NFC Enabled Challenge Coin Business Card Alternatives: Custom Shapes Launched
Gray Water Ops, a long-time manufacturer of premium branded merchandise, now offers businesses challenge coins in a variety of custom shapes.
The expanded Gray Water Ops custom challenge coin design service utilizes a US utility patent owned by Gray Water Ops. Based on customer requests, their coins can be constructed in any shape, and with a greater range of choice in regards to the size and thickness of each coin as well.
To learn more, visit https://GrayWaterOps.com/nfcchallengecoins
Gray Water Ops has enhanced its design capabilities to provide businesses with a luxury business card alternative that better represents their brand identity. Their coins contain an NFC chip integration unique to the Gray Water Ops product line, providing additional utility to these coins. The NFC chip contained in each coin can be programmed to serve a variety of functions when passed over a requisite receiver. For example, clients have used the coins in the past to link automatically to customer reward programs, exclusive offers, members-only websites, or charity donation drives.
The coins can also execute commands, such as instantly transferring contact data to a given device. The challenge coins feature high-quality brass casings which can be inlaid with enamel or metallic finishes and laser-engraved for greater detail.
A large gallery of Gray Water Ops' past designs can be viewed on their website. Businesses interested in commissioning a run of challenge coins can enlist the help of the Gray Water Ops in-house graphic design team to create unique artwork. Their team works based on client requests and also accepts submissions of pre-rendered work that they can then translate into a 3D enamel inlay design.
With this announcement, Gray Water Ops also seeks to help businesses reduce waste by replacing business cards entirely. In their words, “No more fumbling for business cards or worse yet, giving out paper cards that get lost, thrown out, buried or misplaced. Start giving your contact info digitally from your coin to their smartphone through the Gray Water Ops NFC Smart Coin.”
Gray Water Ops is entirely veteran owned and operated, and is committed to providing the highest level of customer service to clients. Their past customers include law enforcement organizations, sports teams, private companies, and memorial foundations as they continue to serve communities across the nation. For more information, visit https://www.graywaterops.com/nfcchallengecoins
Berlin Airlift Mural, SWAT art and so much more... Remembering world renowned artist, Mr. Dick Kramer 4/1/38-1/14/2022
The telephone lines lit up with SWAT Officers from around the world wanting to know who was doing these drawings and how could they get copies. That was the beginning of our fabulous life.” — Dick Kramer
Remembering Dick Kramer & highlighting his life of art in the police, tactical, SWAT and military communities. Also the artist behind the "Berlin Airlift" mural
The telephone lines lit up with SWAT Officers from around the world wanting to know who was doing these drawings and how could they get copies. That was the beginning of our fabulous life.”— Dick Kramer
LEESBURG, VIRGINIA, USA, January 31, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Dick Kramer 4/1/1938 - 1/14/2022
On January 14, 2022, the world lost an incredible artist. I was fortunate to call him a friend and want to share his story.
Remember President Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” speech to Gorbachev? Moments after that speech, President Reagan and Mrs. Reagan met with Dick and Ginny Kramer, to see the mural that he had painted. This wasn’t just any mural… this mural was painted for President Reagan. Not FOR President Reagan but for President Reagan to give to the city of Berlin, as a gift from the American people. Shortly after that, the wall came down and history was made. Even before he painted the famous ‘Berlin Airlift’ mural for President and Mrs. Reagan, his name was known to the SWAT, Tactical, Police, Fire, and military communities as the artist behind the photographic looking pencil illustrations of Mr. Kramer.
Dick Kramer was born in 1938 in the city of Newark, New Jersey. The early years of his life were spent in the small New Jersey town of Nutley. He was never a good student! He spent too much time drawing. It caused a lot of trouble for him and his family during his school years. He was constantly in trouble for not doing his work. He was too busy drawing.
He left High School on his 17th birthday and joined the Navy. It was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He realized the terrible mistake he had made with his life and finished his education in the Navy.
After four years he was honorably discharged and returned to Nutley where he asked Ginny, the love of his life, to marry him. Thank God, she said yes! In his own words, “We’ve been married for 52 years, and she is still my girlfriend. I’m a blessed man.”
He began his art education at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in Newark, New Jersey. He transferred to The School of Visual Arts in New York City and finished his art education there. After working for a chain store doing pen and ink illustrations for their advertising publications, he decided to free-lance. They had $78.00 in the bank, four kids and he quit his full-time job! Ginny always believed in him even though it was a terrible time as far as money was concerned. She never complained or told him to get a real job; his father-in-law told him that. Ginny has always been behind him, no matter what was happening.
He then spent 8 years as Art Director for ITT Avionics Division, a defense contractor. He found out that he wasn’t meant to be in the “Corporate World” and went back to free-lancing. They moved to Florida, spent 8 years there and that’s where his entire life changed.
He met John Meyer. At that time, he was the head of H&K Training Division. He approached him about doing a few drawings for a poster advertising their training facility in Sterling, Virginia. He said yes and produced seven vignette drawings for the poster. It was a series of SWAT Officers doing what they do so well. He didn’t think much of it. The check cleared and He forgot about H&K. When the poster was distributed worldwide, the receptionist at H&K threatened to quit. “The telephone lines lit up with SWAT Officers from around the world wanting to know who was doing these drawings and how could they get copies. That was the beginning of our fabulous life.” They literally started at their kitchen table. He produced four sketches, the first of hundreds and hundreds to come. The rest is history. Ginny and Dick have been all over the world, from England to Germany to Abu Dhabi and Dubai and all over our wonderful U.S.A. God has blessed them with a wonderful life filled with good friends in the SWAT Community and Corporate World. Half of their business is from our on-line sales of prints and half was from Corporate Commissions.
