Help? I Found this medal.

[tiggerd100]

Ok first of all I'm not much of a metal detector know it all. I haven't done it much and I'm only on this site for the Indian artifacts. Anyway I happened upon this medal a while back on one of my "limited" outings. It looks pretty modern but was hoping to get just a little insight. Thanks!

 

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[mindcrime1988]

The object you found is not a medal but rather a coin/token for excellence. Usually these are carried/handed out by officers and in this case a Major General, hence the two stars, to show gratitude to the person receiving the coin/token. They are mainly given to soldiers but it could have been to any other service member in the military or even a civilian for doing a job well done. They are highly sought after by many in the military.

 

[Mackaydon]

Looks like a 'Challenge Coin' to me.
https://www.thebalance.com/military-challenge-coins-3354113
Don....

 

[mindcrime1988]

Looks like a 'Challenge Coin' to me.
https://www.thebalance.com/military-challenge-coins-3354113
Don....

Challenge coins do look very similar but the difference here is this particular coin was "presented by the deputy commanding general for excellence." Very few folks get these type of coins because it means going above & beyond normal duties. Challenge coins on the other hand are bought and have just a squadron, unit, battalion, brigade, etc. stamped on them which can be owned by pretty much anybody.

 

[ltd063]

Challenge coins were originally only awarded to individuals by the commanders of large units. The "store bought" challenge coins is a relatively new thing. Everyone wanted one, but they were hard to earn. So, some enterprising soul started selling them. It has undermined the tradition of the coins. IMHO.

 

[tiggerd100]

The object you found is not a medal but rather a coin/token for excellence. Usually these are carried/handed out by officers and in this case a Major General, hence the two stars, to show gratitude to the person receiving the coin/token. They are mainly given to soldiers but it could have been to any other service member in the military or even a civilian for doing a job well done. They are highly sought after by many in the military.

Thanks for the info. Now does something like this have any kind of value other than to the fella it was given to?

 

[mindcrime1988]

Thanks for the info. Now does something like this have any kind of value other than to the fella it was given to?

Not really unless you can find a collector of these coins.

 

[Mackaydon]

mindcrime,
I earned a challenge coin from an American Legion post commander by returning to a WW II veteran his service tag (dog tag) that he lost during the Battle of the Bulge.
The finder was another Treasurenet member from France. I did the research to find the hero and arranged with the American Legion for a presentation of the tag back to the hero during a Memorial Day celebration a couple or years ago.
Don......

 

[mindcrime1988]

mindcrime,
I earned a challenge coin from an American Legion post commander by returning to a WW II veteran his service tag (dog tag) that he lost during the Battle of the Bulge.
The finder was another Treasurenet member from France. I did the research to find the hero and arranged with the American Legion for a presentation of the tag back to the hero during a Memorial Day celebration a couple or years ago.
Don......

Being a 23 year veteran of the US Air Force and a huge WWII history buff, my sincere gratitude to you Mackaydon. Stories such as this are awesome to hear versus the BS in the news nowadays. You have helped me out a number of times on this site and are indeed a wealth of knowledge. Thank you.

The reason I bring up the difference on the coins, at least in my experience, is the fact an "award for excellence" is not owned by everybody. They are hard to come by and some folks go their entire military career without ever receiving one. Challenge coins on the other hand can be bought and are considered either collector items for someone looking to get as many coins as possible or somebody just wanting to have one for unit pride. Plus challenge coins are used at the bar as well. One person will take theirs out, tap it on the bar and everybody else must do so as well. The person(s) who do not have their challenge coins end up buying a round! Since not everybody earns an "excellence award" coin, this is why a challenge coin is used instead. Folks are encouraged to go out and buy their own to show unit pride and carry it with them everywhere they go. Understandably this tradition may be different for other services or even for other units as well but this is what I saw throughout my career.

Now obviously challenge coins will have various meanings to members on this site and I'm always open to hear the differences. I'm not stubborn......I love to learn!