Apollo 13 Robbins 50th - 1oz Platinum medal
Year: 2020
Mint/Issuer: Sunshine Mint
Mintage: 500
Flown metal: Various Apollo missions
Additional Information:
United States Space Program and other space exploration enthusiasts are sure to love this two piece set that marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 mission. The mission was supposed to be the third to land on the moon, but when an oxygen tank in the service module failed two days into the mission, the landing was aborted. Other problems put the lives of the crew in danger, but it returned safely on April 17, 1970. Struck in the USA at Sunshine Minting, these medals honor the mission. It consists of a 1 oz platinum and a 2 oz silver piece. Both are .999 fine. Just 500 platinum pieces and 1,000 silver pieces were struck. Each medal has been coated with an antiquing solution made from space-flown material.
Both of the medals bear the same designs. On the obverse is an ultra high relief strike of the official Apollo 13 logo, which was designed by Jim Lovell, the mission commander. The three horses of the sun god Apollo circle the moon with the sun in the background. At the top is an inscription of the name of the mission, "APOLLO XIII." In the lower left is a Latin inscription that reads, "EX LUNA, SCIENTIA" (From the moon, Knowledge).
At the center of the reverse is the inscription "AQUARIUS-ODYSSEY." Above and below are key dates of the mission, "LAUNCHED APRIL 11, 1970," "APRIL 17, 1970 RETURNED." The anniversary dates, "1970-2020," are inscribed at the bottom, and the weight and purity of the medal are inscribed at the top. Rim inscriptions note the names of the crew members, "JAMES A LOVELL JR," "JOHN L SWIGERT JR," and "FRED HAISE."
