The HonestCoinsLI Blog

No hidden fees, no surprises. Here's exactly what custom challenge coins cost at HonestCoinsLI — with free artwork, free revisions, and free shipping always included.

Before challenge coins showed up in corporate boardrooms and fire stations, they belonged to the military. They were pressed into palms at deployments, passed hand-to-hand in command posts, traded across branches like a language only insiders spoke. That history is not incidental — it is the foundation. Everything that came after is borrowed from what the military built. Honest Coins LI was built in that tradition — veteran and first responder owned, made for people who have

Ordering a custom challenge coin for the first time can feel like a big unknown. What do you need to provide? Do you need a professional designer? How long will the whole process take? These are fair questions — and they're exactly why we put this guide together. At Honest Coins LI, we've guided hundreds of first-time buyers through the process — from a vague idea to a finished coin they're proud to hand out. This guide walks through every step, so there are no surprises. Bef

When you're designing a custom challenge coin, one of the first questions our team asks is: soft enamel or hard enamel? It sounds like a technical detail — the kind of thing only a manufacturer would care about. But the answer actually shapes how your coin looks, how it feels in your hand, and how long it holds up over years of daily carry or display. Most people have no idea what the difference is. That's completely fine. Here's everything you need to know to make the right

When most people think about first responder challenge coins, they picture police badges and fire department crests. Those traditions are real and well earned — but they leave out a community that is often first on scene, works impossible shifts with limited resources, and earns very little public recognition for it. Paramedics and EMTs have a culture as deep and proud as any in public safety. That culture deserves coins built specifically for them. At Honest Coins LI, we're

When a department or unit decides to mark something — a graduation, an anniversary, a deployment, a milestone — the first question is usually the same: what should we make? It's not a trivial question. The right item does more than commemorate. It carries meaning, fits naturally into how your people wear or carry their service, and gets kept for years. Challenge coins, lapel pins, and patches are not interchangeable. Each one occupies a specific role in the culture of militar

Every buyer spends time on the front of the coin. The design, the colors, the plating. The back gets a little attention too — maybe a motto, a logo, a year. The edge? Almost nobody thinks about it until the coins show up and they realize it's what the coin feels like in the hand. It's the detail that tells you whether the coin was thought through or just punched out. Edge style is one of the last decisions in the design process, but it's one of the most visible — and tactile.

When a department or unit decides to mark something — a graduation, an anniversary, a deployment, a milestone — the first question is usually the same: what should we make? It's not a trivial question. The right item does more than commemorate. It carries meaning, fits naturally into how your people wear or carry their service, and gets kept for years. Challenge coins, lapel pins, and patches are not interchangeable. Each one occupies a specific role in the culture of militar

When most people picture a challenge coin, they imagine a round metal disc with a unit crest on one side. That's a great coin — and it's just the starting point. Modern challenge coins can spin, glow, pop with three-dimensional depth, and even open a beer bottle. If you've never seen a full menu of add-ons, you're probably leaving the best options on the table. At Honest Coins LI, we walk every customer through every available option — because a coin that turns heads is worth

Size is one of the first questions people get stuck on when ordering custom challenge coins . Go too small and your design feels cramped. Go too big and it may not fit your use case. The good news is that the decision is a lot simpler than it looks, and we're going to break it down right here. By the time you finish reading, you'll know exactly which size makes sense for your coin—and why. The Three Sizes We Offer We produce coins ranging from 1.75" to 2.25" in diameter. Thos

Long Island is home to one of the densest concentrations of fire departments, police departments, and EMS agencies in the country. Nassau County and Suffolk County together support hundreds of volunteer and career departments — and in most of these communities, the people running those departments are the neighbors. That's the Long Island way. Honest Coins LI is part of that same fabric. We're a veteran- and first responder-owned business rooted right here on Long Island — a

Buying a gift for someone who serves is genuinely hard. They've put their lives on the line, buried colleagues, and come home to families who don't always know what to say. A scented candle or a generic gift card doesn't cover it. What you're looking for is something that acknowledges who they are, what they've done, and what the job actually costs them. This guide focuses on thoughtful, specific gifts for police officers, firefighters, and veterans — things that actually hol

Most employee recognition programs have a problem. The awards look good on paper — a plaque here, a gift card there, maybe a handshake at an all-hands meeting. But ask yourself honestly: how many of those plaques are still on someone's desk two years later? How many gift cards are sitting in a drawer, half-spent or long forgotten? Recognition is only meaningful if the person being recognized actually feels it. And for too many employees, the standard awards fall short. There'

Most people who carry a challenge coin have never stopped to think about what went into making it. That solid weight in your pocket, the sharp detail on the relief, the color that pops against the metal — none of it happened by accident. Every coin starts as an idea and moves through a precise, multi-step manufacturing process before it ever reaches your hand. If you've been curious about how custom challenge coins go from a rough sketch to a finished keepsake, here is the f

If someone walks up, slaps a coin on the bar, and says "coin check" — you'd better have yours on you. That's not a threat. That's tradition. For veterans, law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders across the country, it's a tradition that carries real weight. Challenge coins are more than keepsakes. They represent membership, sacrifice, and the bond between people who've served side by side. But to be part of that tradition, you need to know the rules — because ther

July 4, 2026 is not just another Fourth of July. It is the 250th anniversary of the United States of America — the Semiquincentennial. Two hundred and fifty years since fifty-six men put their names on a document that changed the world. This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone, and there will never be another one quite like it. The last time this country marked an anniversary on this scale was the Bicentennial in 1976 — fifty years ago. Most of us remember the flags, the firewo

Designing a custom challenge coin doesn't have to be complicated — but it does help to have a plan before you reach out to us. Knowing what you want on the front and back, what size fits your unit, and which plating matches your identity saves time and gets your proof back faster. That's why we built our free coin design template. Download it, fill it in, and send it back with your order request. It covers everything — coin diagrams for sketching your artwork, plating options

When a police department orders a challenge coin, they're not just buying a piece of metal. They're commissioning something that will be carried through retirements, passed at promotions, and handed across a handshake at the end of a long shift. At HonestCoinsLI, we understand that — because we're part of that community. Why Police Departments Choose HonestCoinsLI We're a woman-owned, first responder and law enforcement-operated business based on Long Island, NY. Since 2015 w

The challenge coin tradition started in the military — and it's still strongest there. Whether you need unit coins for a deployment, retirement coins for a career well served, or command coins to recognize exceptional soldiers, HonestCoinsLI makes them with the respect every service member deserves. Veteran & First Responder-Owned HonestCoinsLI is a woman-owned business operated by veterans and first responders on Long Island, NY. We understand military culture, unit pride, a

Firefighters live and work by a code — loyalty, sacrifice, and brotherhood that runs deeper than most people will ever know. A custom fire department challenge coin is one of the few physical objects that captures that spirit. At HonestCoinsLI, we've been making them for firehouses across Long Island and the country since 2015. First Responder-Owned. We Get It. HonestCoinsLI is a woman-owned business operated by first responders and law enforcement on Long Island, NY. We don'