When the squadron’s leadership set out to commemorate their 75th anniversary, they wanted more than a keepsake — they wanted a coin that carried the weight of their history in the hand. Hong Yu was selected to design, tool, and manufacture a limited run of 2,500 individually numbered challenge coins, delivered in time for the anniversary ceremony.
The Brief
The client approached us with a hand-sketched crest and a single reference photograph. The goal was a premium, dimensional coin that reads as heritage-grade at arm’s length yet holds crisp detail up close — squadron insignia on the obverse, a sculpted aircraft in flight on the reverse.
The Challenge
Two requirements drove every decision. First, the fine lettering around the rim — just 0.8 mm tall — had to stay legible after plating and enamel fill. Second, the aircraft relief needed real depth without pushing the coin past the 3 mm thickness the client specified for comfortable pocket carry.
Design & Tooling
Our studio delivered a free 3D digital proof within 24 hours, then refined it across two revision rounds with the client. Once approved, the artwork was tooled into hardened steel dies — the same process used for coinage — to capture the layered relief cleanly.
- Vectorized the hand-drawn crest and rebuilt it to production tolerances
- Modeled the aircraft in true 3D for a sculpted, layered reverse
- Added recessed sequential edge numbering (0001–2500) for authenticity
Materials & Finishing
The coins were die-struck in zinc alloy and finished with a dual-tone plating — antique bronze for the fields, polished gold for the raised insignia — creating contrast without a single drop of paint on the metal. Seven soft-enamel colors were hand-filled and baked, then the surface was cleared and polished.
The Result
All 2,500 numbered coins shipped in individual velvet pouches, 18 days from art approval — three days ahead of the ceremony. Every rim character stayed razor-sharp, and the sculpted reverse became the detail members reached for first.
“The coins arrived early and looked better than the proof. Hong Yu understood exactly what this meant to our people.”
— Program Coordinator
