I don't carry them on me because when I used to keep them at work, they would grow legs. However, my favorite one was from a unit that I wasn't even stationed at. I received a coin from the CO of the Maritime Force Protection Unit here in Kings Bay, GA for providing support while they were trying to stand up their unit. He is a hell of a guy and coming from him is what made the coin special. Awards and certificates are nice, but having someone go out of their way just to say thank you means a lot more. He had no obligations to give me that coin, he just appreciated what we did to help get them on their feet. My favorite coin from a unit that I served at has to be my Gallatin coin. It is the most plain coin I have, no color or fancy design, just the ships seal and the CG seal. It means a lot because of the people I served with on there. One day I'll probably get a nice display for my coins.

I know what you mean about the no friles. My Dallas coin has special meaning not only because I went tad on her, but also the reason why it was so very much importent that I go underway on her. my uncle who I lost this past September was stationed on her about 1981 to 1983 or so, and when I was a small boy he used to show me around. In fact, those days was how I knew the old girl so well.

It is also just the crest and the Coast guard crest. When we laid him to rest I slipped my coin into the breast pocket of his bravo jacket, and now have his in my case.

Each coin feels different so I can tell sea stories holding and showing each coin much like a sighted person would show pictures.

Semper Paratus, and be a Guardian
AUX Dittman

I suppose you can collect whatever. Used to be unit patches, I have come by and seen few of the coins, but they were really around during my 'tenure.'

The coins though do remind of the POGS that all the kids used to collect in Hawaii. Must be literally hundreds of thousands of different ones and for awhile it was about out of control selling and trading them. Every swinging D, company, agency or establishment and his brother issued them. My daughter has several hundred. They were roughly the size of the challenge coins too, only made of stiff cardboard.

For those of you who have never heard of POGS, you can Google it, but they were initially the liner caps on island juice bottles that island kids used to use in a game. The acronym comes from the fruit juice flavors offered, Passion fruit, Orange, Guava, and S for plural spells POGS. No one much collects them anymore - but some collections, especially the earlier more rare and interesting POGS are still somewhat valuable.

Here are the 4 I have; 2 I forgot to mention; they are Coast Guard Bicentennial Medallions; the one with the pulling boat is by the US Mint and the other is from some private mint in Washington State. I got the Military.com coin because I was a moderator...and they said thank you.

I like the bicentennial coin on the upper right. Who did you have to talk to to get the moderator coin?

I spent 21yrs in the CG and received only my Chief coin. Been working for the AF for the last five years and have around 10. Best ones are from US Embassy in Kuwait, the White House Communications Agency and a very nice looking Camslant coin I got from Terry Kammerer who came to a conference we hosted in October.

Cj

quote:

Originally posted by kb5ujm:
My old squadron cc from my Cap days has a son stationed there, so I'll see if he can poke around for you. Perhaps we can get your Air Force coin replaced.


The Guardian wasn't perfect, but it is what it is, and I can find the positive in it. A cool coin to have no less.


Semper Paratus, and be a Guardian
AUX Dittman

That would be great. Just let me know what I can do. Thanks.

I have a favorite one from Camp David. I'll take a picture of it this weekend and post it. I was friends with the cook at the Camp, a Navy Chief. It was a pretty incredible experience to go to his retirement there.

1. If I can get the Air force coin, I will just need to know where to send it.

2. Camslant coin, got one of those when the AUXMON program was stood up and the first stations to be commissioned into the program got a coin.

3. Camp David, what a place, bet it was cool.

Semper Paratus, and be a Guardian
AUX Dittman

quote:

Originally posted by kb5ujm:
1. If I can get the Air force coin, I will just need to know where to send it.

Email me at joshua.w.ryan@uscg.mil and I will send you my info. Thanks.

I have this poker coin I bought on e-bay w/ a nice looking girl on it. Other than that, no such thing as "good old days/times" in my world. Sorry, I live today and prepare for tomorrow. The past is just that, the past.

