Space-Flown Silver Medals Soar At Auction As Interest In Series Grows

CoinWorld - This Apollo 14 silver medal carried aboard the mission's spacecraft was once owned by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.



Multiple space-flown medals brought big prices in Heritage Auctions' Space Exploration Signature Auction, May 20, in Dallas.

The sale was the latest in a rapidly expanding auction category that is growing in popularity with collectors as more material becomes available on the market from the estates and collections of astronauts. As of May 23, the sale totaled nearly $800,000.

Among the numismatic lots — and the fifth most expensive lot overall in the sale — was an Apollo 11 flown silver Robbins medallion, serial number 218, originally from the collection of Mission Support Crew Member Jack Swigert that sold for $30,000.

Robbins medallions were minted by the Robbins Co. of Attleboro, Mass. These .925 fine silver medals have been produced for every manned U.S. mission since Apollo 7. The medals were paid for by the crews and available for purchase only by NASA astronauts at the time.

Medals that were actually flown on missions are especially coveted.

The small .925 fine silver medal measuring 28 millimeters in diameter was one of 450 flown aboard Apollo 11, July 16 to 24, 1969, which is notable as the first manned moon landing. Swigert supported crew members Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. On that mission Armstrong became the first human to walk on the moon and Aldrin followed.

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