Rare unflown sterling silver Apollo 11 Robbins Medal, approximately 1.25″ in diameter, with a raised design on the face of the Apollo 11 mission insignia. The reverse of the sterling silver medal is engraved with the last names of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, and the launch, moon landing, and return date fields are all left blank. This medal is serial numbered "164.” In mint condition.
Made by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts, astronauts who are in line for a flight have the option of purchasing the medallions for themselves, family, and friends as personal souvenirs. All 450 Apollo 11 Robbins medallions were intended for flight but CMP Michael Collins reported that nine went missing from the KSC crew quarters pre-flight and thus were not flown. Some of these medallions resurfaced decades later in the estate of a woman who had been a janitor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. These unflown medallions can be identified by the fact that the mission dates are not engraved in the reverse. An unbelievably scarce Apollo 11 artifact with a storied past that ultimately makes it rarer than one of its flown counterparts.
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
