Custom Challenge Coins
Design Yours Online or Get a Quote
Custom challenge coins carry your department's seal, badge or unit emblem in die-struck brass with hard or soft enamel, antique or polished plating, and an edge cut and numbering you choose. Owl Badges has been a US-based challenge coin maker since 1999, striking coins from the same badge and seal artwork it already holds for 5,000+ police, sheriff, fire, EMS and security agencies, so a department coin matches the badge officers carry. Orders start at 10 coins at $30 each and fall to $10 per coin in volume, with free artwork, a free proof and no mold fee.
- ✓ Production in about 4–6 weeks after proof
- ✓ Send your deadline and we confirm the timeline
- ✓ Quote requests answered 24/7
HOW IT WORKS
Creating a custom challenge coin is easy with Owl Badges
Pick a coin style or the badge we already hold for your department, choose the metal, enamel and edge, then request your free proof and department pricing.
Discover challenge coin styles for every unit
Browse police, sheriff, fire, EMS, security and unit coins, or start from the badge design officers already carry; any Owl Badges badge can be struck as a coin.
Browse Coin Designs
Design your challenge coin online
Lay out the seal, lettering, enamel colors and edge in the Owl Badges coin designer, or send your artwork and a specialist draws the proof for you.
Design a Coin Online
Order online or request a quote
Approve the free proof and order challenge coins by quote, credit card or purchase order when your agency buys on a PO.
Get Department PricingWhat You Get With Every Challenge Coin
Custom challenge coins built to read as your department's badge in the hand.
Design your custom challenge coin with the Owl Badges TrueBadge Designer™
Lay out your challenge coin in the Owl Badges designer: badge or seal, lettering, enamel colors and plating, right in your browser. Send the design with your challenge coin quote request and we reply within 4 hours with pricing and a free proof of the front, back and edge. No software to install and no account needed to start.
Buy custom challenge coins or get a free quote in 4 hours
Send your badge, seal, a sketch or an AI image. We draw the coin, front and back, and reply with a free quote and digital proof within 4 hours.
- ✓Free digital mockup
- ✓AI-generated designs welcome
- ✓10-coin minimum, no mold fee
- ✓Purchase orders accepted
- ✓Hard, soft or 3D enamel, seven platings
- ✓Send your deadline and we confirm the timeline
We reply to every quote request within 4 hours, 24/7.
How to design your challenge coin
A challenge coin moves from your badge, seal or sketch to an approved proof in three steps. Here is what your department decides at each one.
Start from the badge or seal on file
Most agencies put the department badge on the front of the coin and the seal, motto or unit on the back. Owl Badges already holds the badge and seal artwork for 5,000+ agencies; send a photo if we do not have yours, or pick any badge design from the catalog. The badge outline can set the coin shape: round, shield or a custom cut.
Pick the metal, enamel and edge
Antique gold or antique silver hides fingerprints and shows the relief; polished gold suits presentation coins; black nickel suits tactical units and memorials. Hard enamel gives a flush, polished face, soft enamel a textured one, and 3D relief sculpts a seal with no color. Choose a rope, wave or diamond-cut edge.
Approve the proof, then numbering and packaging
Two inches is the usual presentation size, 1.75 inches for everyday carry. Add sequential edge numbers for chief’s and sheriff’s coins, a date or motto on the back, and a velvet box or capsule for ceremonies; a PVC pouch is standard. Approve the free proof and production takes about 4 to 6 weeks, with the die kept on file.
Shop Custom Challenge Coins
Start from a coin style below — police, sheriff, fire, EMS, security and unit coins — then customize it with your badge, seal, colors and edge.
Custom Challenge Coin Pricing
Custom challenge coins start at $30 each at the 10-coin minimum and fall to $10 per coin at 500 or more, with no mold or setup fee. The price per coin drops at 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500, so a whole department costs less per coin than a single squad. Enter your quantity in the calculator below to see your price.
Prices are per coin for a two-sided, 1.75 or 2 inch coin in any standard plating; 3D relief, cut-outs and presentation boxes are quoted on your request. Pricing reviewed November 2026.
How many challenge coins should you order?
