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Not recognizing the young pilot's American accent, the French thought him to be a saboteur and made ready to execute him.

They sometimes masqueraded as civilians and wore civilian clothes. Saboteurs had plagued the French in the sector. Eventually, he stumbled onto a French outpost. With great difficulty, he crossed no-man's land. He succeeded in avoiding German patrols by donning civilian attire and reached the front lines. However, he was without personal identification. Taking advantage of a bombardment that night, he escaped. In the meantime, he was taken to a small French town near the front. In order to discourage his escape, the Germans took all of his personal identification except for the small leather pouch around his neck. He was forced to land behind enemy lines and was immediately captured by a German patrol. Shortly after acquiring the medallion, the pilot's aircraft was severely damaged by ground fire. One young pilot placed the medallion in a small leather pouch that he wore about his neck. In one squadron, a wealthy lieutenant ordered medallions struck in solid bronze and presented them to his unit. Some were wealthy scions attending colleges such as Yale and Harvard who quit in mid-term to join the war. Before the entry of the United States into the war in 1917 American volunteers from all parts of the country filled the newly formed flying squadrons of the Army and Naval Air Service. Īccording to one story, challenge coins originated during World War I. When challenged while trying to gain entry to Protestant church services the Huguenot would produce his méreau coin as a token to show allegiance with the Protestant Church and be admitted entry.

In order to avoid infiltration by state spies the Huguenots began to carry their méreau communion coin. Among those who chose to remain in France were some from a Protestant group known as Huguenots who were forced to conduct their religious services in secret. Many Protestants fled France to find religious freedom elsewhere. Following King Louis XIV's 1685 revocation of the Edict of Nantes, French Protestants began to suffer persecution by the state for their illegal religion. The first instance of using a coin as a response to an actual challenge may come from the 17th century religious wars in France. The most common format was for one side to depict the patron while the other showed something that represented that individual's family, house, lineage, and/or seal. The medals would be given as gifts or awards, and people also exchanged them with friends and associates. Ĭhallenge coins were also known as "Portrait Medals" during the Renaissance, and were often used to commemorate specific events involving royalty, nobility, or other types of well-to-do individuals. As a result, some soldiers apparently kept their coins as mementos, instead of spending them. According to some accounts, these bonus coins were specially minted, featuring the marks of the legions from which they came. In Rome, if soldiers excelled in battle one day, they would receive their typical day's wages along with a separate bonus coin each. The Roman Empire rewarded soldiers by presenting them with coins to recognize their achievements. Many originate in popular culture based on current events. There are several stories detailing the origins of the challenge coin.