Coins Collection

A challenge coin is a small coin or medallion bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and is carried by the organization’s members. They are given to prove membership when challenged and to enhance morale.
Origins of the challenge coin

Like so many other aspects of military tradition, the origins of the challenge coin are a matter of much debate with little supporting evidence. While many organizations and services claim to have been the originators of the challenge coin, the most commonly held view is that the tradition began in the United States Army Air Service (a forerunner of the current United States Air Force).

Air warfare was a new phenomenon during World War I, when the army created flying squadrons and manned them with volunteer pilots from every walk of civilian life.

While some of the early pilots came from working class or rural backgrounds, many were wealthy Ivy League students who withdrew from classes in the middle of the year, drawn by the adventure and romance of the new form of warfare.

As the legend goes, one such Ivy Leaguer, a wealthy lieutenant, ordered small, solid-bronze medallions (or coins) struck, which he then presented to the other pilots in his squadron as mementos of their service together. The coin was gold-plated, bore the squadron’s insignia, and was quite valuable.

One of the pilots in the squadron, who had never owned anything like the coin, placed it in a leather pouch he wore around his neck for safekeeping.

A short while later, this pilot’s aircraft was heavily damaged by ground fire (other sources claim it was an aerial dog fight), forcing him to land behind enemy lines and allowing him to be captured by the Germans. The Germans confiscated the personal belongings from his pockets, but they didn’t catch the leather pouch around his neck.

On his way to a permanent prisoner of war facility, he was held overnight in a small German-held French village near the front. During the night, the town was bombarded by the British, creating enough confusion to allow the pilot to escape.

The pilot avoided German patrols by donning civilian attire, but all of his identification had been confiscated so he had no way to prove his identity. With great difficulty, he sneaked across no-man’s land and made contact with a French patrol. Unfortunately for him, the French had been on the lookout for German saboteurs dressed as civilians.

The French mistook the American pilot for a German saboteur and immediately prepared to execute him. Desperate to prove his allegiance and without any identification, the pilot pulled out the coin from his leather pouch and showed it to his French captors. One of the Frenchmen recognized the unit insignia on the coin and delayed the execution long enough to confirm the pilot’s identity.

Once the pilot safely returned to his squadron, it became a tradition for all members to carry their coin at all times. To ensure compliance, the pilots would challenge each other to produce the coin. If the challenged couldn’t produce the coin, he was required to buy a drink of choice for the challenger; if the challenged could produce the coin, the challenger would purchase the drink.

This tradition spread to other flying squadrons and, eventually, to other military units in all branches of service and even to non military organizations. Today, challenge coins are given to members upon joining an organization, as an award to improve morale, and sold to commemorate special occasions or as fundraisers.
The coin check

The tradition of a coin check is the most common way to ensure that members are properly carrying their coin. The coin check, which can be held at any time, begins with the challenger drawing his/her coin, holding it in the air, loudly announcing “coin check” and/or dropping the coin on the table or bar. (Should the coin be accidentally dropped, a coin check is still initiated.)

Everyone being challenged must immediately produce the coin for their organization and anyone failing to do so must buy a round of drinks for the challenger and everyone else who has their challenge coin. However, should everyone challenged be able to produce their coin, the challenger must buy a round of drinks for the group.
Other considerations

Challenge coins may not be attached to belt buckles or key rings and still be considered challenge coins, and they may not be defaced in any way (such as drilling a hole to attach to a lanyard). A generally safe place to carry a coin is in a pouch worn around the neck (like the pilot in the legend).

Carrying a challenge coin in the wallet is problematic because the distinctive circular bulge identifies the individual as a military membera serious security consideration in many placesand because it can loosely resemble a condom (and therefore open the individual up to an endless series of jokes from his/her friends).

Cost

Challenge coins are moderately expensive; as of 2005 in the United States, typical costs run about US$250 to set up the die and then from US$7.00 to to US$2.50 per coin to stamp, depending on quantity, colors, textures, and so on. Thus, a run of 25 coins may cost about US$425 total (US$17 each), while a run of 1000 coins may cost about $2750 total (US$2.75 each).

Challenge coins in popular culture

At the end of the long-running American adventure drama television show JAG, the two main characters decide to marry, then flip a challenge coin to decide who will resign his or her military career to accompany the other to a new duty station. The final image freezes with the coin in the air; the audience never sees it fall.

Challenge Coin - Enjoy information on Challenge Coins. The historical perspective of Challenge Coin.

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Installing a hot tub is a great addition to your home. It provides you with a place for relaxation on those cool, summer nights. But have you thought about enclosing your hot tub so that it can be used during cooler seasons? A hot tub gazebo is a certain type of gazebo that is made for enclosing a hot tub or spa. A hot tub gazebo is the perfect way to make your hot tub usable year round, add privacy to your hot tub area, and give your yard a beautiful structure as well.

