If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide for creating police challenge coins, you’ve come to the right place.
While it might feel like a heroic undertaking, it’s actually an easy process that only requires a few good ideas to get started. You can expect a free, fully realized digital proof of your coins within a day or two after reaching out to our team, but the first step is coming up with your idea. We’ve made thousands of police coins over the years, and below are our top five tips to ensure your design will make a positive impact on your team!
Your coins should tell your story. Symbols like your department badges, patches, or logos are all good things to incorporate into the design. Mottos and guiding principles are excellent options as well.
If you’re designing coins for a specific program or unit, ask yourself what kind of wording or artwork elements will help capture that team’s story. For example, a coin for a K-9 unit might feature a paw print or a silhouette of a police dog. Or, a coin designed for breast cancer awareness might include a pink ribbon.
Tip: Almost anything is possible in coin design, so talk to members of your department about what types of logos and imagery to include in the design. Once you’ve collected a few ideas, see which ones resonate with your team the most!
The thin blue line motif and colors like blue, black, gold, and silver are often associated with police work. When used properly in your design, they can evoke a sense of authority and tradition. However, a fun way to make your coins unique is to include pops of bright color that add some personality to the design.
We’ve made coins for police departments in Florida that use vivid pink, orange, and green colors to celebrate the colorful lifestyle of places like Miami and Key West. We’ve also created police coins for autism awareness that use bright, translucent colors for the signature puzzle piece emblem.
Tip: The traditional black and blue color scheme of police coins can make a profound impact, but don’t feel restricted to just a few colors. Consider adding translucent enamel, glow enamel, or event glitter enamel to capture a special sense of personality in your design!
Custom police coins are often designed to celebrate significant milestones in the department or in the community. A great way to capture a sense of local history and pride is to include references to historical events and iconic symbols relevant to your department. We’ve designed coins for anniversaries, retirement ceremonies, end-of-watch ceremonies, elections, and local fundraising projects.
Tip: Are there any famous landmarks in your area or upcoming events? Some of the most creative law enforcement challenge coin ideas we’ve seen include elements like famous structures or government buildings in the community, local landmarks, and nods to important historical events.
Police challenge coins don’t have to be round. We’ve made coins in the shape of police cars, badges, shields, and so much more! Police badge challenge coin designs are some of our most popular options. The realistic 3D detail combined with silver and gold plating gives them a real sense of authenticity.
If you prefer a more traditional style challenge coin, choosing a custom edging option is the perfect way to add an elegant frame to your artwork. Machined edges like cross and oblique even change the texture of the coins slightly, making them even more unique to feel in your hand.
Tip: If you’re not sure if you’d prefer a round challenge coin or a custom-shaped challenge coin, ask to see both options! Our team always offers free artwork and revisions, and we’d be happy to provide some options for you to consider!
Adding a functional element to your police coins is a sure fire way to grab your team’s attention. Bottle opener cut outs and hooks are easy to include in round coins and coins shaped like badges. Perhaps the most popular option is to create bottle opener coins shaped like handcuffs.
If you are not looking for a bottle opener coin, adding personalization elements like sequential numbering or laser engraving will help differentiate your coins and make them extra special for every recipient. Things like badge numbers, officer name’s, and ranks are all things that we can laser engrave on your coins.
Tip: Consider creating a series of limited-edition coins for specific events like retirements, promotions, or local events.
A police challenge coin is more than just a token. It’s a representation of unity, pride, and dedication. By focusing on our top 5 tips for police coin design, you’re sure to have all the tools you need to create something your department will treasure for years. We’re excited to create something extraordinary with you!
