by Guest Tue May 19, 2009 11:09 pm
Hey Arch,
Really nice coin you have there! 10th Mountain stuff is hard to find around these parts.
Coins like this are very popular now with the Army (and some of the other services, but this is primarily an "Army thing.") Obviously the tradition originated with SF, but since the 1980s there has been a gradually increasing popularity to commemorate all sorts of things with the issue of a coin. These are historically called "challenge coins" but a lot of us call them "unit coins" now as the SF tradition of issuing the coin challenge is largely lost on most of the conventional units. Only the Rangers and SF tend to keep up that tradition (I presume everybody knows what I'm talking about?).
Pretty much every unit you serve in these days is likely to have a coin. Some are issued at the Division level, others at Regimental, Battalion, and Company level. I think there may even be a few Platoon level coins out there, but I'm not sure as most coin companies will not make tiny orders and a platoon is a small unit. In addition, many individuals will have coins made and issue them to soldiers who have distinguished themselves or to commemorate an action by that unit. As an example, there are lots of coins for commanding officers, and Command Sergeants Major. Many of these are highly desirable to coin collectors as not everybody necessarily gets one of these coins, even if they serve in the unit.
Lastly, there have also been coins issued to units serving in a specific theater of operations. So there are unit coins specific to Iraq now, and Afghanistan, as well as other theaters (SFOR, MFO, etc). It is actually a huge sub-field of collecting that has gained tremendous popularity in recent years. The quality of the coins has increased greatly since the original ones were minted back in the 1960s, too. A lot of coins have unique shapes, great artwork, and a lucite finish to protect the colored enamel undercoat.
Some coins are also serial numbered, although this is less common now with the larger units since they tend to issue in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
As you postulated, some GIs are very attached to their coins, which are cherished as much as service awards, marking different periods of a person's career. I have met plenty of soldiers, however, who don't give a rip for their coins. It just depends on the individual.
The coin you have was issued to members of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, jointly by the CSM and the Brigade Commander (a full Colonel). On the back of the coin are listed all the units that are part of this Brigade, which include 1/71 Cavalry, 1/87 Infantry, 2/22 Infantry, 3/6 Field Artillery, 10th Brigade Support Bn, and 1 BSTB. This particular coin was probably issued to every member of the Brigade, but it is still a very nice coin and a good keepsake.
Cheers,
Eric
