Information and images were unveiled late last week for the upcoming Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Currency Set from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP).
Scheduled to launch Tuesday, July 16, for $85.95, the set will include a BEP-produced $50 uncirculated note with a serial number beginning with "1969" and a BEP-engraved print of the iconic photo of Buzz Aldrin on the Moon.
On July 16, 1969, the Apollo 11 spacecraft launched from Launch Complex 39A at the John F. Kennedy Space Center carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, who on July 20, 2019 become the first humans to land on the Moon.
The historic "Buzz Aldrin on the Moon" photograph shows Aldrin standing on the Moon’s surface with his visor reflecting astronaut Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander. A close-up of the photo is depicted on other collector products released this year, notably the U.S. Mint’s collection Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coins.
The set’s Series 2013 $50 note will have a designation for the Federal Reserve Bank in New York (B). The engraved print measures 9.5″ x 5.5″ and it will feature numbers matching the last four digits of the serial number on the $50. Both the note and print will be held within an attractive presentation folder.
The Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Currency Set will have established limits of:
- 5,700 for the product,
- 6,000 for the mintage, and
- 10 for the initial household order.
The BEP collaborated with the United States Mint and its collectible products are now sold through the Mint’s e-commerce system. When released at noon ET on the 16th, place orders using the Engraving section of the Mint’s website at:
https://catalog.usmint.gov/currency/premium-products/
About the BEP
While the Bureau of Engraving and Printing makes and sells detailed intaglio prints and engravings, it is best known for producing United States currency. The bureau prints billions of Federal Reserve Notes each year for delivery to the Federal Reserve System. These notes are produced at facilities in Washington, DC, and Fort Worth, TX.
If they had actually made a different reverse of the $50 with apollo lander on the moon or something like that, then I would be all over it. Not this, however.
Ya, not seeing anything that is compelling enough to bother with this. Granted the product limit/mintage is low however that alone isn’t enough to draw my attention.
As c_q mentioned a distinguishing feature on the note itself would have made the relatively mundane into something spectacular. Even something as small as a privy stamp would have been beneficial. However such a designation likely would have cost millions of American tax dollars to obtain government approval…