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US ARMY 1st ARMORED DIVISION "OLD IRONSIDES" Challenge Coin.
This is a great looking US ARMY 1st ARMORED DIVISION "OLD IRONSIDES" commemorative challenge coin. Coin displays the 1st Armored Division Badge on the front with a black background while the reverse side is a gold plated US Army Logo. Coin has reeded edges and is about 1 9/16" in diameter. All details are raised lettering and gold plated. Coin is contained in an snap tight coin holder.
The 1st Armored Division- nicknamed "Old Ironsides"- is the standing armored division of the United States Army, with its base of operations in Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. It was the first armored division of the U.S. Army to see battle in World War II.
The division was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" by its first commander, Major General USS Constitution, which is also nicknamed "Old Ironsides". The large "1" at the top represents the numerical designation of the division, and the insignia is used as a basis for most other sub-unit insignias. The cannon represents fire power, the track represents mobility, and the lighting bolt represents speed and shock force.
The three colors, red, yellow, and blue represent the Artillery, Cavalry, and Infantry Branches respectively, which are the colors of the three original combat arms which, when forged into one, created the field of Armor. This "pyramid of power" was devised by the order of then-Lieutenant Col. George S. Patton Jr. in Bourg, France in early 1918 during Patton's formation and training of the Tank Corps in support of the American Expeditionary Force under General John J. Pershing.
