Challenge coin holder question.

[Duane N]

My Dad actually asked me to build him something...a challenge coin holder.  He's retired Navy and has a bunch of challenge coins he wants to display.  I did some research of what the coin holder could look like but I found nothing on how thick and the diameter a challenge coin is?

[KC]

My Dad actually asked me to build him something...a challenge coin holder.  He's retired Navy and has a bunch of challenge coins he wants to display.  I did some research of what the coin holder could look like but I found nothing on how thick and the diameter a challenge coin is?

Ask dad to measure....

[Karl1163]

My Dad actually asked me to build him something...a challenge coin holder.  He's retired Navy and has a bunch of challenge coins he wants to display.  I did some research of what the coin holder could look like but I found nothing on how thick and the diameter a challenge coin is?

Mine are all 1/8" to 5/32" thick, but the diameters vary a lot, with the smallest at 1 5/8" and the largest being 2 inches (many are made offshore, so metric sizes are common). Plus, not all are circular. My holder just has a series of angled 3/16" slots on a flat desk-top plaque.

I have seen wall-hangers that had horizontal rows of grooved ledger channels glued to a flat backing and a framed acrylic door. The channels must have had regular dips routed in them to keep the coins from rolling along the channel due to vibration. These accommodate strange shapes and other non-coin mementos like pins

It's possible the Navy ones are a standard size, but not in my experience, so if you want to make a bunch of circular indents, you will have to ask for the sizes.

[rudedan60]

I have made simple ones for new people as gifts.  I still have to make one for myself tough.  How I did it was take several coins and figure out a good tilt of the coin.  Make sure the groove is deep enough to keep it from falling over.  Then you have to look at the presentation a flat board will be one angle.  If you are going to raise it up and have it at an angle it will be a little different.  I actually made a setup angle block for my flat ones.  May have to do a new one for the Sawstop.  If I can find that block, I will measure the angle for it and post it. Dan; Retired SMSgt, USAF Reserve

[AHill]

The challenge coin displays I've seen angle the groove a bit (maybe 10-15 degrees).  The grooves are generally 1/4" wide. The angle insures the coin stays in one place and doesn't roll back and forth in the groove.  Perhaps a small strip of felt adhesively bonded to the bottom of the groove would also help, but I don't recall seeing any displays with the felt. I have a friend at work who's a retired one-star general. He has a massive display of probably 300 challenge coins. Very impressive.

[PMJ1]

I made this one for a friend at work.  I used a 1 7/8" forstner bit to make the approximately 3/16" deep holes to hold his challenge coins.  The top is a flag case.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Another option is a shadow box coffee table deal.  He could arrange the coins under the glass top on top of a layer of whatever background you chose, camo or dress blue material... and he could also add a few favorite patches, a knife or other lucky item.  A vertical shadow box with grooves deep enough to hold the various rows of coins, the glass keeping them vertical, and dust free, and little fingers off. 
  Grandkids like to pick things up and sometimes lose them.  He could Open the glass releasing a latch if he wanted.

[TucsonLawrence]

My Dad actually asked me to build him something...a challenge coin holder.  He's retired Navy and has a bunch of challenge coins he wants to display.  I did some research of what the coin holder could look like but I found nothing on how thick and the diameter a challenge coin is?

I make a LOT of coin holders (woodworking for the military and first responder world is what I do now)

Sizes vary- sometimes GREATLY... especially with the Navy where I see (and I'm not exaggerating here) up to 3.5" wide and some 3/8 thick... I vary the widths and often have one groove that is wider (and taller) to accommodate the bigguns, but most "regular" coins work at .2 wide and .25  deep.  

I agree with the others, ask for measurements and go from there
Lawrence

[Duane N]

Thank you everyone for the pictures and advice on how to build it.  I'm waiting for him to get back to me (I think he's digging them out of the attic) or he forgot already.  Maybe I just need to call his better half (Mom) to get this project moving. 

[Cooler]

As a former picture framer my first instinct is to put the coins under glass.  

My second instinct is to put them in a shadow box display with a hinged glass cover.  

The glass keeps the coins from being handled casually (and possibly leading to them being misplaced or lost).

There is no real conservation reason to place them under glass, but putting glass over them makes them appear to the public to be more important.  As they are important I think that is a distinction worth making. 

I like this type of shadow box (but with a hinged glass door).



I would prefer a large, meaningful photo as the background.  (Meaningful to the coin owner.)

Some sort of group photo would work for me.