Can You Bring Your Own Coin to an AA Anniversary Meeting?
You bought a medallion with the year you want and would like to receive it at your regular AA meeting. Before you bring it, ask the person who handles anniversaries how the group does presentations. A quick conversation gives you time to arrange something else if needed.
Ask before the meeting begins
Use a concrete question. “I have my own three-year medallion. Is it okay to use it when I mark my anniversary here, or does the group use its own chips?” Ask a chairperson or whoever handles milestones. If they need to check with the group, give them time before making plans with guests.
AA groups can have different practices. One may hand out its own chips every week. Another may recognize anniversaries on a particular date or leave gifts outside the meeting format. Our guide to obtaining AA chips explains how people find tokens through meetings and other routes. Ask about the presentation even if you already have the coin.
Say which details you’re happy for the chair to share. “Three years and my first name are fine. I’d like to skip a speech.” If you prefer to take part from your seat, ask what is possible in that room.
Set up a handover someone can follow
Confirm the coin before it leaves your hand. Read the numeral or written duration, and check which face you want visible. If there will be more than one presentation, give the person handling yours a way to identify it without putting your full name on a public table.
Find out when to hand it over and where you’ll get it back. A small envelope can help the chair keep a personal coin separate from group stock. Ask whether you need to supply your own envelope or case if you plan to use one.
If someone is saying a few words, tell them what kind of acknowledgment you’d welcome. Our examples of what to say when giving someone a sobriety coin can help a friend keep the moment short and personal. Confirm permission separately if anyone wants a photograph or online post.
Keep an option that works either way
If the group only presents its own coins, you can accept its usual token and keep the personal medallion for another moment. You might ask a friend to hand it to you over coffee, or keep it yourself and mark the date privately.
Have that conversation before anyone orders a gift for you. If a friend is choosing a coin from a photo, remind them that the visible year can be a sample. Read the photo description and milestone wording and check the selector before finalizing a purchase.
An anniversary is also a chance to plan a separate gathering if that’s what you want. For a reception with guests from different parts of your life, the alcohol-free toast guide has a way to include people without inviting questions about what they drink.
Put the agreed plan in one short message the chair can check on the day. If the chair changes at short notice, show the message to the substitute before anyone puts the coin out.
Medallions to consider
If you’re choosing your own medallion, check the listing for the sobriety time you want and compare it with the coin when it arrives.
Both photos show one-year samples. Use the Sobriety Time selector to check the milestone you want.
Tricolor Enchanted Crimson Topaz Sparkle
Elite design with a crimson face and a triangle set with stones.
Common questions
Should I bring a coin if I haven’t heard back?
You can keep it with you and ask privately. Leave it out of the ceremony until the person handling the meeting confirms.
Can I ask a friend to give it to me?
Ask the group about its practice and confirm with the friend. Agree on timing and an introduction that both of you are comfortable with.
Keep reading
Compare designs and milestone options in Elite Medallions and Deluxe Coins.