Hot tub gazebos come in different shapes and sizes, allowing you to find one that is perfect for your hot tub’s shape and size. A hot tub gazebo is generally completely enclosed with places in them for windows. Windows are great for keeping the cold out during fall and winter seasons. The windows can be opened during warmer seasons, but keep mosquitoes and insects out if you install screens in them.

A hot tub gazebo keeps your relaxation area private. Since the gazebo completely encloses your hot tub, it does not allow neighbors to watch your relax.

In addition to the functions a hot tub gazebo adds to your outdoor living area, it also makes a nice landscaping structure. A gazebo can add beauty and character to your backyard, especially when it is incorporated into your existing landscape. A hot tub gazebo also looks nice when plants are purposefully placed around it to enhance its look.

If you are installing a hot tub, consider enclosing it with a hot tub gazebo as well. For the added time, privacy, and beauty a hot tub gazebo is well worth the extra effort.

To learn more about gazebos, visit the ultimate online guide to gazebos and other landscaping ideas at http://www.need-info.com/.

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You know, I am a keen observer of business activities, not at international level, but at the nook and corner of the city.

A “school drop out” makes gold coins on the street!

I was watching at the boy in a corner shop at the ninth street of that populous cross cut road. He was holding a small slicing tool with one hand and operating it rhythmically with the other. The slices fly off and fall into the simmering coconut oil. He turns and takes them out as gold coins. Yes. When you see them, they look like gold coins. More or less it is also true. The banana slices he makes are fetching very good money equal to real gold. He is a real entrepreneur.

But, tell me, what his educational qualification is. He is just a school drop out. He has learnt the techniques of making the banana chips from his father and uncle, who are all experts in this trade.

The technical knowledge required for making good banana chips should not be under estimated. Impregnating the color, taste, flavor and crispness quite naturally into the golden banana chips is so highly a technical subject. The expert person, say, the little boy, could be awarded with a Ph.D. in chips making! Here, the low level of academic knowledge and a high level of technical expertise brought the success!

A Management Expert also sells gold coins!
But, in the international highways!

You may need to walk only a few more hundred meters to see a gentleman doing the same trade with the same technical knowledge, but with his customers in very far off places.

He is an M.B.A.; an expert administrator, sells a variety of beautifully fried and packed banana slices to Arab countries. Here, the gentleman is not too crazy to use all his knowledge gained from all institutions he studied.

He limits and narrows down his knowledge to a sharper point of doing his business with a single product, but to an international level.

If you want to say that both of them are minting gold or money in a special way, then, I will not deny it!

Both of them are successful, one with limited knowledge and another with narrowing down and limiting his knowledge!

What is the academic qualification required for achieving business success?

Man is a silent listener. He starts learning the very basics of life from his mother, the very first teacher to any child. Then, he goes on to learn from his close surroundings and the Mother Nature.

When he grows up, he is taught by teachers in the school and then in the college. He learns ‘how to learn’ from various resources. For a longer period, the print media and very recently the electronic media play a great role in bringing knowledge to the mankind.

The atmosphere is always ready to endow him with good amount of knowledge.

But, is he ready?

Only his open mind can tell us the truth.

What is open mind?

Open Mind: A Treasure house of knowledge!

“Open mind gathers knowledge.” What is an open mind? Open mind of a person has no preconceived thoughts! It has no egoism or restrictions! Open mind is very much receptive in action and is ready to gather knowledge liberally.

It allows the person to see, observe, study and accept from what is being taught by the teachers, associates, books, modern teaching aids and media like radio, television, internet, on-line education etc.

The open mind concurs that what it knows by itself is only to an extent
expressed as ‘handful of earth’; the unlearnt things are enormous comparable to the size of our ‘Planet Earth’. Open mind says “I don’t know”, when it really does not know!

When a technical student pretends and says that he knows everything, he gets less opportunity to learn! But the one who admits and says ‘I don’t know’, gets great opportunity to learn more about it! The person with an open mind opts himself to gather more knowledge and equips himself with knowledge, the very first tool of entrepreneurship!

A small and sharp knowledge about doing a business is enough!

But, keep your mind open always. Be ready to learn more!

Say ‘I don’t know’ whenever you need to know more.

Learn whatever is needed! It is quite an essential and prime important qualification for an entrepreneur!

Narrow down the higher academic knowledge towards the purpose of the business!

We know, too much of wider knowledge brings dilemma in taking a decision, even about choosing a career or a business. In such circumstances, the higher academic knowledge could be narrowed down just for the purpose of the business in need. Keep your extra knowledge in reserve for the future.

Open mind opens the flood gate for knowledge to strike gold in any trade!

For more details contact the author:

pnkguru@yahoo.com

I am P.N.K.Guru; post graduate in agriculture and a diploma holder in advance management called ENERGO CYBERNETIC STRATEGY of German origin. I incorporate business strategies to bring more people into our business fold. Further, I apply salesman’s AIDA principles with pincer effect for bringing more sales.

As a business strategist, I have delivered nearly 200 lectures on “business strategy for success”. I am a freelance writer and have submitted articles in leading news groups. I write my articles drawn from my own business eperiences and lectures.

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