I've got one I use for a card cover when I play poker, but I don't remember where I got it. Coins weren't the prominent when I retired. I have one somewhere from MCPO Jay Lloyd, but it's packed away.

Until recently, I had a Way to Go pin that the Secretary of Transportation gave to everyone on the TAMAROA, but I lost the hat that it was on.

I used to always carry a BARRACUDA coin that I had designed when she was mine. You'll always remember your first girl! But I recently replaced it with the one I designed for my current job, complete with The Guardian Ethos on the back.

My favorite Coin is the one I recieved on a Air plane ride. It is from

Commmanding General
Senior Military Representitve
NATO Headquarters Sarajevo
Major General Richard O. Wightman, Jr.
United States Army

My wifes fav coin was presented to her from the Co of Fort Jefferson in Hampton, VA
This is a HUGE coin in the shape of the Fort. When I say huge I mean huge.

I never saw one of those "commercial" coins while I was on active duty.
If they weren't so small and easily lost, I would carry one of my Roman quadrans (farthing or quarter penny) coins minted during the reign of Constantine the Great.

I have always thought the idea of "souvenir" coins was dumb, but that is just a personal thing. For the price of something made especially to sell to the hayseeds I can buy an actual piece of history - but like I say, that is just a personal prejudice.

When I was in the Army long ago, it was almost cooler to get a coin (they usually only came from Bde or Div commanders or other very senior officers) than it was to get a ribbon. I got one from a bde cdr in the 1st Cav once, but since lost it during one of my many transfers no doubt. Sucks.

They now sell stacks of coins at the exchange. I thought that was pretty silly b/c what makes them special is earning them, not just collecting them. I'll admit though, I bought about 7 or 8 nice looking CG coins and took them with me to the Black Sea recently. I passed them out to a few sailors from Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia and Azerbaijan that I sailed with on the USS MOUNT WHITNEY. Most knew of the tradition and they were all pretty excited to get coins. I'm not and don't expect to be in a position where I'll have my "own" coins to give, so in the end I guess it was cool that I was able to buy a few to pass out....

I have two coins from ADM Allen: one from when he was Chief of Staff (in NOLA during Katrina), and one as COMDT.

I have one from ADM Collins, also.

Got one from Secretary Chertoff, one from MCPO-CG Bowen, and one from GEN Peter Pace. GEN Pace's coin is interesting, in that it is five-sided, like the Pentagon.

I have a question for you guys...

A very close friend of mine gave me two coins a couple of years ago after coming back from Afghanistan. One was from his squadron at Bagram AFB and one from his squadron in the states. They are really amazing and I was naturally very honored that he would give them to me. (I'm civilian.) My question to you guys, how unusual is it to give a civilian coins? And what does that mean to do that?

Thanks!
Julie C.

Julie,

Many times someone will give you one because you earned it as part of a unit or operations, other times, you may receive one just because someone wants to share one with you.

The four below...this is how I got each.

1) simply belonging to a unofficial USMC website that was mostly made up of parents of Marines, wifes, etc. We ordered them and if you saw the other side, you could tell it was more for a website but also our support of the Marine Corps. (I was never in the Marines)

2) My son, a Marine Cpl, thought I'd like it. No real meaning to me other than something from him.

3) This one has a whole lot more meaning as the USMC Amphibious Assault Vehicles is what my son does in the Marines. He gave me this one as well.

4) I was never in the Navy's sub service either. I met a retired US Navy Lt and we shared stories about our pasts. He thought I had done enough for this country to warrant one of these coins. I love it because the sub is named after my home state....New Hampshire and I grew up near the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard where these subs are worked on.

That's it for me. I would imagine some of the others in here have a whole lot more intersting stories to tell of why they have theirs.

Don

quote:

Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:

(USMC...NUSE2-USMC National Unmanned Systems... USMC Amphibious Assault Vehicles...USS New Hampshire coin)


Don

I carry my rescue swimmer coin. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten challenged and how many beers I got free cause I had it on me! It's worn a ring in my wallet that resembles something else though!