Military challenge coins evoke pride and camaraderie

A cigar box containing more than 100 US Navy challenge coins, including the pictured Seal Team coin, made $230 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2018. Image courtesy of Affiliated Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
A cigar box containing more than 100 US Navy challenge coins, including the pictured Seal Team coin, made $230 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2018. Image courtesy of Affiliated Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.
A cigar box containing more than 100 US Navy challenge coins, including the pictured Seal Team coin, made $230 plus the buyer’s premium in October 2018. Image courtesy of Affiliated Auctions and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — Challenge coins have a rich history in the United States military, representing  patriotism, sacrifice and honor; and an esprit de corps among those who served their country together. They have been carried by soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Veterans Day provides a fitting opportunity to look closer at these items that are prized by those who earned them and widely admired by history buffs and militaria collectors.

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