Back when Apollo 11 made the first manned landing on the Moon I purchased a limited edition silver commemorative coin from the Franklin Mint. The obverse of the coin depicts one of the astronauts setting foot on the moon.
The reverse of the coin shows the plaque that was attached to the lander leg and remains on the Moon to this day.
I didn’t continue to collect similar coins for the rest of the Moon landings but I did purchase the coin for the last landing, Apollo 17. The obverse of that coin depicts one of the astronauts deploying scientific instruments
while the reverse depicts the mission patch.
When President Dwight D Eisenhower died the US Mint commemorated his life with a quasi-silver dollar (It is nickel-clad copper rather than silver. There was a collector’s version of the coin which did contain silver but only around 82%.). The first coins were issued in 1971. The obverse of the coin shows Eisenhower’s head while the reverse shows an eagle landing on the Moon (“The Eagle has landed.”)
At the time of the US bicentennial the mint issued the coin for three years with the bicentennial date on the obverse and a large Liberty Bell superimposed over a large Moon.
On the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing the Republic of the Marshall Islands issued a $5 silver commemorative coin, legal tender in the Islands. It was enclosed in a glossy folder with the text quoted below.
Republic of the Marshall Islands First Men on the Moon $5 Commemorative Coin
America Lands the First Men on the Moon
July 20, 1969, 4:17 p.m., Sea of Tranquility, Moon. "The Eagle has landed." When this message was broadcast from the moon's surface twenty years ago, the world fell silent ... and in awe. For not only had America Fulfilled the pledge made by President Kennedy -- to land a man on the moon by 1970 -- but she had realized the dream of generations of mankind. The suspense was heart-stopping right up to the final hours. A vital computer malfunctioned during the descent. And as the Eagle approached the moon's surface, the manual controls had to be swiftly engaged to steer clear of lunarboulders. But Eagle did land. And when the astronauts emerged for their historic 1-1/4 hour moon walk, Neil Armstrong uttered the words "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." An American flag was erected on the windless lunar surface, and a plaque left behind on the landing module bears these words: "Here men from the planet Earth firstset foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind."
Launch of Apollo 11
9:32 a.m. Eastern Daylignt Time
July 16, 1969 | Landing on the Moon
4:17 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
July 20, 1969 |
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The First Men on the Moon $5 Commemorative Coin
Issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands -- July 20, 1989 |
The obverse of the coin is very similar to the Franklin Mint coin but, to my eye, not as well engraved. The reverse of the coin bears the seal of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Story of the First Men on the Moon Coin
The First Men on the Moon $5 Commemorative Coin was issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands precisely 20 years after the historic moon landing. This cupro-nickel coin is legal tender of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and salutes the most triumphant achievement in the history of American space exploration. The obverse of the coin captures the mement when an Apollo 11 astronaut stepped off the Eagle landing cragt and is modeled after a photograph taken by Neil Armstrong, already on the surface of the moon. The reverse of the coin bears the official seal of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands, most famous for its role as a U.S. staging area during World War II, was granted complete independance by the U.S. in 1986 [but we still have to provide disaster relief and national defense for them]. Appropriately, a U.S. base on the Islands has been used to track shuttle flights, and the independant Republic remains one of America's staunchest allies in the Western Pacific.
The Apollo 11 Astronauts
The historic Apollo 11 flight was piloted by three veteran astronauts. The first man on the moon was 38-year-old Neil Armstrong, whose previous flight experience included the Gemini 8 mission, during which he successfully performed the first docking in space. At 39, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin was the second man on the moon. His prior experience included three breathtaking spacewalks undertaken duing the 1966 Gemini 12 mission. Michael Collins, also 39 at the time of the Apollo 11 flight, was the pilot who remained in control of the orbiting Columbia while Armstrong and Aldrin maneuvered the Eagle landing craft to the moon's surface. Previously, Collins had taken part in the Gemini 10 mission.
From left, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin.
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... a Piece of history you can hold in your hand--
an affirmation of American ingenuity and courage --
available at the face value of only $5.00
Twenty years ago, America landed the first men on the moon. And this year, we celebrate the self-confident and heroic spirit that put America's flag on the moon's Sea of Tranquility with the issuance of the First Men on the Moon $5 Commemorative Coin. This legal tender coin was issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where America has an important space tracking station.
The commemorative coin dramatically depicts the triumphant moment when American astronauts became the first men on the moon. About the same diameter as a Silver Dollar, the coin is even thicker -- and painstakingly minted in a brilliant uncirculated finish. Each coin is protectively encased after passing exacting minting standards, and is accompanied by an authoritative narrative of the Apollo 11
mission.
