On May 1, the United States Mint will open a public contest to design curved Apollo 11 Commemorative Coins.
In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon, the U.S. Mint in 2019 will produce and issue $5 gold coins, silver dollars, clad half-dollars, and 5 ounce $1 silver coins.
The collection of coins will share the same obverse (heads) and reverse (tails) designs, and will be curved in shape similar to the 2014 National Baseball Hall of Fame Baseball Coins.
Artists from the Mint will design the reverse. The authorizing law for the coins (Public Law 114-282) calls for a close-up depiction of the famous 1969 "Buzz Aldrin on the Moon" photograph, showing just a part of Aldrin’s helmet to include his visor and its reflection of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander.
Artists who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States will be asked to design the coins’ common obverse design, which must be emblematic of the U.S. space program leading up to the first manned Moon landing. The winning artist, with their design selected by the Secretary of the Treasury from the juried competition, will receive $5,000 and have their initials appear on the coins.
Key dates for the design competition include:
- Applications Open: May 1, 2017
- Application Deadline: June 29, 2017
- Artists Notified if Selected to Submit a Design: July 31, 2017
- Submissions Must Be Received By: September 8, 2017
- Winner Announced: 2018
2019 Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coins will be issued in collector qualities of both proof and uncirculated, with exception of the 5 ounce $1 silver coin which will be issued in proof only. Maximum mintages are established at:
- 50,000 for the $5 gold coins,
- 400,000 silver dollars,
- 750,000 clad half-dollars, and
- 100,000 for the 5 ounce $1 silver proof coin.
For more information, official rules and FAQ’s, the United States Mint has a webpage devoted to the design competition.
