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The space race between USSR and the USA began on October 4, 1957 with the successful launching of the Soviet Union’s artificial satellite code named Sputnik.
On July 29, 1958 President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of N.A.S.A.
In 1961 President John F. Kennedy announces his proposal that our national goal is to land someone on the moon before the end of the decade, thus beginning the Apollo space program which ran from 1961 to 1972 with the first successfully manned flights into outer-space in 1968.
Apollo 11 is launched from Merrit island at the Kennedy Space Center Florida July 16, 1969 by a Saturn V rocket. The crew consisted of Cmdr. Neil Armstrong / Lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin / Command module pilot Michael Collins.
At 20:17 zulu on 20 July 1969 - Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle on the moon while Command module pilot Michael Collins orbited the moon with the command module, Columbia.
At 02:56:15 zulu on 21 July 1969 Cmdr. Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon followed Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin just 19 minutes later spending about 2.25 hours outside the space craft. They collected about 47.5lbs of lunar matter to bring back to earth. After spending about 21 and a half hours on the lunar surface they rejoined Pilot Michael Collins and the Columbia, beginning their journey back to earth.
After a total of eight days in space the astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on 24 July 1969. This mission effectively ended the space race between the USSR and the USA.
The last Apollo mission (Apollo 17) was launched December 7, 1972.
The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Program celebrates the first manned Moon landing on July 20, 1969, and the efforts of the United States space program leading up to this historic event.
All coins in this program share common designs and are curved. The obverse design was selected from entries in a juried competition as required by the authorizing legislation, Public Law 114-282. The winning design is by Gary Cooper of Belfast, Maine. The engraving was done by Joseph Menna of the U.S. Mint.
Joseph Menna was later selected to serve as the 14th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint in February 2019.
Obverse: This design features the inscriptions “MERCURY,” “GEMINI,” and “APOLLO,” separated by phases of the Moon, and a footprint on the lunar surface, which together represent the efforts of the United States space program leading up to the first manned Moon landing. Additional inscriptions include “2019,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “LIBERTY.” The “D” mint mark is just below the inscription 2019.
Reverse: This design features a representation of a close-up of the famous “Buzz Aldrin on the Moon” photograph taken July 20, 1969, that shows just the visor and part of the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The reflection in Buzz Aldrin’s helmet includes astronaut Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. Inscriptions include “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “ONE DOLLAR,” and “E PLURIBUS UNUM.”
The mintage limit of the Apollo 11 50th anniversary uncirculated clad half dollar minted at the Denver mint was limited to 175,000 across all products. The coins are comprised of 8.33% nickel and the balance in copper. The coin has a reeded edge measuring .123 inches in height with the diameter of the coin measuring 1.205 inches. The coin weighs 11.34 grams.