5 Effective Way to Make Custom Challenge Coins


Militaries to civilians, everyone in this era is gazing at the custom challenge coin, in order to make their identity worthwhile. Although the process of making custom challenge coins is still unknown for most people. The importance of this coin was first felt back in the World War I when there was nothing but a challenge coin to honor the great soldiers. So, it’s important to know the effective ways to make custom challenge coins in order to pick the right one for your need.  So, let’s hear out the steps without any further ado,

Following are the vital steps performed under creating a custom challenge coins. Let’s take a look,

Preparing Mold for a Custom Coin

Firstly you need to prepare a mold for a custom coin and that begins with CAD (Computer-Aided Design). CAD here uses the artwork that you define as a blueprint of your custom coin. Once, you allot the blueprint, custom challenge coin experts upload all the information gathered from the client to the CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing). Afterward, the experts design that blueprint and hand it over to the client for a review. All the custom challenge coins made in usa follows the same process.

Strike the Die

Don’t get confused with die. A die is sometimes signified the custom mold coin. At this phase, the mold coin is struck to artwork stamp of either brass or silver. However, to give this artwork an extraordinary finish, you’re required to have a custom shaped cutter. If you have the custom shaped cutter, then you are ready for the vital step with the die striking which we call wire EDM process.

Coin Edge Cutting Process

Scared of the coin look? Don’t worry, it will be match the one with your blueprint only but before that let’s deburr the coin, as coin striking & stamping process might have created some sharp ridges over the surface of mold coin and that can be a bit risky for your hands. So, don’t deburr the surface of the coin without gloves.

Color Filing & Metal Plating the Coin

The making process of metal coins stage subsumes two steps; one is color filing and the other is metal plating. Well, the order of performing the steps may differ but that will depend on the type of challenge coin metal. Soft metal coin first can go through metal plating and then color filing whereas, hard enamel coins can first go under color filing and then to metal plating.  And as mostly the soft metal coins are preferred the most.

Engraving of Design via Lasers

Once the coin is molted, stuck and well furnished, it’s still not ready for the market without the engraving phase. The laser engraving adds an outstanding look to the coins. And you will fall in love with the shine and glossy finish it gets after the engraving is done. Even after the die striking stage, we left with small details that still don’t match the blueprint, you allotted. So, in order to get over all the small detail, laser engraving is done.

All the custom challenge coins made in USA follows the same process to ensure its effectiveness and shiny finish. You can use the coins to boost employee’s morale or honor a certain soldier for the bravery, and so on. There is variety of usage of these custom coins. Even companies can promote their brand name engraved on the challenge coins. So, it can be used as promotional equipment too.