HISTORIC Cold War NSA CIA Army Berlin Field Station Teufelsberg Challenge Coin For Sale

This sale is for a AUTHENTIC andHISTORIC Cold War NSA CIA Army Berlin Field Station Teufelsberg Challenge Coin
The US National Security Agency (NSA) built one of itslargest listening stations atop the hill in 1963, supposedly as part of theglobal ECHELON intelligence gathering network. "The Hill", as it wasknown colloquially by the many American soldiers who worked there around theclock and who commuted there from their quarters in the American Sector, waslocated in the British Sector. In July 1961, mobile Allied listening unitsbegan operations on Teufelsberg, having surveyed various other localesthroughout West Berlin in a search for the best vantage point for listening toSoviet, East German, and other Warsaw Pact nations’ military traffic. Theyfound that operations from atop Teufelsberg offered a marked improvement inlistening ability. This discovery eventually led to a large structure beingbuilt atop the hill, which would come to be run by the NSA (National SecurityAgency). Construction of a permanent facility was begun in October 1963.[9] Atthe request of the US government, the ski lifts were removed because theyallegedly disturbed the signals. The station continued to operate until thefall of East Germany and the Berlin Wall, but after that the station was closedand the equipment removed. The buildings and antenna radomes still remain inplace.

During the NSA operations some other curious thingshappened: It was noticed that during certain seasons the reception of radiosignals was better than during the rest of the year. The 'culprit' was foundafter a while: it was the Ferris wheel of the annual German-American VolksfestFestival on the Hüttenweg in Zehlendorf. From then on, the Ferris wheel was leftstanding for some time after the festival was over.

While there were rumors that the Americans had excavated ashaft down into the ruins beneath, that was never proven, and was likely basedon reports that those who maintained equipment in one of the first enclosedantenna structures accessed the upper levels of the inflated dome via anairlock that led to a "tunnel" that was embedded in the structure'scentral column. Speculation as to what might have existed within the highlyrestricted area frequently gave rise to rather elaborate but false rumors; onetheory stated that "the tunnel" was an underground escape route,another that it housed a submarine base.

I’m thinning out my Challenge Coin collection and need to get rid of most of my coins.
There will be no Second Chance Offers as this is the only one that I have.
I drastically reduce shipping with each sale you win within the same order!!!

Let me know if you have any questions.

This coin is NOT a reproduction. Nor is it a Chinese knock-off done by an overstamp (the process of taking an authentic coin and stamping it wax to build a mold to make knock-offs. You can generally tell these coins by their lack of detail, shallow relief, poor epoxy and paint, and overall "something is not-quite-rightness") I have served in both the Army and Air Force, in the Pentagon for senior military leaders, at the Old Guard, the Army's Escort to the President, and for numerous units all over the world. I know coins, know what they mean both as professionalmementos andcollectibles. I'm not by any means the fore most authority, but I've owned literally thousands of coins in my collection, and will do what I can to provide you with the highest quality product and information. Best Regards!

Why AUTHENTIC military challenge coins can not be "New"... In order for you to purchase a challenge coin from any individual on any website, that coin would have had to been presented to a service member (or civilian support staff member). Unless you are purchasing them from the individual who commissioned them (highly unlikely), from the mint (dubious at best), or the one possible way would be if they were morale coins designed to be sold to raise funds for the unit. Otherwise they would have had to had a least TWO previous owners. The person who commissioned and presented the coin and its initial recipient. While many coins may have sat on a display, most were carried in service members pockets and used for coin challenges or in the case of many units, they are considered part of the Uniform of the Day and should always be carried. Many coins have had several owners and make their way around not just the country, but around the world. You are carrying a part of history. Just some things to keep in mind.

I do try to incorporate recycled shipping materials into my orders; mailers, boxes, coin sleeves, bubble wrap if necessary, etc. I do this to keep my shipping cost down and in doing so, pass those savings on to you. The size, shape, and weight of your coin will dictate the packaging and how it is mailed. We do dollar cost averaging to ensure that we can keep USPS First Class mail cost down.

I take ALL photos in natural sun light to try to best capture true color. This can make some softerbronzes seem almost grey and shiny gold-tones appear silver. I find the natural sun light gives the best contrast for 3d detail and preserves natural epoxy color. The counter to this is it can also cause a glare at the tops of coins with High Gloss coatings. Please email me with ANY questions.

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Thank you for your consideration