Apollo 11 Commemorative Coins

Humanity changed forever on July 20, 1969, when the first men to walk on the Moon proved, once again, that only dreams define bounds, and that the achievements of science and technology can strike awe in all. That pivotal Lunar mission, which sent United States astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin to the Moon aboard NASA’s Apollo 11, remains one of humankind’s most important achievements and has long since set society’s sights on reaching places well beyond the Moon.

In 2019, the United States marked the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 with a set of curved commemorative coins. They include a five-ounce proof silver dollar, a $5 gold coin, a silver dollar, and a clad half dollar all bearing common obverse and reverse designs.

The obverse depicts a bootprint on the surface of the Moon and carries inscriptions of “MERCURY,” “GEMINI,” and “APOLLO,” which are references to the series of manned NASA flight programs that led to the 1969 Moon landing. The obverse design by Gary Cooper was sculpted by Joseph Menna. The reverse, designed and sculpted by Phebe Hemphill, hearkens to a well-known photograph of Buzz Aldrin’s visor and helmet, which reflects the figure of Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the Lunar lander.

The Apollo 11 commemorative coins sold well and remain popular with collectors, many of whom can recall where they were when the news broke about the Lunar landing on July 20, 1969. All four coins can be included in various commemorative-related PCGS Registry Sets, providing many opportunities for collectors to numismatically memorialize the historic Apollo 11 mission.