Custom 3D challenge coins for military units, first responder teams, fraternal organizations, brewery and craft-beer brands, gaming guilds, conventions, and collectors who want the dimensional sculpted look of traditional challenge coins. Each coin is built in 3D relief at 3mm or thicker, with sculpted raised and recessed surfaces on both faces. Double-sided default — same artwork or different art on each side, same cost.
Alchemy is a production partner built by artists, musicians, and brand owners. We've helped creators produce over 5 million custom products since 2019, and we don't operate like a promotional products company. Whether you're an indie illustrator running your first 50-piece drop, a band making merch for a tour, or a designer ordering for a brand launch, our job is the same: make the best merch we can for you.
What 3D coins actually are
3D challenge coins use sculpted relief — your design is built up with raised and recessed surfaces across the coin face, giving it physical depth and dimension you can feel under your thumb. The result reads as a real, weighty, military-style coin rather than as a flat printed disc. The dimensional surface catches light differently across the artwork and gives antique/sandblasted finishes the classic rustic look that 3D coins are known for.
Ink is possible on 3D coins but limited: ink needs to sit in flat areas of the design (the recessed pockets), not across raised sculpted areas. Heavily ink-dependent designs work better as 2D coins, where the surface is flat and ink fills cleanly.
What you get
- Construction: 3D sculpted relief, double-sided
- Thickness: 3mm or thicker depending on relief depth
- Mold count: 2 molds included (one for each side, even if the artwork is the same on both sides)
- Finishes: Antique gold, antique silver, antique copper, antique bronze, polished gold, polished silver, black nickel, and more. Antique + sandblasted finishes give the most traditional challenge-coin aesthetic.
- Inks: Available, but limited to flat (recessed) areas of the design. We'll review your file and tell you where ink will and won't work.
- Express shipping included
For sizes larger than 2" or dual plating (two different metal finishes on one coin), email us for a custom quote.
Other coin options we offer
- 2D challenge coins — flat coin construction with up to 10 colors of ink. Best for designs with text, logo work, and clean illustration.
- 3D challenge coins — sculpted relief construction with raised and recessed surfaces. Best for designs with depth, dimension, and traditional military-coin aesthetic.
How a run actually works
Most orders start with a quote, not a cart. You send us your artwork (vector preferred for clean lines, raster works for full-color), and we come back with pricing, a production timeline, and any production notes within a business day or two. We'll flag anything in the file that won't translate well at production size before we move forward.
From proof approval, most overseas products are about a month to your door. That's the nature of producing 100% custom merchandise overseas vs. shipping a stock promotional item. Shipping is express and included in the price.
If you have a hard deadline, tell us before you order. We don't charge rush fees. We'll either confirm we can hit your date or tell you up front that we can't, so you can plan around it.
Why our minimum is 50
It's a factory math thing, not a quality stance. The factories we work with charge a labor minimum that covers setup, mold use, proofing, and the production run itself. That floor barely changes between a 25-piece and a 50-piece order, so a 25-piece run costs almost the same as 50 with half the output. 50 is where the per-piece price actually starts to make sense.
We can run smaller hard sample runs if you really need to (the factory will do it), but it's not financially viable for most people: you're paying close to 50-piece pricing for a fraction of the output. If you're set on a small run, email us first and we'll walk through whether it's worth it. Larger runs (100, 200, and up) bring the per-piece cost down meaningfully.
Who we work with
Artists running their own work: illustrators, bands, indie brand owners, podcasters, comic creators, convention sellers. Designers ordering for a brand launch, an event, a campaign, or a customer giveaway. Agencies and design studios producing merch for their clients. Merch companies running production for the artists they represent. The common thread is that the merch matters: it's representing a brand, a band, an artist, or a project that someone cares about.
What you get with Alchemy
- 5+ million products produced for creators and brands since 2019.
- 100% money-back guarantee. If it's not right, we remake it at no cost or refund you in full.
- Prop 65 compliant on metal-and-enamel work, tested for lead and phthalates.
- Long-standing factory relationships. We've been working with the same vetted overseas factories for years. Consistent quality, predictable timelines, no chasing the lowest quote at the cost of the product. You get a US-based partner who handles the production logistics for you.
- Quality good enough for licensed brands. We've produced merch for officially licensed properties and large brands.
- A team of artists, musicians, and brand owners. Not customer-service reps trained on a script.
Common questions
If the artwork is the same on both sides, are coins cheaper?
No. Even when both sides carry the same image, we still need two molds (one per face). The cost is the same as a coin with different art on each side. Use the included second mold to run different artwork — unit insignia on one side, member name or organizational mark on the other.
How is 3D different from 2D?
3D coins have sculpted relief with depth and dimension you can feel. 2D coins are flat with the design at a single relief depth. 3D reads as traditional military-style; 2D reads as cleaner graphic-driven design. 3D is more expensive because of the more complex sculpting and mold work. More on 2D coins here.
Can I add ink colors to a 3D coin?
Yes, but ink can only fill flat (recessed) areas of the design. Anywhere the surface is sculpted up or down, ink doesn't sit cleanly. We'll review your file before production and tell you exactly where ink will work and where it won't. If your design is heavily ink-dependent, 2D is usually a better fit.
What metal finishes work best on 3D?
Antique finishes paired with sandblasting are the classic choice — the dimensional surface catches the antique patina and reads as a traditional weighted challenge coin. Polished metals also work but show every fingerprint, so antique is more practical for daily-handling coins.
How long do 3D challenge coin orders take?
About four weeks from proof approval to your door, including express shipping. The sculpting process adds setup time (it's more complex than 2D), but is included in the timeline. No rush fees.
Do I see a proof before production?
Yes. Digital proof for both sides plus a review of how the sculpted relief will translate from your 2D file. Revisions until you approve.
Are these made in the USA?
Challenge coins are produced overseas at long-vetted factories. Our team is US-based and handles file prep, proofing, and customer success. Our wooden products and stickers are made in the USA.
Start a quote
Send us your artwork and a rough quantity, and we'll come back with pricing and a timeline within a business day or two. Not sure if your file will work? Send what you have. We'll tell you what we'd need to make it production-ready. Start a quote.
Design Templates
Set up your artwork at the correct size with proper bleed and safe zones using our production templates. Vector files (PDF/AI/EPS) are preferred for clean lines and scaling; raster (PSD) works for full-color artwork at 300dpi.
- Procreate Pin TemplateSet (Vector + Raster bundle)
- 80x54mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)
- 75x100mm Pin Backing Card (Raster PSD)
