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– The United States Mint has taken "one small step" towards the newcomers to the 50th anniversary of the first moon to commemoratives.
David Ryder, director of the U.S. Mint, presided over the unveiling, which took place at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC on Thursday (Oct. 11).
"The Mint connects Americans through the years and will be able to connect America to the extraordinary achievements of humanity's first steps on the moon," said Ryder.
The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin program will see the coin in gold, silver and clad metal. Congress dictated the design of the convex (dome-shaped) tails side, specifying it reproduce the reflection in Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin's visor from an iconic photograph taken by Neil Armstrong on the moon on July 20, 1969. Mint sculptor-engraver Phebe Hemphill designed and sculpted the tails side.
For the concave (bowl-shaped) heads side, sculpted by Joseph Menna sculptor, Congress directed the Mint to hold a public art contest, which was carried out in 2017.
"The Mint offers hearty congratulations and thanks to artist Gary Cooper," said Ryder. "His winning design is a poignant representation of the triumphant moment that brings people together and reaffirms our shared humanity and sense of purpose."
Cooper's design features the inscriptions "Mercury," "Gemini" and "Apollo," with each word separated by a phase of the moon, and an astronaut's boot print on the lunar surface. Together, they are intended to represent the U.S. space program leading up to the first moon landing.
"The official US Mint coin is unveiling today, which is celebrating the national celebration of the Apollo anniversaries," said Ellen Stofan, director of the National Air and Space Museum. .
The unveiling was timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Apollo program. Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham, who flew with the late Wally Schirra and Donn Eisele on the 1968 test of the Apollo command and service modules in Earth orbit, with the corner's reveal.
"Apollo 7 was a major mission and to this day, it is still the longest," said Cunningham said. "I hope we will be remembered for taking a step closer to our first lunar landing."
"It is my honor to help unveil a keepsake commemorating the Apollo program," Cunningham continued. "This coin celebrates the work of 400,000 Americans in what President Kennedy called 'the most dangerous, dangerous and greatest adventure' in which we are all embarked. We were willing to make – and some people did – in our country and to history. "
Joining Cunningham on the stage of the unveiling was Cheryl Chaffee, daughter of the late Roger Chaffee, who with his two Apollo 1 crewmates died in a fire on the launch in 1967. Cheryl Chaffee took part in the ceremony as a representative of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), one of three organizations that will benefit from the sale of the corners.
"If the Apollo 11 commemorative is a total sell out, the program could raise in excess of $ 14.5 million," said Ryder.
In addition to the AMF, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) will receive one quarter of the total funds authorized by the National Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). of its new "Destination Moon" gallery slated to open in 2022.
"The museum, the foundations and the Mint are all joined in a mission to support just the kind of these achievements," said Stofan.
The Apollo 11 50th anniversary coins will be issued in January 2019 as a $ 5 gold coin, a $ 1 silver coin, a half dollar coin clad, and a five ounce $ 1 silver proof coin.
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