Here at US Coin News, we don’t post a lot about mint activities in other countries because, well, the hint is in our name. But this unique opportunity is one that made us bend the rules a little bit.
The Royal Mint of Australia and the US Mint have teamed up to create a two-coin proof set of commemorative coins to celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing. The set consists of the clad Apollo 11 commemorative from the US Mint as well as a new silver coin in proof state from the Royal Mint of Australia. The set is $177 US and can be ordered directly from the Royal Mint.
The set comes in a presentation case with a certificate of authenticity. Sets of these coins are limited to just 10,000 in total so they will likely go fast.
The United States landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969 would not have happened had it not been for the help of the CSIRO radio telescope based in News South Wales in Australia. CSIRO stands for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
For the Royal Mint, their coin is a curved $5 Australian silver coin that is .999 silver. The obverse has the classic Ian-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, the CSIRO Parkes radio telescope, the moon, and part of the Apollo 11 transcripts. On the reverse you will find one of the Apollo 11 moon walkers (Buz Aldrin or Neil Armstrong), the Eagle Lunar Module, and the Earth. The Earth is colorized on the coin, making it a striking look.
The United States Mint coin is one that you may already be familiar with as it was released back on January 24, 2019 from the Mint. It depicts a footprint in the lunar soil on the obverse while the reverse is based on the famous “Buz Aldrin on the moon” photograph. It is also a curved coin like the one from the Royal Mint.
If you want to buy just the US Mint Apollo 11 50th anniversary commemorative, you can do so directly from the Mint’s site. It is $59.95.