Most military wives are familiar with the coin tradition of the military.  There are coins for missions, coins for units, coins for special occasions and even coins for secretaries of each branch.  And any military member who’s been around a while has LOTS of them.  After just shy of 20 years in the Coast Guard my hubby is no exception.

Although I was proud of all the accolades and moments he had collected, I wasn’t enjoying finding them all over the house or stashed away in storage.  I’d heard about coin display boards thanks to this post by one of my favorite bloggers, and decided to get one for the hubs for Valentines day.  When we moved and set up the curio cabinet at the new house I had the hubs sort through his coins and decide how many he’d like to have displayed.  I casually showed him the different stands available and asked what he’d like his to say, then acted like it was something we’d have to get “one day”.  Once I knew his preferences I secretly put in a custom order a few days later.

There wasn’t any major reaction when it arrived, but I can tell he likes it.  He filled it with the coins he’d chosen to display and I made room for it in the curio cabinet, surrounded by his other keepsakes.  The rest of his collection is in storage, but at least they are no longer floating around the house.  There’s still room for a few more if he decides there’s others that should be on display or picks up something new during his retirement.

It’s the perfect addition to the other displays in our home of both the hubs and his Pop’s service.  What displays have you created in your home to honor your family’s military service?