Every design starts at the 10-coin minimum and production takes about 4–6 weeks, so count everyone who receives a coin, then add spares for new members and exchanges.
| Use case | Typical order | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Command staff or small unit | 10–24 coins | A coin for each member of a small unit at $30 each; reaching twenty-five drops every coin to $22. |
| Station or shift | 50–99 coins | Coins for a station, platoon or academy class at $16 each, with spares for exchanges. |
| Department | 100–249 coins | A coin for every sworn member at $13 each, plus a numbered run for command staff. |
| Agency-wide | 500 coins and up | Coins for every member and the next two academy classes at $10 each. |
Challenge Coins at a Glance
What we recommend for a department coin
The best challenge coin for most agencies is a 2-inch, two-sided, hard-enamel coin in antique gold with the department badge on the front, the seal and motto on the back, a rope edge and sequential numbering for the chief’s or sheriff’s coins. Order 50 for a station or 100 or more to bring the price under $15 per coin, and keep the die on file for the next academy class.
Price Calculator
How much do custom challenge coins cost?
Custom challenge coins cost $30 each at the 10-coin minimum, dropping to $10 per coin once an order reaches 500, with no mold or setup fee, so the cost per coin falls at every tier in between. Production takes about 4–6 weeks after proof approval. Enter your quantity below to see your price.
Pricing on this page covers custom challenge coins for sale — die-struck brass with hard or soft enamel in any standard plating — and your quote confirms the price for the size, enamel, edge and packaging you choose. 3D relief, cut-outs and presentation boxes are quoted on request.
10-coin minimum · no mold or setup fee · production about 4–6 weeks after proof · your quote confirms size, enamel and edge · shipping quoted separately.
Challenge coin price ladder
| Quantity | Price per coin | You save |
|---|---|---|
| 10–24 coins | $30.00 | — |
| 25–49 coins | $22.00 | Save $8 / coin |
| 50–99 coins | $16.00 | Save $14 / coin |
| 100–249 coins | $13.00 | Save $17 / coin |
| 250–499 coins | $11.00 | Save $19 / coin |
| 500+ coins | $10.00 | Save $20 / coin |
Does ordering more challenge coins cost less overall?
Twenty-four challenge coins cost $720. Twenty-five cost $550. The price per coin drops to $22 at twenty-five, so adding the twenty-fifth coin takes $170 off the order total.
Every later tier works the same way: 49 coins cost $1,078 while 50 cost $800; 99 cost $1,584 while 100 cost $1,300; 249 cost $3,237 while 250 cost $2,750; and 499 cost $5,489 while 500 cost $5,000. With an academy class every year, spare coins at the next tier often cost less than the smaller order.
Outfitting more than the coin? See patch styles to order alongside a coin set, or lay out the coin face laid out in your browser before you request a quote.
Challenge Coins by Agency
Who orders custom challenge coins, and why?
Challenge coins are ordered by every agency that marks service, membership or an event with something officers keep, from the chief’s coin to the academy class coin. Police, sheriff, fire, EMS and security teams each use them differently.
| Who | Why it matters | Typical design | Finish | Ordered when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police departments | Chief’s coin, recognition and visiting-agency exchange | Department badge front, seal back | Antique gold, hard enamel | New chief, academy class |
| Sheriff’s offices | Sheriff’s coin for deputies and court staff | Star with the county seal | Antique silver or gold | Election, anniversary |
| Corrections | Facility and honor guard coins | Facility shield, unit crest | Antique silver | New facility, honor guard |
| Fire departments | Station, engine company and chief’s coins | Maltese cross, station number | Antique bronze, soft enamel | Station opening, retirement |
| EMS agencies | Crew recognition and save coins | Star of Life, unit name | Silver, hard enamel | Annual awards |
| Security companies | Contract and site recognition | Company badge, client site | Black nickel | Contract award |
| K9, SWAT and honor guard units | Unit identity and memorials | Unit crest, K9 name, memorial dates | Black nickel or antique gold | Unit formation, memorial |
| Schools, companies and clubs | Graduation, milestones, membership | Logo and year | Polished gold | Graduation, anniversary |
Finish follows the use: antique platings show relief and hide wear for everyday carry, polished gold for presentation, black nickel for tactical units and memorials. One die can be struck in more than one plating.
Reorders
How do I reorder or replace challenge coins?
Replacement challenge coins are struck from the die we keep on file for your department, so new coins match the first batch in size, plating and enamel, with no new mold fee.
Academy classes and new hires
Reorder from the die on file before each graduation, so every class receives the same coin as the rest of the department.
Promotions and retirements
Send the new rank, name or date for the edge and we proof the version before striking.
Lost or traded coins
Coins change hands at every mutual-aid call; keep spares at the next tier so the quartermaster is never short.
Seal or badge changes
When the badge is redesigned, the coin is struck from the new badge die and proofed before production.
Design Gallery
Challenge Coin Design Gallery
Every coin below is a starting point for your department — change the badge, seal, colors, plating and edge on your quote request, or design the coin online first. Challenge coins run $30 each at the 10-coin minimum and fall to $10 per coin at volume. Pick any design to start your quote.