This historic commemorative coin was issued on the anniversary date -- July 20, 1969 -- and will be minted only in 1989. Available in limited quantities, the coin is offered without ant premium over its face value of $5.00 plus $1.00 per coin for shipping, handling, and insurance. To assure fair distribution, there is a strict limit of five coins per order.
Order promptly -- for yourself or as a gift -- from the Republic of the Marshall Islands Coin Fulfillment Center. Use the convenient Order Form on the back, or confirm your order immediately by calling TOLL FREE 1-800-443-3232 from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. All orders are subject to limitation and acceptance. Satisfaction guaranteed.
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An affirmation of American ingenuity and courage -- minted in one Troy ounce of .999 pure silver -- available at its $50.00 face value
Now you can hold a piece of history in your hand. Twenty years ago, America landed the first men on the moon. And this year, we celebrate the self-confident spirit that put America's flag on the moon's Sea of Tranquility with the issuance of the First Men on the Moon $50 Silver Proof Commemorative Coin./ The legal tender coin was issued by the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where America has an important space tracking station.
This pure silver commemorative coin dramatically depicts the triumphant moment when American astronauts became the first men on the moon. About the same diameter as a Silver Dollar, the coin is even thicker - and painstakingly minted with finely frosted details and a mirror-like background. Each coin is protectively encased and shipped in a presentation box along with an authoritative narrative and a Certificate of Authenticity.
This historic commemorative coin was issued on July 20, 1989 -- the precise anniversary date of the Apollo 11 moon landing -- and will be minted only in 1898. It will be available at its $50 face value this year only, with a modest additional fee of $6.00 for shipping, handling, and insurance. To assure fair distribution, there is a strict limit of on coin per order.
Order promptly -- for yourself or as a gift -- from the Republic of the Marshall Islands Coin Fulfillment Center. Use the convenient Order Form on the back, or confirm your order immediately by calling TOLL FREE 1-800-443-3232 from anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. All orders subject to limitation and acceptance. Satisfaction guaranteed.
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And in 1971 the Soviet Union issued a series of stamps celebrating the 20th anniversary of the space age. I ordered First Day Covers through the Franklin Mint. The cachet on each of the six covers is by cosmonaut-artist Alexei Leonov.
Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Space Age
Each of the Official First Day Covers in this collection bears the unique first day of issue postmark of Baikhonur, site of the Soviet space launches – unique because it marks the first time the U.S.S.R. has ever designated a site outside Moscow for an official first day of issue cancellation. The cancellation date is October 4, 1977 – 20th anniversary of the launching of the first Sputnik, the world’s first earth satellite.
Each cover carries a different commemorative stamp and corresponding cachet design which was created especially for that cover by Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov. The cosmonaut, who is also a gifted artist, served in the Soviet Air Force until 1960 when he joined the first group of airmen in training for Soviet space flights. He later became the first man to walk in space and was appointed Soviet command pilot for the Apollo-Soyuz mission culminating in the link-up of American and Soviet vehicles in outer space.
Included in this collection is a First Day Cover commemorating the first manned space flight. Both the stamp and Leonov’s cachet design bear portraits of Yuri Gagarin who piloted Vostok I on its memorable flight. Leonov himself appears on the stamp and on the cachet design commemorating the ten-minute space walk of March 18, 1965 when the artist became the first man to walk in outer space. The accomplishment of space research by orbital space stations is honored by the stamp which pictures the docking of the Soyuz spacecraft and the Salyut space station. The stamp depicting research of the space region closer to the earth shows the third Soviet sputnik, the world’s first automatic space station. The flights of interplanetary automatic research stations is the theme of another First Day Cover in the collection.
The final cover was designed in honor of international cooperation in space. The Interkosmos 10 sputnik appears in the foreground of the stamp while just below it is depicted the historic event which is also pictured in the cachet design – the outer-space docking in July 1975 of the American Apollo and the Sobiet Soyuz under the command of Cosmonaut Leonov.
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Certification
This is to certify that the works of art which appear on the six covers in this collection are authentic lithographic prints of original paintings which I created in tribute to the 20th anniversary of the space age, and in the interest of furthering international cooperation in space exploration. I further certify that these works of art have been prepared expressly for these First Day Covers and will not appear in any other philatelic collection. I have personally signed this certificate attesting to these facts.
Signed
Alexei Leonov, Cosmonaut and Soviet command pilot for the Soyuz-Apollo Space Mission.
