If you know about military challenge coins, and you’d like to avoid paying for a round of drinks at the next coin check, then you should know about the military challenge coins ranking.
Different coins rank higher than others, so read this guide to find out which coins rank the highest, and how you can avoid showing up with a low-ranking coin.
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What Is the Military Challenge Coins Ranking Used For?
Military challenge coins are given out to members of the military for serving in a particular unit, or for exceptional acts or special events. Anyone who receives a coin must take good care of it and keep it with them.
Another service member can call out a “coin check,” at any time for other members to present their coins. If someone is missing their coin or can’t get to it, then they are responsible for buying a round of drinks for everyone who has theirs.
If everyone has their coin, then in some versions, the person who called the coin check buys the drinks. In others, it comes down to the ranking of the coins. The person with the highest-ranking coin gets to choose what everyone will drink, and the person with the lowest-ranking coin has to buy the drinks.
What is the Ranking for Military Challenge Coins?
Let’s look at the military challenge coins ranking system. This is the ranking from low to high.
Promotional or Store-Bought Coins
Any coins that you buy for yourself from a store do not count, or if they do, they are at the lowest rank. A challenge coin must be handed to you by the person issuing it for it to count.
Promotional coins that were given out at events by various companies technically count, but they rank the lowest since they are just marketing items.
Unit Coins
Any coins given out to the entire unit will rank the lowest, but still much higher than promotional coins. The lowest rank here is company coins, followed by battalion coins, then brigade coins, then divisional coins, and finally branch coins. The branch coins only count if they were given out at the Pentagon level, not purchased.
If you’re looking to design your own challenge coins to give out to your troops, then you should take a look at the beautiful coins this site has to offer.
General Officer Coins
The next rank above unit coins goes for any coins given out by general officers. Some officers give their coins out more freely than others, but you usually have to do something special in the eyes of that officer to get one of these coins, so they rank higher.
Military School Coins
Military academy coins out-rank officer coins, because there was more effort involved to get them (such as graduating from military school).
The exception to this ranking is if a lower-ranking coin has a special design or a special story involved in how they got it. If everyone agrees, then a special unit coin can out-rank an officer coin or military school coin.
Medal of Honor Coins
If you have a Medal of Honor coin, you win automatically. This is the highest-ranking coin, and cannot be out-ranked.
Know the Military Challenge Coins Ranking Next Time You Go Out
Be sure to bring your highest-ranking coin with you when you go out! If someone calls a coin check, know the military challenge coins ranking to avoid having to buy the drinks!
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