Customizing Coins for Our Heroes
The first rule of thumb to remember when designing and producing a custom coin is that it is imperative that the customer and manufacturing work closely as a team throughout the entire process. This will assure the best possible product. A coin that the customer will be as proud to present as their staff is to receive.
There are basically eight steps to creating a custom coin. They are:
I. Customer/Manufacturers Communications
II. Art Preparation
III. Select Size/quantity of coins to be ordered
IV. Select shape of coin
V. Select Finish
VI. Select Colors
VII. Select any options
VIII. Select any packaging
Step 1: Customer/Manufacturer Communications
The first step in the production of a custom unit coin is the communication between the customer and manufacturer. For the most part, in today’s world communication is basically email with the telephone becoming a distant second. Of importance is that the customer and manufacturer both have an open dialog that includes suggestions as well as listening.
Step II: Art Preparation
Once you have established communications the next step is the preparation of artwork. If you have selected a reputable manufacturer to produce your coin you should be able to give them a rough sketch to work from and they should provide you with finished art. It should not matter how many changes or corrections are made to your artwork. What should matter is that you, the customer, are excited and proud of the finished art before it is released for production.
III: Size/Quantity
All unit coins should be at least 3MM thick. The most common size for a unit coin is 1.5”, followed by 2.0” and 1.75”. The cost per coin will increase with size but decrease by total quantity ordered.
IV: Shape
Most unit coins are round in shape but that does not have to be. The shape of your coin is limited only by your imagination. They can be oval, rectangular, square, gear shaped, rank or emblem shaped, etc, etc.
V: Finish
Do you want the metal in your coin to be shinny or matted, or perhaps a combination of both. Will it be gold, silver, brass, nickel or a combination?
VI: Colors
Today most coins have color added. You can add color to one or both sides of a coin and the number of colors is generally determined by the graphics to be portrayed and the size of the coin.