Dick never tired of drawing, especially the SWAT/Military world. Ginny and Dick admired and prayed for all of the fabulous people they met in their business. According to Dick Kramer, “They are the brightest, bravest, and best that our Nation has to offer. Our hearts break when a Police Officer or young Warrior dies in battle. We are all poorer for the loss of such wonderful young men and women. We feel honored to be so close to them and what they do. Every day they place their lives on the line so that we can enjoy the lives and freedoms we have. God bless each and every one of them and their families.”
People would ask Dick when he would retire or stop drawing. He always replied that he wanted to die at the drawing board. He loved what he did and couldn’t imagine life without his art. He was home with Ginny and died peacefully the morning of January 14th, 2022.
I’m a better person and artist for knowing him and he is already missed. I found Dick Kramer through my military unit. I had seen a piece that he had done for AFSOC and fell in love with his art. Over the past 10 years or so, I’ve worked on several coin designs with Dick’s artwork and permission to recreate.
Near the end of 2021, Dick Kramer partnered with Gray Water Ops, to design and mint a custom set of 15 coins. He wanted the coins to represent his top 15 works of art. On December 4th, 2021, Gray Water Ops co-owner Keith Hanshaw met with Dick and Ginny to present the first set of coins, numbered 0001.
As I shared each coin with Dick, his face lit up as he saw his art transformed into a 3D image on each coin. His favorite coin was the Jumpmaster coin (Number 10 in the series) and the Special Forces coin (number 8 in the series.)
“I’ve seen a lot of coins, most of them junk. This is without a doubt, the most beautifully rendered coin I’ve ever seen. This is from a drawing of my son Steve. It’s called ‘The Grunt’ when he was in the Marines. It’s probably the most famous drawing in the Marine Corps. We’ve seen it on everything from cups to shot glasses to covering a guys entire back as a tattoo, Ah, it’s amazing but you’ve done a great job.” – Dick Kramer
You can purchase individual coins or the full set of 15 at https://GrayWaterOps.com/dickkramer
The Gray Water Ops Smart Coin(TM) is protected by a US utility patent
Take your challenge coin to the next level with our patented NFC embedded challenge coins! We put a microchip / NFC chip in the center of the coin. Touch a smart phone to the coin and watch what happens!
This NFC crypto currency wallet uses Gray Water Ops NFC embedded challenge coin patent. Scan with any NFC enabled device and treat as cash!
Monroe County MFE custom challenge coin
This is a 1.75 in antique nickel challenge coin with 3D High Relief on both sides and soft enamel. The coin is 3.5 mm thick. This coin was our September 2020 contest winner for 100 free coins! The least we could do 4 law enforcement involved in the Rochester riots.
4th Special Operations Squadron custom challenge coin
Check out this sharp 1.75 inch black nickel spooky AC gunship challenge coin! 3D detail on both sides with soft enamel. 3.5 mm thick. The real reason to fear the night. Ghost Rider ac-130j gunship
Gloucester Twp. SRT custom challenge coin
This is a 2.25 in coin with 3D High Relief on both sides. One version is black nickel and the other version is dyed black.
Chartiers Two. Fire Dept challenge coin
This is a 2” matte gold coin. 3.5mm thick dual plated with matte nickel
2-135 Infantry challenge coin
This is a 3” antique copper special shape coin with 3d detail.
Harrisburg Capitol Police challenge coins
This is a 2 in challenge coin. The gold coin is dual plated with matte gold and matte silver with 3D detail on both sides and soft enamel. The second version is a black nickel coin with 3D detail on both sides.
Connecticut State Police Governor's security unit challenge coin
This is a beautiful 1.75 inch matte gold coin dual plated matte nickel with hard enamel
Rocklin police Matthew Redding challenge coin
This 1.75” challenge coin is dual plated nickel and bronze with 3d detail and soft enamel.
193rd Special Operations Wing challenge coin
This bronze 1.75 in challenge coin is dual plated with shiny silver and has 3D High Relief on the front.
PSP Troop J challenge coin
This heavy 2” coin is dual plated matte nickel and shiny gold with transparent red and blue paint with 3d detail
ATF DG1 Collar County Crew challenge coin
This 2” dual plated coin has an antique nickel and shiny gold finish, with 3D detail on both sides. We also did an embroidered patch as well! I blocked all of the names on the back of the coin.
Magician Dai Vernon challenge coin
This beautiful 1.75 inch bronze challenge coin has 3D detail High Relief on both sides. It honors the professor and was minted for the Dai Vernon foundation. Dai Vernon wasn't a name that the average person probably didn’t know but every magician knows the name Dai vernon!
AFSOC challenge coin golf ball marker
This is a beautiful 2 in matte gold finish coin with a diamond cut Edge. The front has the app sock logo in 3D and the back has a removable golf ball marker that is held in place with a magnet.
New Kingstown Fire Company challenge coin
This is a 1.75 inch matte gold finish with soft enamel and epoxy on both sides.
