Where Does The “Challenge” Part Come From?Īnother story insists that the “challenge” aspect of the coins began in Germany after World War II. This not only saved the pilot’s life, but also earned him a bottle of French wine for his troubles. According to the tale, one of the French soldiers who was holding him captive recognized the insignia stamped on the coin. In response to these accusations, the American presented the challenge coin around his neck. Unaware of who the American was and with no way to verify his identity, the French assumed him to be a German spy. After an American pilot was captured by Germans, the pilot managed to escape to a French outpost. The story goes that a wealthy American lieutenant in World War I distributed matching bronze coins to his unit members before they were deployed. military circles suggests that the first “official” challenge coin wasn’t created until WWI. Certainly, the coins that were received by Roman Legionnaires were the earliest form of challenge coins that we know of. Some accounts say that these coins were specially stamped with a mark of the legion from which it came, prompting some men to hold on to their coins as a memento of their service. If a soldier performed well in battle, he would receive his typical day’s pay and a separate coin as a bonus. The exact origin story of the challenge coin has been widely debated by military historians, though the first traces of them date back to the Roman Empire. This article will focus on the history of handing out such coins, and how we still benefit from the practice today. Roman Legionnaires, military personnel and private sector companies have all used challenge coins to show membership and achievement within their ranks. Historically, a challenge coin holds the emblem or insignia of a specific group and is carried by that group’s members.
Listen to Chief Curator Jan Ramirez recount her meeting with “Maya” and explain the story behind this special artifact.If you’ve served in the Military, Law Enforcement, or in any government agency, you’ve probably seen challenge coins passed around. Kathryn Bigelow presents a dramatized account of “Maya’s” story in the popular 2012 film, Zero Dark Thirty. It was her intelligence that helped to locate the location of bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The coin was donated to the museum by the CIA operative known by the alias “Maya” who had devoted her career to tracking bin Laden. The coin is on view in the museum with other artifacts that tell the story of this raid. In the spring of 2014, 9/11 Memorial Museum staff received a donation of a military-issued challenge coin that commemorates the work of the United States military, national security and intelligence communities to successfully carry out this mission. Navy SEAL’s successful execution of Operation Neptune Spear. On May 2, 2011, the 10-year quest to bring al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to justice ended with the U.S.
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