Invictus Key Tag

Front: “Invictus · Bloody But Unbowed”
Back: “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

At a glance

• Theme: self-command: whatever happens, you decide who you are
• Good for: after injury or loss, leaving the service, a comeback, a team that went through it together
• Gift for: veterans, athletes, a whole team, someone back on their feet after a hard year
• Finish: Antique Bronze (brass alloy) with an antique patina, so each one is unique; key ring included
• Size: 39 mm, about 1 oz, die struck in the USA

The meaning

Invictus is Latin for unconquered and the title of William Ernest Henley's 1875 poem, written while he was in hospital. Its last lines are on the back: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul. Nelson Mandela recited it to fellow prisoners on Robben Island. You cannot control what life throws at you, but you decide how you stand.

On good days and hard days

• On good days, it reminds you that you are the master of your fate and the captain of your soul.
• On hard days, when life knocks you down, it gives you Henley's words to stand back up: bloody, but unbowed.

Why a key tag

It is a quiet way to carry the poem every day, on the keys to the car, the house or the locker room. It carries the same artwork as the Invictus Coin: Invictus on a banner over a sword and laurel, with Bloody But Unbowed on a ribbon, on the front, and a tall ship in heavy seas with the captain's lines around it on the back.

Give it

It is a meaningful gift for a veteran, a whole team after a hard season, or someone coming back from an injury or a hard year. It says something many people find hard to say out loud: you are still standing.

Specs

• Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm)
• Thickness: 2.7 mm
• Weight: about 1 oz (28 g)
• Material: brass alloy, Antique Bronze finish
• Made: die struck, minted in the USA
• Each key tag is antiqued with a special patina so it looks like it has already been in circulation. The patina never settles the same way twice, so no two key tags look exactly alike. Small variations in color and shading are normal, and they are what make yours one of a kind.
• Key ring included

Questions

Who wrote the Invictus poem?
William Ernest Henley, in 1875. The key tag carries “bloody, but unbowed” and the final lines, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.”

Is it a good gift for a veteran?
Yes. Invictus means unconquered, and Henley's lines have been read by soldiers for over a century.

Is it the same design as the Invictus Coin?
Yes, the artwork is the same on both sides. The key tag simply adds a loop so it can hang from your keys.

Will my key tag look exactly like the photos?
Very close, but never identical. Each key tag is antiqued with a special patina that settles differently every time, so small variations in color and shading from the photos are normal. They are what make yours one of a kind.

Want it in your pocket instead? See the Invictus Coin.

Care: keep it dry and wipe it with a soft cloth. No polishing needed; the aged finish is part of the look.

Original design by EDC Reminder Coins, protected by copyright. We don't take custom orders.