How To Order Custom Challenge Coins on a Budget

Challenge coins have become a popular way to commemorate special occasions, mark business milestones and honor service. As a business marketing tool, custom challenge coins are hard to beat. They’re one of the most cost-effective marketing measures available.

Of course, businesses are not the only ones embracing challenge coins. They’ve long been a staple of military life, and many civilian organizations and even private citizens have seen the value of custom coins as commemorative or inspirational keepsakes.

Whether they’re memorial coins, corporate coins, or custom coins for weddings, anniversaries, and other special milestones, challenge coins honor individuals and groups and promote camaraderie and awareness.

Many organizations today have scaled back their budgets for marketing and recognition items, and are looking for the most cost-effective ways to maintain company or unit morale, camaraderie or brand awareness.. Custom challenge coins are one of the most powerful ways to do that, and you can order them without breaking the bank.

Why Challenge Coins?

The best part about creating your own custom coins is that you have full control over the design. Your coins can be customized from the imprint to the colors, details, text, and even the coin's finish.  You can create the perfect design to increase awareness of your brand, logo or message.

Ordering custom challenge coins has never been easier. You can craft multiple designs and concepts for challenge coins depending on what they’re meant to do and who you intend to distribute them to. While the thought of developing something from scratch can seem daunting and expensive, it’s actually easy to create custom coins to fit just about any budget.

If you’re ordering challenge coins on a budget, you have multiple options to get the most possible value for your money. Below you will find tips and options that will enable you to create outstanding coin designs while saving money on your order. It’s easier than you might think!

Understanding Challenge Coin Pricing And Your Budget

Custom challenge coin prices are based on three basic factors:  the size of coins, the number of coins, and the types of customization added to the design. Learning how these options influence the price of your coins will help make the most of your order. 

Size Matters

The most basic factor affecting the price of challenge coins is the size of the coin. Generally speaking, most challenge coins are 1.75” or 2.00.”

The bigger the coin, the more material it requires to produce. That means prices go up. Keeping your coins at or under 2" is an easy way to keep your order on a more manageable budget.

These size options provide enough space for unique customizations, while still keeping a good value. Cutting down to a 1.50” can significantly lower your final price and might be a great idea for simpler designs without much text. If you have a more intricate design, however, it’s better to stick with at last a 1.75” coin.

Don’t Compromise on Quality

There’s no need to accept anything less than first-rate quality for your coins, no matter what your budget. Walk away from any coin provider who suggests otherwise.

Customization and Design Options

The cost of your coins also depends on the customizations and design options you have selected. The most economical option for custom challenge coins is a die struck coin with a high-polish finish. This offers a bright, glossy look that captures the shine of the metal. This is truly the classic challenge coin look, often used for military challenge coins

Die-struck coins come unpainted, though there are several unique options for personalizing your coin. Popular options include an antique finish and colored designs. These options are great for selling your coins as part of an event or fundraiser. Keep in mind, the more choices you add, the more your coins will cost.

Use of Color

Die struck challenge coins have a classic, elegant appearance, with the metal's natural shine and texture serving as the primary visual elements. While die struck coins offer great visual appeal, an added bit of color certainly adds a nice pop. It’s easy and affordable to add color to your coins.

Keep your budget in mind and keep your color options to seven or less. That’s the maximum number of colors a good coin provider will offer at no additional cost. Any more than that will incur additional production fees for each extra color added. This can add up quickly and is worth keeping in mind when ordering your custom challenge coins. 

Consider Other Options

Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t include some options. Other options include diamond-cut edges, different fonts, epoxy coatings, engraved text, cutouts, offset printing, and sequential numbering. Yes, each of these can add cost to your order, but if chosen wisely, the can be a cost-effective way to add more personalization and character to your coins. Your challenge coin provider can help you select the best options for your specific design.

Order In Bulk

One way to save money that you might not be aware of is the savings that can come from ordering in bulk. In some circumstances, ordering more coins can actually save you money.

Here’s how it works. The more coins you order, the more the fixed production costs are spread out, reducing the per unit price of each coin. That enables your provider to offer price breaks at specific volume levels.

For example, let’s say you need 250 coins. If your supplier offers a price break at 300 coins, you could actually pay less by ordering 300 than you would for 250.

The ChallengeCoins4Less Approach

At ChallengeCoins4Less, our goal to assist you in creating custom challenge coins at the highest possible quality that conveys exactly what you want them to. Whether you’re ordering 50 coins or 5,000, we’re here to show you excellent design, art and workmanship doesn’t have to break your coin budget!

With these tips and recommendations you can get the most challenge coin value for your money at any budget level. Ordering custom challenge coins is easy! Let us show you how. Call us toll free at (855) 272-8451, email us for more information, or fill out our no-obligation  free quote form to find out how we can serve all your custom coin needs.