Army coin tradition sweeps into private sector

Sharp got the coin for her work as the receptionist for Los Angeles District's Public Affairs Office. "I like this coin. It's different - colorful," said Sharp. "Other coins are smaller and not as colorful. I'll leave it hanging here by my desk in its holder."

Her coin from Brig. Gen. Larry Davis, commander of South Pacific Division, is two inches in diameter, made of bronze metal with red and white enamel trim. It is just one example of a tradition that has swept the uniformed services, engulfed other government agencies, and is now spreading to private corporations.

They have various names -- "unit coins," "challenge coins," "honor coins." But whatever you call them, they have become the currency-of-choice for awards, identification pieces, and even (like stamps and baseball cards) collector's items. Since the early 1980s, when a federal law first allowed wide discretion in designing government employees' awards, coins have been palmed throughout all five military branches.

Although no one has an exact count of how many coins there are in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a quick glance at the collections in the Chief of Engineer's office, or the Command Sergeant Major's office, indicates that almost every Corps division, district, lab, or other major unit has its own coin.

More recently, civilian agencies and local governments have started distributing them to their members and employees. And just this year, private companies began embracing the idea. For example, Raytheon recently ordered a key-chain engraved with its Maverick Missile system.

Maurice Green, general manager of the Military Service Co., says his firm's sales of coins have doubled in the past year.

From a handful in the Vietnam era, the number of coins has metastasized into tens of thousands. Probably every U.S. military unit now has one. Coins are minted for individual campaigns like the Persian Gulf War. Special groups like former POWs and veterans are commemorated in coins. Fire and police departments, rescue squads, Boy Scouts, fraternities, and defense contractors hand them out.

Most are made of antiqued bronze, but custom orders include antiqued silver, nickel- and gold-plated coins. Dozens of companies have entered the market. Many of them post their wares and prices on Web sites, but the military grapevine gets the word out on good deals and interesting designs.

The coin phenomenon has been common throughout history. Some trace its roots to ancient Rome whose soldiers sometimes received coins for gallantry. Another theory is that, in 17th century Britain, metal buttons embossed with distinctive designs were used in trade as equivalents to money.

In the early days of America, the U.S. Mint struck "peace coins" bearing the likeness of the president on one side and symbols of peace and friendship on the other. These medals were given to important leaders at treaty signings and other events. The Lewis and Clark expedition carried a supply of "Indian Peace Medals" bearing the portrait of Thomas Jefferson for presentation to important Native American chiefs.

Yet another tale suggests that a wealthy World War I American aviator had bronze medallions cast for the men in his squadron. A World War II version has G.I.s receiving coins when they mustered out.

Coinage history declares that the modern manifestation started in the early 1960s in Vietnam with the Green Berets. According to an article in Soldier's magazine, "A member of the 11th Special Forces Group took old coins, had them over-stamped with a different emblem, then presented them to unit members...A former commander of the 10th SFG picked up on the idea, becoming the first to mint a unit coin for a U.S. military unit. The 10th Group remained the only Army unit with its own coin until the mid-1980s."

Then coins began to rain like, well, pennies from heaven. From elite units, the coin custom filtered throughout the whole Army, then into the other armed forces, and in the 1990s the ritual became a tradition.

Today the coins serve as "attaboys" to reward jobs well done which don't quite qualify for a medal or extra money. As they've proliferated, commercialization has led to some abuses, including overspending and counterfeiting.

In 2000, reported the Wall Street Journal, the Army proposed that only colonels and generals could hand out coins. But an outcry from soldiers worldwide quashed the idea. The Journal quoted Lt. Col. Paul Mittelstaedt, "If the Army is so worried about the money spent on coins, buy one less M-1 tank or B-2 bomber and fund the coin program for the next 10 years."

Coins will be around for a lot longer than that. Said Sgt. Joel Welsh on the www.militarycoins.com Web site, "For years after I'm out of the service, paperwork, awards, and certificates of achievement will have long been lost. But coins will remain, with all the pride and symbolism that they hold. They will be a constant reminder of all the personal pride and hard work that I've put into my career."