Limited edition coins mark moon landing anniversary

The Dublin Mint Office will tomorrow launch two limited edition coin and ingot sets to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, which took place on 20th July 1969. 

The sets bear unique designs celebrating one of the most historic and iconic achievements in modern history. The coins and ingots were produced by the United States Mint and are limited to just 500 issues each. 

The Magnificent Desolation 50th Anniversary Gold Set includes a ¼ ounce gold $5 coin and a 5 gram gold ingot. The Giant Leap for Mankind 50th Anniversary Set includes a silver 5 ounce $1 coin and a 2.5 gram gold ingot.

The sets are packaged in a presentation box complete with a gold layered plaque on the interior that is a replica of the plaque that was left on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission inscribed with the words: ‘Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon, July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind’. 

The plaque also bears engravings of the signatures of the three astronauts from the 1969 mission, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, as well as President Richard Nixon. The box also has a printed inlay featuring the moon landing.

Michael Kenny, Historical Consultant for The Dublin Mint Office said: “Not only was it the pinnacle of technological advancement at the time, the Moon Landing instantly became one of the most defining moments in all of history. 
It was the moment where science met ambition and pushed us further than we ever had been before. These special, limited-edition coin and ingot sets are an impressive way for coin collectors and historians to celebrate this monumental event in human history. The moon landing represented one of the greatest achievements for mankind, and it is only right to bring the experience to life in these unique concave precious metal coins".