Columbia College 175th Anniversary Challenge Coins
Celebrate 175 years of Columbia College with a uniquely numbered challenge coin!
You can purchase your coin online or in person at one of several events we're hosting to celebrate the anniversary!
Challenge Coin Map
Why Challenge Coins?
Challenge coins are more than just embossed metal; they are portable symbols of belonging, achievement, and shared history. Originally rooted in military tradition, challenge coins have evolved into a collectible for tight-knit communities worldwide. They are the perfect item to commemorate the 175th anniversary of Columbia College’s founding in 1851.
While legends date back to the Roman Empire, the most popular origin story begins in World War I. As the story goes, a wealthy lieutenant ordered bronze medallions for his unit. When one pilot was shot down behind enemy lines and escaped to a French outpost, he lacked identification. He presented his coin, which bore his squadron’s insignia; the French recognized the badge, spared his life, and gave him a bottle of wine instead of a firing squad.
By the Vietnam War, the tradition solidified into "coin checks" at bars—if you couldn't produce your unit's coin on demand, you bought the round. Today, collecting challenge coins is like building a physical map of your experiences and interests.
How It Works
In short: Donate, receive, register!
Give $17.50 or more to the Columbia College Fund and receive your own, uniquely numbered, 175th Anniversary Challenge Coin. You can order for yourself, or give to friends, family, fellow graduates, or anyone you want to share the CC spirit.
Register the coin here and become a part of a special group of Cougars. When you register, your pin shows up on the Challenge Coin map; your coin joins with more than 100,000 other CC alums worldwide. That pin proves that you’re part of a massive community.