Custom Challenge Coins

RED FLAG #1 — THE 10-14 DAY DELIVERY MYTH
If you see “10–14 day delivery” (or anything like “delivered in 10 days or less”), stop immediately. This is the biggest lie in the challenge coin industry and the signature move of companies that rely on marketing gimmicks instead of craftsmanship. Real challenge coin makers know that true custom work takes time, precision, and approval steps that cannot be rushed. Promises like “10 days or less” exist for one reason — to hook unsuspecting buyers who don’t know any better. This single red flag prevents more buyer regret than any other. RUN. DON’T WALK!

RED FLAG #2 — ZERO MILITARY BACKGROUND
If a company hides who they are, never shows their owners, and can’t prove any military background, that’s not transparency — it’s a warning. Real veterans stand behind their work. Resellers hide behind stock photos and vague About pages. When you can’t verify who’s making your coin, you’re gambling with your timeline, your budget, and your reputation.

RED FLAG #3 — YOUR COIN, THEIR BILLBOARD
Some companies quietly turn your custom coin into their advertising piece. They print their logo, web address, phone number, and email on a 2×2-inch business card, a.k.a. backer card, and insert it into the PVC flip pouch with your coin. Every time you hand someone a coin, you’re also handing out free advertising for them — paid for by YOU. This is one of the sleaziest tactics in the industry, and most buyers don’t notice it until it’s too late.

RED FLAG #4 — CERAMIC COINS = POKER CHIPS
If a company pushes “ceramic challenge coins,” understand this. Ceramic isn’t a coin, it’s a poker chip. Ceramic cracks, chips, fades, and screams low quality. Real challenge coins are metal. Ceramic is used because it is cheap and fast to produce, not because it honors your unit, your agency, or your mission. Ceramic belongs on a poker table, not in the hand of someone who earned the right to be honored.