THE NEW BITCOIN’S HERE THE NEW BITCOIN’S HERE pic.twitter.com/CYyFtvVDXU
— Adam Weinstein (@AdamWeinstein) December 22, 2017
What's that thing from Harry Potter? Horcruxes? The challenge coin is obviously a horcrux, right?
— Adam Rogers (@jetjocko) December 22, 2017
Challenge coins are souvenirs. Humans squirrel away souvenirs; museums contain troves of antiquities whose only purpose was to proclaim WE SAW THE GREAT TEMPLE or I MADE THE PILGRIMAGE. The amazing part is that, given all his other responsibilities (getting his regular briefings from Fox News, playing golf, encouraging infighting among his minions, violating the Constitution), Lord Smallgloves still has time to cruft up something as minor as his challenge coin. From the Washington Post:
For two decades, the commander in chief has doled out distinguished-looking coins as personal mementos. Now, the presidential “challenge coin” has undergone a Trumpian transformation.
The presidential seal has been replaced by an eagle bearing President Trump’s signature. The eagle’s head faces right, not left, as on the seal. The 13 arrows representing the original states have disappeared. And the national motto, “E pluribus unum” — a Latin phrase that means “Out of many, one” — is gone.
Instead, both sides of the coin feature Trump’s campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
The changes don’t stop there. In addition to his signature, Trump’s name appears three times on the coin, which is thicker than those made for past presidents. And forget the traditional subdued silver and copper: Trump’s coin, a White House aide marveled, is “very gold.”
The aide said the president, whose real estate properties are known for their gilded displays of wealth and status, was personally involved in redesigning the coin. Trump, who also had a hand in creating his famous red campaign hat, “wanted to weigh in on it,” the aide said. “It’s beautifully made.”
The White House offered conflicting accounts of which funds were used to purchase the coins, with one aide saying they were paid for by the White House and a second aide later saying that the Republican National Committee is covering the expense. An RNC spokeswoman confirmed Friday afternoon that the party is paying for the coins…
Open Thread: Quite the Challenge (Coin)Post + Comments (210)