As with so many grass roots traditions, the origin of the military coin is hard to determine. Warriors in Ancient Egyptians were given a "metal" for an act of valor. These "coins" depicted by a golden bee and worn on a necklace. It is believed that an accumulation of a certain number of "bees" would entitle the recipient to favors, such as land, measures of gold, or houses from the Pharaoh.
"Coining" is a relatively new U.S. military tradition, but has roots in the Roman Empire, where coins were presented to reward achievements. Although the great civilizations Persia, Macedonia, Sparta and Athens issued coins to their troops, it was not until the Roman period that the “Unit Coins” were minted. Each legion minted their own currency with the legion symbol, Crest and Standard, stamped into the coin. Legionaries were awarded these coins for meritorious service, and they were used as identification
|