More Coin Designs
More Police, Fire and EMS Challenge Coin Designs
Law enforcement, sheriff, firefighter, EMS, K9, SWAT, hazmat, wildland, harbor patrol and bomb squad challenge coins. Pick the design closest to yours, change the seal, lettering, enamel colors, plating and edge on your quote request or in the coin designer, and order from the 10-coin minimum with no mold fee.
Specs, Wear & Care
Challenge Coin Specs, Options and Care
Each specification below is a choice your department makes when it orders challenge coins — size, metal, enamel, edge and packaging are set on your quote request and confirmed on the free proof.
Challenge coin specifications
Which coin style for which use
Plan the coin by how it will be given: a presentation coin is seen in the hand and in a box, a carry coin lives in a pocket, an exchange coin is traded with other agencies.
How to clean and care for a challenge coin
Challenge coins ride in pockets and sit on desks for years, so a little care keeps the plating bright and the enamel clear. These are our care instructions as the coin maker.
How to store challenge coins
Every choice above is set per design and confirmed on a free proof, and the die stays on file so the next academy class gets an identical coin. Order from the 10-coin minimum, or request department pricing for everyone.
Custom Challenge Coins, Ordered Alongside the Badge
Challenge coins start at a 10-coin minimum, and production takes about 4–6 weeks after proof. Choose the next page by what the order adds: the pinned badge the coin is struck from, the same die as a lapel pin, or a stitched emblem for the duty shirt. Compare options for the dress-uniform metal badge a coin is struck from when the agency orders the badge and the coin from one design, pin-back versions of the same die for lapels for a smaller pin worn on the shirt or lapel, and stitched shoulder emblems for the duty shirt when the same seal goes on the sleeve in thread. One quote request can cover the coin set and anything ordered from these pages.
Shop Challenge Coins by Category
Order custom challenge coins for every unit, from patrol to the honor guard.
Police challenge coins
Chief’s coins, academy coins and unit coins struck from the department badge.
Sheriff challenge coins
Star coins for deputies, detention and court staff.
Fire and EMS challenge coins
Maltese cross and Star of Life coins for stations and crews.
Security challenge coins
Company coins for guard teams and client sites.
Unit and team coins
K9, SWAT, honor guard, dive and motor units.
Commemorative coins
Retirement, memorial, anniversary and graduation coins.
Unlimited Customization Options
Seal, badge, lettering and colors are laid out in the online coin designer or sent as your own artwork, and every challenge coin order gets a free proof you can share with command staff before production.
- Gold, silver, antique or black nickel
- Hard, soft or 3D enamel
- Rope, wave or diamond-cut edge
- Sequential numbering and engraving
- Cut-outs, bottle openers and two-sided dies
Reasons agencies order challenge coins
Coin orders follow the moments a department marks. These are the ones that start a quote.
Every moment above starts at the 10-coin minimum. The die stays on file, so next year’s class matches this year’s coin.
Start Your OrderHOW TO
How do I order custom challenge coins with Owl Badges?
Four steps: pick a coin style or your badge, choose the metal, enamel and edge, approve your free proof, and order from $10 per coin in volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the online challenge coin designer work?
What is a challenge coin?
How much do custom challenge coins cost?
Can I order challenge coins with no minimum?
How long does production take for challenge coins?
Hard enamel or soft enamel, which should I choose?
What sizes and thickness do challenge coins come in?
Can my department's badge or seal be made into a coin?
Do you accept purchase orders for challenge coins?
How do I reorder challenge coins?
What platings and edge options are there?
Can challenge coins be numbered or engraved?
What are the challenge coin rules?
How are challenge coins made?
Do you make challenge coins for fire departments and EMS?
Can I get a free proof before ordering?
Your badge, struck as a coin
Request department pricing for challenge coins, or design the coin online first and send it with your quote.
Get a Coin Quote
We believe everyone should have better options
| Compare | Offer Customization | Quality Products | Online Designer | 50% - 80% Bulk Discounts | Easy To Order | Seal Designer | Live Chat 24/7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owl Badges | |||||||
| Leading Industry Brands | |||||||
| Uniform Companies |
Agencies love working with Owl Badges
Beyond the coin?
Ordering patches or badges alongside the coin set?
This page covers challenge coins. Most agencies order them with the metal badge the coin is struck from and the sleeve patches on the uniform, and every patch construction, backing and use we make is in the full custom patch catalog — one quote request can cover all of it.
See every patch style →