Challenge coins are often an honor to receive and come with many rules. One of the most important is known as a coin check. It involves challenging any other coin owner to show they have their coin. If the challenged person cannot offer their coin, they must buy everyone else in the bar a round of drinks.
Don’t Hand It to Anyone
Unlike other commemorative items, challenge coins represent a specific event or institution you’ve been part of. As such, they have a deep meaning to those who own them. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to find members who proudly display their challenge coin collections. It is because challenge coins are a symbol of accomplishment and unity.
Having Lone Star challenge coins is great for showing off your accomplishments and creating new connections. It’s not uncommon for challenge coin owners to start conversations with others with the same coin, leading to new friendships and business opportunities.
However, when it comes to challenge coin etiquette, there are some rules that you should always keep in mind. One of the most important is that you should never hand your coin to anyone. Instead, it would help if you placed it on a table or held it in the air so everyone could see it. Doing this will ensure clarity regarding who owns the coin and that your challenge is valid.
Keep It in Your Pocket
A challenge coin is an honorable symbol that deserves to be respected. It is best to always keep your coin on you, especially during a coin check. Coin checks can happen anytime; you never know when your coin may be called up. A person may shout “coin check” or slam their coin on the table, and then everyone with one must pull it out and show it off.
It is important to remember that challenge coins are not bracelets or necklaces, so they shouldn’t be worn in such a way. Drilling holes in the coin to put it on a chain or other adornment is also not a good idea. It violates the rules of the coin and makes it less meaningful to the holder.
Putting your coin down far from your seat is also a bad idea, as you might lose the game if it takes more than four steps to get your coin back within arm’s reach. It violates the rules of the coin, and it shows that you don’t respect it or its meaning.
Please Don’t Drop It
As a rule, you should always have your coin within arm’s reach. It is also important not to drop it, especially when challenged to a coin check. A challenge to a coin check is when someone calls out for everyone in the vicinity who has a challenge coin to produce it. It can be done by holding the coin up in the air, silently slamming it down on a table or any number of ways. Dropping your coin can disqualify you from the game and force you to buy a round of drinks for everyone else.
In addition, you should never make any alterations to your coin. It includes drilling a hole to transform it into a belt buckle or even wearing it as jewelry. It is an insult to the coin’s original purpose and shows a lack of respect for the coin’s traditions. These traditions originated from the military, but police departments, fire departments, NASA, sports teams and many others have adopted them.
Please Don’t Put It Down Far from Your Seat
If you’re in a room with people with challenge coins, avoiding putting your coin down far from your seat is a good idea. If you do, it will be easy for someone to pick up your coin and start a coin check. A coin check is a callout that allows any challenge coin owner to challenge anyone to prove they have their coin. If they do, the person with the coin must buy everyone a round. It’s best to place the coin on a table before you firmly. It is a great way to promote unity and camaraderie within the group of people with whom you’re hanging out. It’s also a fun way to spend time with friends. However, it’s important to understand and follow the rules of challenge coin etiquette to fully participate in this wonderful tradition. If you need clarification on the rules, it is best to ask one of your colleagues with a coin or even your boss to explain them.
Explain The Rules of The Game
To properly showcase a challenge coin, they must do so with the coin in their hand and the logo or design facing upward. It ensures that everyone in the group can see it and is a respectful way to show the coin. Handing a challenge coin to someone implies that you want them to have it. Instead, it would help if you placed it on the table or held it for all to see. If someone wants to examine your coin, they can do so but are honor-bound to return it to where it came from. Anyone new to a challenge coin group or ceremony must understand the game’s rules before participating. It will help to keep the game fair and uphold the camaraderie associated with these military traditions. It is also an opportunity to reinforce the importance of following these simple etiquette guidelines when showing off a challenge coin. A good way to do this is by thoroughly explaining the rules and requiring a full understanding before allowing them to participate in a coin check.