kudo's to the folks at Smith & Wesson

[chez323]

I thought I'd share this with you all as I thought it was a nice touch by the folks at Smith & Wesson. I while back I sent away for a rebate on a S&W 686 I had purchased, being retired military I qualified for their Nation's Finest rebate program. So I filled out the paperwork and sent it in. Well today I got a package from them, in it was a nice letter thanking me for my service, a check for $30 and a very nice challenge coin. It was a nice touch on top of the rebate, kudos to the folks at Smith & Wesson!

Coin Front


Coin Back

 

[Nushif]

Not sure it's a very valuable challenge coin for like "challenging" but man, I do like the design. Now why can't our units keep it simple instead of loading our coins down with kitsch?

 

[chez323]

I agree, all the coins of the units I was associated with were pretty cluttered. It is a nice simple design and it was a nice gesture on their part to include it with my rebate.

 

[armoredman]

I left active military service before anyone came up with challenge coins. I saw one former Army friend of mine had a whole shelf laid out with the things.
What one Earth do you DO with the things?

 

[CZguy]

I left active military service before anyone came up with challenge coins. I saw one former Army friend of mine had a whole shelf laid out with the things.
What one Earth do you DO with the things?

Good point. Mine are on a shelf.

I was thinking about a S&W M&P Shield, and the rebate makes it even more attractive.

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

I left active military service before anyone came up with challenge coins

Thank you for your service in Korea! (or WWII, or WWI, depending on your definition of challenge coin, they've been around for a long time.)

What one Earth do you DO with the things?

Get free drinks. (But mostly it's a souvenir.)

 

[Deus Machina]

At work, a lot of people get them framed alongside a picture, medals, patches, a flag, etc.
It's like a less formal medal. Some of the guys don't like them, a lot of them see them as something like scrapbook mementos. Better than hitting the bazaar and buying a random souvenir and then having to explain it.

Kudos to S&W, too. Good to see companies appreciating our servicemen and -women.

 

[mattmann]

This is yet another reason I love smith and Wesson and why I continue to give them my money. The m&p line is in my opinion the best thing going!

Sent from my DROID RAZR

 

[TennJed]

Great story. Way to go S&W. And thanks for your service to the country!

 

[chez323]

I have a lot of my challenge coins from the different bases/squadrons I was assigned to incorporated into my shadow box I was given when I retired. The rest are on a little coin holder display.......

when I first went on active duty there were no challenge coins, though we did have a challenge pfennig (1 pfennig coin) that if asked to produce at a bar (in Germany), whoever didn't have one had to pay for that round.

 

[Ryanxia]

Very cool on S&W's part.

 

[Navy Diver]

What do you do with them?
You trade, collect and display them.

Part of my collection and my current personal coin:

 

[navystang]

i think i recognize the secretary of the navy coin third shelf about right in the middle

 

[Navy Diver]

You are correct. I received that from the Honorable Mr Winter.

 

[navystang]

i have the same one received in Bahrain, in 07

 

[BCCL]

I wasn't able to ever serve in the military, and a friend that knows how much it bothered me, gave me his challenge coin from "Operation Iraqi Freedom" along with one of the knives he carried in Iraq for both his tours.

Some of my most prized possessions! Thanks to all who served!!!

 

[armoredman]

Jorg, I left active Navy service in 1989. Only war I saw was Operation Preying Mantis in '88, where I got my one lonely "hero" button. I didn't hear anything about "challenge coics" until about '04 when the afore mentioned buddy showed me his Amry coins...btw, not nearly as extensive as the above pictured collection. We had none in COMLOGGROUP1 that I was aware of, and certainly the ships store didn't have any. Only thing we found "challenging" was trying to win a game of "smiles" in the PI.

 

[statelineblues]

Like armoredman I had never heard of "Challenge Coins" until long after I had left the service (US Army 1977-1980).

 

[arizona98tj]

I don't feel so bad now....I had not ran across them either until recently. I served from '73 to '81 - US Navy. I don't recall the Navy doing challenge coins during the time I served.