WTB - Bremont Challenge Coin

[al_soony]

Hi members,
I wonder if anyone has a spare or willing to sell their Bremont Challenge Coin.
DM/Private message me.
Cheers!
Al

[theancientmariner]

What is a Bremont Challenge Coin?

[RedsBluesGreens]

What is a Bremont Challenge Coin?

Here we go: Bremont Military explain it better than I could!

The Bremont Challenge Coin

It's nearly impossible to definitively know why and where the tradition of challenge coins began. One thing is certain--coins and military service go back a lot farther than our modern age.

Challenge Coin Origins:

One of the earliest known examples of an enlisted soldier being monetarily rewarded for valor took place in Ancient Rome. If a soldier performed well in battle that day, he would receive his typical day’s pay, and a separate coin as a bonus. Some accounts say that the coin was specially minted with a mark of the legion from which it came, prompting some men to hold on to their coins as a memento.

Speculation on the first modern "Challenge Coin":

Although no one is certain how challenge coins came to be, one story dates back to World War I, when a wealthy officer had bronze medallions struck with the flying squadron’s insignia to give to his men. Shortly after, one of the young flying aces was shot down over Germany and captured. The Germans took everything on his person except the small leather pouch he wore around his neck that happened to contain his medallion.

The pilot escaped and made his way to France. But the French believed he was a spy, and sentenced him to execution. In an effort to prove his identity, the pilot presented the medallion. A French soldier happened to recognize the insignia and the execution was delayed. The French confirmed his identity and sent him back to his unit.

The "Challenge":

Stories say that the challenge began in Germany after World War II. Americans stationed there took up the local tradition of conducting “pfennig checks.” The pfennig was the lowest denomination of coin in Germany, and if you didn’t have one when a check was called, you were stuck buying the beers. This evolved from a pfenning to a unit’s medallion, and members would "challenge" each other by slamming a medallion down on the bar. If any member present didn’t have his medallion, he had to buy a drink for the challenger and for anyone else that had their coin. If all the other members had their medallions, the challenger had to buy everyone drinks.

And if you’ve not seen one before, they look like this...



J.

[theancientmariner]

Very interesting.

Now why would the OP want to buy one and for that matter, why do Bremont make them and who gets them?

[al_soony]

Sadly I traded mine (the only one I have!) during an international Exercise. Hence, looking for another one!

[theancientmariner]

Sadly I traded mine (the only one I have!) during an international Exercise. Hence, looking for another one!

Thanks for answering my first question. I'm still curious about my other question. Actually, I'm still curious about the coins. I think I get it, it's just seems very strange from a non-military point of view. The closest analogy I can think of is Keanu Reeves in the film John Wick where they trade gold coins, for a different reason but sort of the same principle - I think?

[RedsBluesGreens]

Thanks for answering my first question. I'm still curious about my other question. Actually, I'm still curious about the coins. I think I get it, it's just seems very strange from a non-military point of view. The closest analogy I can think of is Keanu Reeves in the film John Wick where they trade gold coins, for a different reason but sort of the same principle - I think?

Bremont make (or made!) them for Military watch buyers to get as a ‘gift’ with their watches - to the right people it’s a cool little talking point, in much the same way as the watch itself.

Think of it in the same way as a ‘civvie’ may get a baseball cap thrown in - a little extra gift that can be a talking point, and it useful in some circumstances!

J.

[theancientmariner]

I'd rather have one of those coins rather than a baseball cap!