t?

If you’ve ever seen or held a challenge coin, you owe it to yourself to know the history behind such an object. Keep reading for more on these commemorative markers.

Historical Military Challenge Coin Rules

The challenge coin draws on military traditions used by the Roman Empire in antiquity and across continental Europe during the Renaissance. While the coins of those eras lacked the fine details of modern coins, they served similar purposes.

In the Roman Empire, skilled soldiers received an additional coin alongside their wages for that pay period. This coin bore the insignia or name of the legion in which a soldier served. Some soldiers kept the coins rather than spending them.

During the Renaissance, military traditions merged with civilian religious life among Protestant Christians in France. These Christians, fearing infiltration by state spies, began to use their communion coins to answer challenges to their identity. This coin etiquette kept spies from infiltrating Protestant religious services.

Modern Challenge Coin Rules

Various stories from both World Wars serve as apocryphal origins for modern practices. The oldest known challenge coins come from the Korean War, however, when Colonel William Quinn had several coins struck for those in his infantry regiment. The challenge coin served as proof that those people served in his regiment.

The Coin Check

With the development of this military tradition came new armed forces customs surrounding the coin itself. The “coin check” serves as a playful challenge between possessors of army or navy challenge coins at bars and restaurants.

At any time, a possessor of a challenge coin in the company of fellow recipients of the same coin can initiate a coin check. Everyone involved must retrieve and present their coin within a specific time and without moving more than a certain number of steps. Common time limits include 15 and 30 seconds, while typical step limits range from one to four.

Losers of a coin check must buy an appropriate meal or beverage for the challenger. If everyone present shows the coin, the challenger must buy a round for the whole group. This game ensures that all unit members adhere to the challenge coin protocol.

Coin Etiquette

Different units have different rules for the treatment of challenge coins. Some common threads exist between all cases, such as not using the coin as a belt buckle or keychain charm. Recipients must also not drill holes in the coin.

A Long-Lived, Evolving Tradition

The military challenge coin rules have evolved from a reward for good service to a way of building camaraderie between soldiers. Rituals like these help encourage soldiers to bond and give them mementos of their service.

Interested in learning about challenge coins and other collectibles? Check out our history and lifestyle sections for more articles.