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Certificate of Authenticity
Issue No. 1
The undersigned hereby certifies that this is an official First Day Cover, bearing a commemorative postage stamp of the USSR honoring man's first space flight. This cover has been postmarked at Baikhonour, USSR, with the official first day of issue cancellation 4 October 1977. This First Day Cover also bears an original design as certified by Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov.
4 October 1977
signed
N. A. Afanasiev, Deputy General Director of the Post of the USSR
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Man's First Space Flight
The First Space Walk
Research by Orbital Space Stations
The First Automatic Space Station
Interplanetary Space Research
International Cooperation in Space
The last stamp in the collection is a 50 kopeck mint stamp.
Personal Notes
by Cosmonaut-Artist Alexei Leonov
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We are indebted to Alexei Leonov for the notes which he so graciously provided to help sketch is personal background.
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MY BIOGRAPHY AS AN ARTIST begins in my early childhood and I soon acquired both fans and critics. Some were happy when all of a sudden with a piece of black charcoal I created another masterpiece on the whitewashed wall in the shape of an aircraft, winged sailing vessel or a cartoon ridiculing the neighborhood bully. The others, mainly adults, could not understand such creations and sometimes threatened to tear off my ears.
My father and mother always supported me in my passion to create and often forgave my many shortcomings, such as paintings on the walls, the oven, and even on the white tablecloth. But once even their patience was exhausted, when on the eve of the New Year I painted their windows with all the colors of the rainbow.
I also enjoyed watching clouds – they were for me a source of fantasy, lively and changing. I was fascinated by every knot in the fence, every crack in the wall.
When I began to go to the first form, or school, I was aware of light and shadow and used them in my drawings. My first drawing lesson let me show my abilities and attracted the attention of my teacher and school director.
There were years of trial for our country, for a terrible war was going on. Children in school lacked many necessary things, including paints, paper and pencils. I found a way out of this hardship – a piece of lead sharpened with a file would be used in place of a pencil to draw on paper. However, my hands got dirty very quickly, and my pockets became torn from the weight of heavy lead and file.
While in the third form, I took up lessons with a group of young artists at the House of Pioneers. Here I came to know perspective, composition and design. These studies captivated me, and I wished I could have taken more of them.
My formal education as an artist stopped at the House of Pioneers, but my self-education continued all my life. I used to become absorbed in books about artists, essays by art critics. My special passion became reproductions of masterpieces. I managed to collect a complete set of reproductions of the paintings of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. The book by Repin, “The Far and the Near,” became my handbook as well as “Learn to Draw” by Deineka.
I was carried away by the American painter Alvazovsky, collected everything about him which was published in our country.
Ships, the azure sea, the violence of nature, the courage of sailors – all were topics of my school works. Only one of them was dedicated to space, “Spacecraft on the Moon” – the result of my acquaintance with the writings of Tsiolkovsky.
Although I became a pilot rather than an artist, brushes and paints accompanied me all my life. My first exhibition was held in 1958 in the House of Culture in the city of Kremenchug. It was arranged for my fellow pilots, who liked my pictures and was a most rewarding experience for me.
In 1960 I became a member of a cosmonauts’ group. It was the beginning of a new stage in my life and a new stage in my creative work. From then on, my art was closely connected with space technology. The study of space mechanics, astronomy, astrophysics, biology and the construction of spacecraft gave me topics for my pictures and let me see into the future of space research.
Then in 1967 a number of exhibitions, together with the artist Sokolov, were held on Gorky Street in Moscow, and in Orel, Simferopol and Perm. Exhibitions in Brno; in Paris, France; and in Prague and Bratislava, Czechoslovakia took place in 1968. My space flight on board the spacecraft Voskhod-II and my space walk gave me material for my art. I did my best to create a vivid picture of what I have seen. Space is endless in its diversity, and one could devote a lifetime to painting it.
My one-man exhibition took place in March 1975 in Zvezmy to honor the 10th anniversary of the flight of Voskhod-II. The exhibition showed 85 pictures in pastel, oil, watercolors and graphics – the result of ten years’ work.
My pictures and the pictures of artist Sokolov were published five times in joint albums: Wait for us, Stars (1967), To the stars (1969), Tracks of Stars (1970), Space Distances (1972), and The Man and the Universe (1976). Presently, I am working on a new series of paintings honoring the 20th anniversary of the launching of the first sputnik.
My first picture about the cosmos was inspired by Yuri Gagarin’s historic flight. Every time I depict the earth from space, I recall Gagarin’s extraordinary words: “Having flown around the earth on board the spacecraft sputnik, I saw how beautiful out planet is. People, let us save and increase this beauty and not destroy it.”
