does national guard have them? or say light wheeled mechanic?

I'm sure they do. It all depends on whether or not the unit or CO or CSM or whoever is willing to pay for them.

I understand the original meaning of the coins, as a mean to identify others of similar backgrounds.
We have our own system, not too unlike the original one used in the US.
However the point of our system is that not everyone knows about it or are able to get ahold of it.
Thus when you hear someone telling tall tales you can ask him to produce his ****.
If he can´t he is with a huge probability a windbag.

That is why I don´t get the buying of challenge coins.
Where`s the "challenge" in that?

KJ.

KJ, you're right there is no challenge to just buying coins. What I was stating was that those who would be giving the challenge coins to those in their units, need to have them paid for somehow. Sometimes it comes down to a commander, CSM, or the like who will take on the Challenge Coin program as an incentive for his unit and just go out and buy them to jump start the program in his unit.
As First Sergeant, our battalion CSM would give me a handful of them every once in a while and if I witnessed a deserving soldier doing their job in a manner that set the standard for the rest of the unit (not just my company) or some other outstanding behavior (ie, high scores on weapons qual. or PT tests, etc.), I would have the option of giving a unit Challenge Coin to that soldier. I would usually present the coin as part of an awards day when many of the families could be present. It was a good morale booster and the soldiers really took to them.

it got two recent ones. one from the NCIS MTAC and the other from the Director of the DEA..... if i can, i will post pics of them.

Funny, I've never heard of them before. I'll ask my stepdad if his father had any. He was 50th armored and was the Army NCO of the Year back in the 80's. I'm not sure if that's the proper title and wether it's an award or something else but i'm positive it was NCO of the Year.

Raytheon gave all employees who are Vets or on active duty a nice coin and a letter of appreciation for serving. It looks pretty expensive to me, I'll try to remember to post a picture.

I have a total of five of them that I have recieved from armor units that I have served with, the most honorable one that I recieved was from the South Korean Tiger division when I helped out in support installing TTS sights on the K1 MBT.

The way Ive always seen and used the coins were like this:

Two guys are at the bar drinking... time comes for the tab to be paid... If your buddy pulls out his coin and throws it down and you dont have yours then you have to pay the tab..

Or

If you both pull out your coins and mine was awarded from a higher official than his "example My highest coin is from the SECNAV and his was from the MCPON then I would win because my coin is higher" But this isnt really somthing you do with unit coins they fall under a different category.

Coins are given on the unit level but also by senior leadership as well, only difference is unit coins can usually be bought now days to raise money for the unit. Whereas Senior leadership usually only give out coins as awards and whatnot.

So there are many drinking games that can be associated with these coins in the navy I dont know about the other branches.

I wonder how many there really are for the US services?