Hard Enamel vs Soft Enamel Challenge Coins

How each one is made

In both processes, the die creates recessed cells and each cell is filled with coloured enamel. With soft enamel, the fill sits below the metal ridges, so the surface stays textured — you can feel the outlines with a fingertip.

With hard enamel, the cells are overfilled, cured, then ground and polished back level with the metal. The result is a single smooth surface with no ridges at all.

How they feel and wear

Hard enamel feels like one solid object. It is flat, glossy, and the raised metal lines catch light crisply. Because nothing sits proud of the surface, it resists scratching and rubbing, which matters for a coin carried in a pocket alongside keys.

Soft enamel has more visible depth and dimension because of its texture, and it is more forgiving of fine detail. It is also more exposed: over years of handling, high points wear first.

Cost and detail

Soft enamel is the more economical of the two, and it handles very fine or very narrow colour areas slightly better. Hard enamel costs more because of the extra fill, cure, grind, and polish steps, and it is what gives premium coins their jewellery-like finish.

Which to choose

• Choose hard enamel for coins that will be carried daily, handed over at ceremonies, or need to feel expensive in the hand.
• Choose soft enamel for larger runs on a tighter budget, or when you want visible texture and dimension in the colour.
• Both can be combined with 3D relief, glitter, glow, translucent colour, and any plating.

What we use

Every coin in our gallery is struck with hard enamel, because they were built to be carried rather than filed away. If your run size makes soft enamel the better call, we will say so rather than quietly upsell you.