What are AA Medallion (Sobriety Chips) Keychain Holders

Key Chains to Hold AA Recovery Medallions

With time in the program, you might collect sobriety medallions (coins) and need a place to store them. AA coin holders are designed to hold, protect, and display your medallions.

What Are AA Recovery Medallions?

In Alcoholics Anonymous, chips are handed out for months of sobriety, or clean time, and years of sobriety, or clean time. Depending on where you live, these recovery coins may be called a different name: sober medallion, recovery medallion, recovery chip, AA chips, month AA chips, AA sobriety chips, challenge coins, or AA sobriety tokens, to name a few. Keychains are a great way to carry your AA medallions.

recovery keychain

The chips are given out at Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-anon, Adult Children of Alcoholics, and other 12-step program meetings called sober birthday or celebratory meetings, where members celebrate years of abstinence from the substance or behavior.

This public acceptance of the medallion can boost morale; it is also a very emotional experience. It provides an opportunity for fellow members to offer encouragement, celebrate milestones, and create a sense of camaraderie.

Recovery medallions remind us of our commitment to staying sober. They can help to remind us to call our sponsor or our friends in recovery if we need support. Adding them to our keychain is one way to keep our recovery medallions close. Medallion holders for necklaces, luggage tags, and purses can also be found. It’s up to you to find the best way to carry your medallions.

One way to keep your recovery medallions nearby is to carry it with you. Let’s discover ways to keep our recovery coins near us.

Shopping for Medallion Keychain Holders

A simple Google search returns various websites offering leather keychains and other keychains. These websites sell additional items for sobriety gifts and promotional products. For example, you can find:

  • Custom Hair Accessories
  • Promotional Lanyards
  • Custom Enamel Pins
  • Custom Iron Embroidery Patches
  • Custom Lapel Pins
  • Decorative Metal Book Ends
  • Metal Bookmarks
  • Pin Badges
  • Silicone Bracelets
  • Mobile Phone Accessories
  • Promotional Plastic Water Bottle
  • Promotional UV Sport Arm Sleeves
  • Promotional Sleep Eye Mask

Keychain Shops

These shops offer quality products at competitive prices. While shopping, pay attention to delivery times and watch for free shipping. Reach out to the company with any questions before purchase if necessary.

Gift of Recovery – Medallion holders in gold and silver, medallion necklace holders in sterling silver, and bike chain medallion holders.

The Token Shop – AA keychains are the ideal accessory. These pieces are custom-made for AA members. Choose sayings for your keychain. They offer a key chain with clear windows to display your medallion. The key ring coin holder can be in various styles and colors.

The Recovery Chip – A well-known AA medallion store that offers a variety of products, including caddy coins, key chain coin holders, and monthly and yearly chips. It also provides a leather AA medallion holder and keychain sobriety chip holder.

AA Medallion Store – Carries a variety of gold and silver keychains and coin holders from Recovery Mint and Bright Star Press. They also offer AA coins in yearly and monthly increments. And many inspirational coins that make perfect gifts for sponsees.

Recovery conferences are a great way to pick up a variety of recovery swag, including keychains. They order large quantities and may offer promotional leather luggage tags and other neat products for personal use.

The company website for Alcoholics Anonymous World Services does not sell medallions or keychains. Handing out sobriety coins is not part of the principles of AA.

A Brief History of The Chips

The first tokens were distributed when Sister Mary Ignatia, who worked at St. Thomas Hospital, gave out a Sacred Heart medallion to people discharged from the alcoholic treatment facilities there and at other places where she worked. The medallion was given so the recipients could hand it back to Sister Ignatia before they took their next drink.

Another story is that the origin of A.A. sobriety chips is uncertain, but they are considered to have been started by Doherty S, who started AA recovery meetings in Indianapolis. Colored AA poker chips originated with the Portland (Maine) group.

AA Chips Come In Various Designs and Colors To Mark Each Milestone

The 24-hour chip has various designs and materials, reflecting individuals’ diversity and recovery journeys. These symbols carry personal significance, from AA coins and tokens to unique AA medallions such as the Sacred Heart Medallion. The Serenity Prayer, a cornerstone of AA, often adorns the reverse side of the chip, serving as a constant reminder of acceptance and inner strength.

There are different colored coins for each milestone of the sobriety journey. These include:

  • White – 24 hours of sobriety
  • Red – one month of sobriety
  • Gold – two months of sobriety
  • Emerald green – three months of sobriety
  • Gold – four months of sobriety
  • Red – five months of sobriety
  • Blue – six months of sobriety

You can also get these coins in various designs and colors. There are specialist designer coins, tri-color coins, and dynamic color coins. They are also available in different materials, such as aluminum, bronze, silver, and gold.

Websites like SoberMedallions offer different editions of this coin for Veterans, Native Americans, African Americans, and bikers. Some coins also come with a message of encouragement. Additionally, they have a set of anniversary coins you can customize according to your sober years.

What Is Alcoholics Anonymous?

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who come together to solve their common problem of drinking. Attending AA meetings doesn’t cost anything. Membership is open to anyone who wants to do something about their drinking problem.

AA’s primary purpose is to help alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services website offers a meeting locater to find local groups in your area.

How Do They Help?

Alcoholics Anonymous has a 12-step program meant for alcoholics to find a purpose in their lives away from alcohol. In AA, members provide a haven for their members to share their experiences, strengths, and hopes, to form lasting bonds, and to help each other stay sober.

Members of the fellowship meet regularly to help each other stay consistent and celebrate each other’s small victories.

Conclusion

To conclude, buying fun collector items in sobriety helps remind us of our commitment to recovery. They also make lovely gifts for our sponsees and friends in sobriety. A memorable gift is receiving an AA medallion holder keychain at a birthday celebration for AA birthdays. What better way to tell someone, “Congratulations”?

About the author
Shannon M
Shannon M's extensive experience in addiction recovery spans several decades. Her journey started at a young age when she attended treatment aftercare sessions for a family member and joined Alateen meetings, a support group for young people affected by a loved one's addiction. In 1994, Shannon personally experienced the challenges of addiction and took the courageous step of joining Alcoholics Anonymous. This experience gave her a unique perspective on the addiction recovery process, which would prove invaluable in her future work. Shannon's passion for helping others navigate the complexities of addiction led her to pursue a degree in English with a minor in Substance Abuse Studies from Texas Tech University. She completed her degree in 1996, equipping her with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide compassionate and effective support to those struggling with addiction. Shannon M both writes for Sober Speak and edits other writer's work that wish to remain anonymous.