Polite Dissent

Each unit in the American armed forces has its own coin. Usually made of brass and 1½ to 2 inches in diameter, these coins are generally struck with the unit’s seal, motto and other identifying information. Special coins are sometimes made to celebrate missions and other accomplishments. In addition, Unit Commanders have special coins that they hand out as a reward for a job exceptionally well done.

This link list a brief history of military coins. Here is more abbreviated history, but more importantly: the rules for the Coin Check, sometimes called the Coin Challenge. Here’s a stricter set of challenge rules. (When the docs and nurses from my clinic met after work for Happy Hour, we were frequently challenged because people apparently figured that the medical corps wasn’t military enough to carry coins — they were qucikly proven wrong. We could usually count on at least 2 free rounds each Friday).

I have a small collection of military coins. While some people traded for coins from other units, I stuck with coins from the units I was assigned to or served with, or missions I participated in.

This is the standard 820th RED HORSE coin. The front side shows the 820th seal and location. The back side has the unit motto around the edge. It also lists what the acronym RED HORSE stand for. Given that this was designed by one of the unit’s Chief Master Sergeants, it’s ironic that he screwed up the acronym. The first “E” stands for Engineers not Engineering.

When the 820th was deployed to the United Arab Emirates, it became the 820th Expeditionary RED HORSE Squadron. This second coin was cast to commemorate that mission. The front of the coin shows a stylized horse’s head/American flag combination. The back of the coin states “Operation Enduring Freedom” and lists how our contribution to the mission went. It may sound like bragging, but it’s really not. RED HORSE set an incredible record for the amount of tarmac laid in 6 months, particularly in a desert environment. The back of the coin also shows a map of the Middle East. The RED HORSE symbol is just above UAE where we were stationed. It’s hard to see on the smaller image (so click here for a larger one), but there is a hoofprint on the map for each project we contributed to while deployed.