Church Celebrates with Custom Antique Brass Coins | Celebration Coins

The most important work carried out by Vaughn Forest Church is completed away from their physical location in Montgomery, Alabama.  But this church has been growing rapidly and needed to expand their facility to accommodate new members.  Naturally, when they broke ground for their new worship center, Senior Pastor Dr. Lawrence Phipps wanted to commemorate the occasion. So he had custom brass coins minted for the occasion.

“Although there are behind-the scenes activities like preparing plans and gathering permits and approvals, groundbreaking is the first outward sign of the construction process” said Vaughn Forest spokesperson Robyn Wiggins.  “So we wanted to give members something to remember the day.”

Wiggins sketched out a celebration coin design and sent it to Cincinnati-based Osborne Coinage which then minted the coins. All told, about 2,500 of the hefty one-and-a-quarter inch antique brass (Verbronze™) coins were minted.  Each was individually cello-wrapped and then shipped in bulk for distribution at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The celebration coins worked out great” recalls Wiggins.  “They looked exactly as I envisioned them.  And our members love them.”

While there are no plans yet to mint additional church coins, when the 1,600 seat worship center is completed Wiggins would recommend the process to others. “The custom brass coins were a great way to celebrate a major milestone. Our members and staff loved the idea and the final product.”

Members of this suburban Montgomery congregation routinely volunteer their time and effort for outreach programs that have local and global consequences.  Whether they are building orphanages in Moldova, ministry stations in Brazil, or housing for the poorest of Montgomery residents, members are very giving of their time, talent and treasure.  Providing them a small token of appreciation – especially one that they can carry in their pocket on their global travels – is an ideal way to commemorate both the growth on the home front and global outreach projects that it enables.