Challenge
Coins were first carried by pilots in World War I! A wealthy
lieutenant presented his fellow squadron members with gold-plated
bronze coins that bore the insignia of the squadron. One of the
recipients of the precious gift cherished it so much that he wore it in
a pouch around his neck.
One mission that pilot was forced to
land behind enemy lines and was captured by the Germans, who took
everything from him except the pouch with the coin inside. During
transport to the POW camp a British bombing mission allowed him the
chance to escape and evade into France where he came upon a French
patrol.
The French were going to execute the pilot
thinking that he was a German saboteur because he didn't have any
identification. Desperate to prove his allegiance, he produced
the coin from the pouch and showed it to the soldiers. One of the
soldiers recognized the insignia and delayed to confirm the pilot's
identity.
When the pilot returned to his squadron, the tradition
was born of carrying the coin on their person at all times. To
make sure that every member of the unit had their coin, the pilots
would challenge each other to produce their coin. If the
challenged person did not have their coin with them, they would buy a
drink for the challenger. When they did have their coin, the
challenger would be the one buying the drink. This challenge is
called a "coin check".
The tradition spread throughout other
squadrons and units and eventually into all the branches of the
military and other organizations. Today challenge coins are given
for special occasions, upon joining an organization, to celebrate
milestones and events, as awards, and as fundraisers.
There are
several great websites that explain about the history and traditions of
the Challenge Coin! Here are our favorites:
Wikipedia • Challenge Coin Association
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