The history of challenge coins starts not with coins but with enemy bullets from Vietnam. The "challenge" was to produce enemy bullets in bars to receive a free drink from strangers.

Now, challenge coins aren't so difficult or dangerous to procure. They're also not just reserved for members of the military.

There are tons of different types of challenge coins, making the collection of challenge coins an option for everybody.

Read on to learn about the custom challenge coins you can find in circulation today.

Service Challenge Coins

Challenge coins are still popular with people who perform essential services for the United States. This does include military personnel, but it also includes police officers, firefighters, and government employees.

If you want to honor someone's service, consider getting them a unique challenge coin. For example, if you're looking for a gift for a police officer, purchase this coin. You can customize coins to include rank, precinct, badge number, and more.

Organization and Club Challenge Coins

Other organizations and clubs have adopted the challenge coin model to create camaraderie among employees and members. You might see corporations giving out challenge coins at corporate events or bowling leagues passing out challenge coins to their newest members.

Some universities and sports teams get in on the action, too. These challenge coins may be reserved for students or athletes, but some are sold to the public so that alums and fans can build their own challenge coin collections.

Commemorative Challenge Coins

Some of the best challenge coins are given out to commemorate important milestones in a person's life. For example, you might give someone a challenge coin when they retire from a life of hard work. You might give someone a challenge coin to commemorate an anniversary with a club or job.

While some commemorative challenge coins are light-hearted, others are serious and motivating. Challenge coins are often used to celebrate sobriety milestones for people on the road to recovery.

Event Challenge Coins

Businesses love to give out swag at events like block parties or tradeshows. Chances are, you will start noticing event challenge coins joining the mix.

Event challenge coins are a great reminder of your brand or organization. They can also function as favors for people who have attended your event. Challenge coins are inexpensive to produce but provide high quality, making them an ideal choice for businesses looking for something to hand out.

Add These Types of Challenge Coins to Your Collection

There are so many types of challenge coins these days that anyone can build their own collection. Next time you're looking for the best gift ideas, consider a custom challenge coin.

Does your favorite baseball team have a challenge coin? If not, it's time to design one yourself! Meanwhile, take a look around to stay up to date on the greatest baseball team in the league.