Guide · specifications

Challenge Coin Sizes and Thickness: The Complete Chart

Challenge coins are measured in inches and millimetres: 1.5" (38 mm), 1.75" (44 mm), 2" (50 mm),
2.5" (63 mm) and 3" (76 mm). Two inches is the default for department and unit coins. Standard
thickness is 2.5 mm; 3 mm to 4 mm is used for 3D relief and hinged designs.

What are the standard challenge coin sizes?

Five diameters cover practically every order we produce. 1.5" (38 mm) is the light collectible and
the budget run. 1.75" (44 mm) is pocket carry for people who find 2" bulky. 2" (50 mm) is the
default for department, unit and academy coins — the size the tradition itself settled on. 2.5"
(63 mm) is the ceremony presentation piece. 3" (76 mm) is display, retirement and full-sculpture
territory. We write both units everywhere on this site — inches and millimetres — because artwork
arrives in both and buyers compare in both.

What size should a challenge coin be?

Unless you have a reason to deviate, 2" (50 mm). It fits a palm, holds a crest with 1.5–2 mm of
relief and three lines of back text, keeps the die at the lower cost band, and matches what the
people who will receive it already carry. Go smaller when the coin is a high-volume giveaway or a
lightweight carry piece. Go larger when the coin is presented rather than carried — a retirement
piece that lives in a case wants 2.5" or 3". One note for buyers comparing quotes: a 2.5" coin is
not "a bit more metal" — see the geometry section below for why the step is bigger than it looks.

How thick should a challenge coin be?

2.5 mm is the floor for a coin that gets handled. Below that, the piece reads as a token: the edge
dents, the flip feels hollow, and collectors notice immediately. 3 mm to 4 mm is the right range
when the centre carries 3D relief or the coin has a hinged or opening construction, because the
sculpt needs depth to read and the mechanism needs wall thickness. Thickness eats metal weight
directly — a 3 mm coin of the same diameter uses 20% more metal than a 2.5 mm — so thickening is
quoted per order rather than defaulted.

Does a bigger coin cost more?

Yes, and the reason is arithmetic, not pricing mood. Metal use scales with the square of the
diameter: a 3" coin has about 2.25 times the surface area of a 2" ((3 ÷ 2)² = 2.25), so material,
casting pressure and finishing time all step up together. The mold fee does not scale with size the
same way — it scales with complexity — but the unit price does. That is why we quote diameters above
2" per order, and why "just make it a little bigger" is the most expensive sentence in coin
design.

What size text fits on each diameter?

The physical floor is 1.5 mm character height after plating, at every diameter — plating fills
fine gaps, and text below that line blurs regardless of how much room surrounds it. On a 2" back
face, plan for roughly three short lines plus a date line; a full-circle motto is comfortable at
2.5" and reads properly at 3". The design fix when text does not fit is never to shrink the type —
it is to cut words or move content to the other face, and we will say exactly that on the proof.

Can you make a 4-inch or a shaped coin?

Shaped coins — cut to your outline along the artwork contour — are routine, priced on the longest
dimension of the shape. Above 3", die casting gets progressively less friendly: very large pieces
may switch to a different process, and 4" plus is confirmed per design before quoting, because
casting a sound large piece is a feasibility question, not just a price question. If your artwork
wants 4", send it; we confirm what is possible before any money moves.

What mold fee applies to each size?

Mold fees are set by design complexity, not by diameter: $80–$150 for a standard 2D die, $120–$180
for 2D with fine lettering or cut-outs, $150–$220 for simple 3D relief, $220–$300 for complex 3D,
spinners or hinged construction. A simple 3" coin can cost less to tool than a complex 1.75" one.
If a size-by-size tooling schedule ever matters to your program, request it with the quote and it
is confirmed per design.

Challenge coin size chart — diameters, thickness, use and tooling
Size	Diameter	Standard thickness	Typical use	Mold (2D / 3D)
1.5"	38 mm	2.5 mm	Light collectible, budget runs, pins-style carry	$80–150 / $150–300
1.75"	44 mm	2.5 mm	Pocket carry where 2" feels bulky	$80–150 / $150–300
2"	50 mm	2.5 mm	Department, unit and academy coins — the default	$80–150 / $150–300
2.5"	63 mm	2.5–3 mm	Ceremony presentation, association coins	$80–150 / $150–300
3"	76 mm	3–4 mm	Display pieces, 3D centre relief, retirement gifts	$80–150 / $150–300

Unit price at 100–299 pieces for a 2" (50 mm) two-sided enamel coin is
$3.50–$4.20. Other diameters are quoted per order — metal cost scales with the square of the
diameter.

How thick is too thin for a coin that gets handled?

Below 2.5 mm, three things go wrong in sequence: the flip loses authority, the edge picks up dents
from ordinary pocket life, and the relief reads as stamped rather than cast. For a coin that
represents a unit or an association and changes hands daily, 2.5 mm minimum; 3 mm when the centre
has sculpted relief. The people who will carry the coin judge weight and edge before they ever look
at the artwork.

Coin size FAQs

Is 2 inches the standard challenge coin size?

Yes for departments and units. 2" (50 mm) fits a palm, holds a crest
with 1.5–2 mm relief, and keeps the die cost at the low end. 1.5" is a lighter carry piece;
2.5" and 3" are for ceremonies and display.

How thick should a challenge coin be?

2.5 mm minimum if it will be handled. Below that the coin feels like a
token and the edge dents easily. 3–4 mm is used when the centre has 3D relief or the coin has a
hinged or opening construction.

Does a 3-inch coin cost twice as much as a 2-inch coin?

Not twice, but it is not linear. A 3" coin has about 2.25 times the
surface area of a 2", so metal and press time rise accordingly. At 100–299 pieces a 2"
two-sided coin sits at $3.50–$4.20; a 3" is quoted per order.

Can I get a custom shape instead of a round coin?

Yes. Shaped coins are cut to your outline and priced on the longest
dimension. Very large or very intricate shapes may need a different process, so send the
artwork and we will confirm before quoting.

Quote a 2", 2.5" or 3" coin
Price your diameter and quantity