Several medallions or coins bearing the sign of an organization are distributed among the employees so that to enhance the brotherhood and camaraderie relation in between them. These are especially made use of by military units to allow recipients owe allegiance to the unit and their unwavering and unflinching support to the organization. These are proved to be best for lifting the drooping optimism of the members of the unit.

Origins

According to the popular belief, the tradition of army challenge coins started in the United States Air Force when a wealthy lieutenant got coins made of bronze and distributed them among other members of his squadron.
These air force coins were quite expensive as being plated with gold. One of the pilot used to wear it at the chest on the leather pouch. At the time of WWII, Germans caught this pilot. But then because of the bombardment of British on the camp, the pilot got a chance to escape and then he reached the French patrol. They took him as the agent from German and were planning to kill him, then he took out the army coins and showed it to prove his identification and allegiance.The sign over the coin saved him as the Frenchman recognized it. When the survived pilot came back to his base he told the whole story to other members that how army challenge coins saved his life and so after that this trend got famous.

There are several other stories relating air force challenge coins that brought positive results. These army coins became so famous in short time that various other units also acquired this trend and start making and distributing them among its members so that to boost their morale. Now this trend is not only limited up to the military organizations but others have also adopted it, also the students' leagues and organizations have also started distributing the coins among the members so that to boost up the morale.

You can judge the popularity of these army coins and air force challenge coins by noticing the flaunt of these army coins at the back of President Bill Clinton or Barack Obama's Oval Office desk. Obama displayed these coins at the Fort Hood shooting commemorating slain soldiers.

The tradition of challenging
The passion related to these air force coins has somehow thinned now but the importance is still at the same place. The custom of army coins was designed inventively so that to make it sure that every member of the organization carry these army coins. The member was asked to purchase the drinks who don't be able to produce the army coin. However the challenger has to purchase the drinks if the other member produces the coin, to whom he challenged.

The members place these army coins and medals at their chest pockets to show their pride feeling. Though these army challenge coins are said to be earned but these days usually people purchase them at auctions so that to save them as collectibles.

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