Michael Collins’s flown sterling silver Apollo 11 Robbins Medal, approximately 1″ in diameter, with a raised early design on the face of the iconic Apollo 11 mission insignia, with the eagle carrying the olive branch in its beak. The reverse of the sterling silver medal is engraved with the last names of astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, along with the July 16, 1969, launch date; July 20, 1969, moon landing date; and July 24, 1969, return date. Condition is mint state. The medal is serial numbered “68,” and encapsulated in a plastic NGC holder with a grade of MS65 and provenance certification, “Ex. Michael Collins.” Accompanied by a handwritten letter of provenance from Collins, in full: “I hereby certify that Apollo XI silver Robbins medallion #68 was flown aboard the first Lunar Landing flight, July 1969. It has been in my personal collection since then. Michael Collins, Apollo XI CMP, June 22, 2016.” Remarkably scarce flown mementos such as this—particularly one from man’s first step into a brave new world—are highly prized by collectors, with this being an especially appealing example as it originates from the personal collection of the mission’s command module pilot and is of such an uncommonly low serial number.
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