{"id":782,"date":"2026-05-19T09:04:55","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:04:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=782"},"modified":"2026-05-19T09:04:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T09:04:55","slug":"the-nationals-love-collecting-challenge-coins-so-much-they-made-their-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=782","title":{"rendered":"The Nationals love collecting challenge coins so much they made their own"},"content":{"rendered":"

After amassing coins from military members who threw out first pitches, Washington\u2019s starting staff decided they needed a coin of their own.<\/strong><\/p>

Read more Arsenal on brink of Premier League title with Man City needing to beat Bournemouth<\/a><\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
The front of the challenge coin created by the Washington Nationals pitching staff. (Danielle Allentuck\/TWP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Cade Cavalli stood in front of his locker in the Washington Nationals\u2019 clubhouse, showcasing the new tiered wooden display he had installed the weekend before.<\/p>\n

He picked up the first military challenge coin. \u201cThis is from a Marine,\u201d he said, turning the coin over in his hand, which had been given to him after he caught a first pitch earlier this season. \u201cThis is from Rap,\u201d he added as he held up the second one, given to him by Officer William Rap, who stands guard on the field during home games.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is ours,\u201d he said proudly, turning the coin over in his hand.<\/p>\n

Military challenge coins have been around for generations, with some accounts even dating them to the Roman Empire. Most military units have their own distinct coin, given out as identification, a status symbol or recognition for an achievement.<\/p>\n

The \u201cchallenge\u201d comes from a drinking game. A military member will be \u201cchallenged\u201d to produce a coin; if you have one, the person who challenged you owes you a drink. If you don\u2019t, then you have to pay up.<\/p>\n

\u200bOver the last 30 years, it\u2019s become popular for other ranks to have coins, including police units, fire departments and presidents, and for the general population to collect and trade them.<\/p>\n

Now, the Nationals\u2019 starting pitchers have their own, too.<\/p>\n

\u200bOn one side of the coin, \u201cDepartment of Pitching\u201d is etched on the top, with \u201c21st pitching staff\u201d running along the bottom and a \u201cW\u201d inside a home plate in the middle. On the other side, there\u2019s a rocket with a \u201cW\u201d inside, the words \u201cAim small\u201d and \u201cMiss small\u201d lining the sides of it. \u200b<\/p>\n

\u201cD.C. is synonymous with the military,\u201d said starting pitcher Trevor Williams, who organized the coins\u2019 creation. \u201cThey have our backs, and we want to be able to honor them in a small way, and that\u2019s just the way we do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The challenge coin collection inside Trevor Williams’ locker. (Danielle Allentuck\/TWP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

Williams grew up in San Diego, a city with a large contingent of military members, so he was already familiar with the coin tradition. When he signed with the Nationals before the 2023 season, he quickly racked up a collection.<\/p>\n

Starters, who pitch only every five days, are often tapped to catch ceremonial first pitches. With the Nationals\u2019 proximity to multiple bases and their relationship with the military, a fair number of first pitches are from service members, who will sometimes give the pitcher a coin.<\/p>

Read more Atlanta bracing to host 8 World Cup matches, including a semifinal showdown: Things to know<\/a><\/p>\n

When the pitcher returns to the dugout afterward, the other starters gather around to see the new prize. It\u2019s become a competition to see who can collect the coolest ones, with some pitchers begging to cut the line and catch another pitch.<\/p>\n

Williams has coins from the commanding officer of SEAL Team 5 and a Marine Corps 250th anniversary coin, which he was told was rare. He shows them off in his locker on a similar display to Cavalli\u2019s. Brad Lord hasn\u2019t gotten any from this season yet, but he has a collection from last season at his house. He was especially excited, he said, to receive a Space Force coin last season.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u201cIt\u2019s neat to see who can get what,\u201d said Lord, who is in the bullpen now but was a starter most of last season. \u201cWe all love it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u200bWhen it comes time to do the exchange, Lord likes to hide the Nationals\u2019 coin in the palm of his hand and slip it over during a handshake. They are always surprised, Lord said.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n
The back of the challenge coin created by the Washington Nationals pitching staff. (Danielle Allentuck\/TWP)<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n

\u201cThey aren\u2019t expecting us to have a coin, and so it\u2019s a nice little moment,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice to see them smile whenever they get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a new starter joins the team \u2014 as Foster Griffin, Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas did this year \u2014 Williams catches them up on the tradition and shows them his stash of Nationals coins. The new guys are still catching up to Williams, in his fourth year with the team. His collection is up to double digits.<\/p>\n

There usually isn\u2019t enough time on the field for the pitcher to hear too much from the service member before they have to take the mound. But that\u2019s another reason they like collecting the coins. They serve as a visual representation of where people served and the sacrifices they made so that the Nationals can play baseball.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt tells cool stories,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s cool to have and cool to show off.\u201d<\/p>

Read more Red Sox beat Royals behind Willson Contreras\u2019 homer and Sonny Gray\u2019s strong outing<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After amassing coins from military members who threw out first pitches, Washington\u2019s starting staff decided they needed a coin of their own.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":778,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Nationals love collecting challenge coins so much they made their own - Moving Insider USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/movinginsiderusa.com\/?p=782\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Nationals love collecting challenge coins so much they made their own - 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