2016-05-26 Thu

The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon would be celebrated on 20th June 2019. Special commemorative coins with a unique size and a curved shape recreating an astronaut’s helmet would be released to mark this occasion. A bill was presented on 19th May in the Senate to officially release gold, silver and clad coinage.

As per the bill, the first coin to be released would be the 5-ounce silver piece, struck in the collector proof finish to .999 purity. The other coins would be of proof and uncirculated quality with traditional compositions and a possible increase in the purity of the silver content to more than 90%.

The obverse design "emblematic of the United States space program leading up to the first manned moon landing." would be selected through a competition. The convex shaped reverse would depict the famous "Buzz Aldrin on the Moon" photograph, which was taken on 20th July, 1969. Only the visor reflecting the image of the United States flag and the lunar lander along with a part of the helmet of astronaut Edwin Eugene ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, Jr. would be depicted. The bills also state that the commemoratives should be minted with their reverse design continuing over the edges and extending to their obverse.

5-ounce silver coin would be priced at $50, the gold coin at $35, the silver dollar at $10, and the half dollar at $5. The funds would be forwarded to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum’s "Destination Moon" exhibit; the Astronauts Memorial Foundation; and the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.