Dec. 5, 2016

— The United States Mint is now somewhere between a "small step" and a "giant leap" closer to striking coins for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Monday (Dec. 5) approved the "Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act," calling for the Mint to strike curved coins in gold, silver and clad to mark the five decades since astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins launched on the first lunar landing mission.

The bill (H.R.2726) was passed under a suspension of the rules used to quickly approve non-controversial bills. The act was first introduced by Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) in June 2015.

"Mr. Speaker, July 20, 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the landing of the 'Eagle' lunar module on the moon's surface," Posey, who was a member of the Apollo team in 1969, said on the House floor on Monday. "We remain the only country that has ever launched humans [to] the moon and returned them safely to Earth."

"This commemorative coin will celebrate what I feel is the most awe-inspiring engineering and technological [feat] of the 20th century," said Posey.

The iconic image of Buzz Aldrin's spacesuit helmet visor will serve as the design for the reverse of commemorative coins recognizing the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, if Congress approves. (NASA)

Joining Posey as the initial cosponsors for the bill were representatives Frederica Wilson (D-FL), John Culberson (R-TX), Gene Green (D-TX) and Rod Blum (R-IA). The bill attracted the support of 293 more cosponsors before being passed on Monday.

Should the bill pass in the Senate before the end of the year and the President sign it into law, then the U.S. Mint will be directed to strike convex coins bearing the iconic image reflected in Buzz Aldrin's helmet visor, as was taken by Neil Armstrong on the moon.

"The design on the common reverse of the coins minted under this act shall be a representation of a close-up of the famous 'Buzz Aldrin on the moon' photo taken July 20, 1969, showing just the visor and [a] part of the helmet of astronaut [Aldrin], in which the visor reflects the image of the United States flag and the lunar lander," the legislation instructs.

That design would be further highlighted by the shape of the commemoratives.

"The coins minted under this act shall be produced in a fashion... so that the reverse of the coin is convex to more closely resemble the faceplate of the astronaut's helmet of the time," the bill directs.

The act calls for the coins to be issued in four legal tender denominations:

• $5 gold coins - not more than 50,000 pieces, with a diameter of 0.85 inches (2.16 cm);

• $1 silver coins - not more than 400,000 pieces, with a diameter of 1.5 in. (3.8 cm);

• Half-dollar clad coins - not more than 750,000, with a diameter of 1.25 in. (3.2 cm);

• Proof-silver $1 coins - not more than 100,000, with a diameter of 3 inches (7.6 cm).