What Is the Standard Size Of a Challenge Coin? (2024)

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• March 26, 2023

Whether it’s a symbol of commemoration or a mark of comradeship, a challenge coin is an excellent way of immortalizing an event or a meaningful bond. Challenge coins come in various sizes, often determined by the text, image, budget, and purpose.

Standard Challenge Coin Sizes

Challenge coins are typically larger than monetary coins but are still small enough to fit into the palm of your hand and can easily sit in a pocket or wallet. Generally speaking, a 1.5 to 1.75-inch diameter is standard, with some services going up to 3.5 inches and beyond.

What Sizes Does The/Studio Offer?

Customized challenge coins created through The/Studio come in four sizes; 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 inches. Though we’re not talking about huge differences, the look and feel of a 1.5-inch compared to a 3-inch challenge coin is quite apparent, so you must get the right size for you.

Choosing the Right Size Challenge Coin

Purpose & Design

The first thing to consider when creating a challenge coin is what purpose it will serve and what kind of design it will have. Once these two factors are in place, we can consider the size and other customizable factors.

It all begins with purpose. Why do you want a challenge coin, and what do you hope to commemorate through it? Once you know this, think about the design you wish to create, perhaps a unit’s logo or another symbol of importance.

The complexity of the design will have a bearing on the size options available to you. The more complicated, with finer details, the harder it will be to fit onto a small coin. It will also make it harder for people to see what the coin is actually commemorating. If you have a relatively simple design, you’ll have all the size options available.

Amount of Text

This is a follow-on to the previous point. While an insignia might be easily recognizable even when small, tiny text can make the challenge coin, somewhat ironically, a real challenge to read. Ideally, you want your text to be small enough to look discreet but not too small that it requires a magnifying glass.

We recommend keeping the text to a minimum, but if you really need more, getting a slightly larger coin might be an idea. The good news is that our trained professionals always do this, and they’ll be on hand to advise you on everything design and size related.

The Shape of the Coin

Aren’t all coins round? Monetary, yes; challenge coins, no. The word coin may be slightly misleading because letting your imagination fly when creating your design is essential. This might include the planes reaching off either side or your high school logo in a cutout form. Wherever your imagination leads you, remember that this will also begin to affect the size of the challenge coin.

Finished Location

Once everything is done and dusted, where are you planning to keep your challenge coin? If it’s something you’ll want to carry around with you every day, a 3-inch coin can become a little burdensome but does look great in a frame hanging on an office wall. Conversely, a small coin is perfect for slipping into your pocket and barely noticing it all day but won’t significantly affect a wall.

Budget

It won’t be surprising to hear that large challenge coins cost more than smaller ones. This might be less significant if you’re only buying ten, but that difference will add up if you’re purchasing 200.

Ready To Bring Your Challenge Coin Idea to Life? Get in Touch

Creating your own challenge coin is the perfect way to commemorate an event or reaffirm one of those bonds in life that rarely comes along. You don’t need to be artistic, and we won’t ask for detailed sketches; sometimes, a simple image from the internet is all we need to get started.

The/Studio has been proudly serving customers worldwide for over 12 years now, and if there’s anything we know, it’s how to turn that hazy image you have in your mind into a challenge coin that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.