Half Dollar Signed by One of Kennedy’s Astronauts!
“We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.”
— President John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy spoke those words to a large crowd at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas on September 12, 1962. It echoed his comments made to a joint session of Congress the year before in which he called for the United States to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. Sadly, Kennedy never saw his call to action fulfilled. An assassin’s bullet may have cut him down, but America prevailed and completed the task JFK had set out before her.
One of the people instrumental in accomplishing this mission was Charles “Charlie” Duke, who served as CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) for the landmark Apollo 11 mission that enthralled the world during the summer of 1969 by successfully landing a man on the moon. Serving as the central point of communication between Mission Control and the three-man crew, Duke's Texas accent not only helped guide astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin as they made their momentous journey to the moon’s surface, but became THE voice of Mission Control as his distinctive southern drawl struck a note with television viewers across the world.
Three years later, Duke made history of his own as a member of the Apollo 16 mission. Not only was he the tenth man in history to set foot on the moon, but at the age of 36, Charles “Charlie” Duke was – and still is – the youngest person to ever walk on the surface of the moon.
- Now, as the 50th anniversary of that first moon landing approaches, we've teamed up with Charlie Duke to add his mark to these First-nedy Silver Half-Dollars. Each coin has been certified by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in gorgeous Gem Proof condition. In addition, each comes sonically sealed in an acrylic holder with a black display core and a full-color label featuring both Duke on the moon and his hand-signed signature!
Featuring U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts’ bust of President John F. Kennedy, thnedy Half-Dollar was originally meant to be a one-year-only tribute to the fallen President. It proved to be so popular, however, that the U.S. Mint has issued it every year since. The coin’s reverse is a modified design of the Presidential Seal by Frank Gasparro, who replaced Roberts as the U.S. Mint’s Chief Engraver in 1965.
With excitement about the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing building by leaps and bounds, anything associated with the historic event has become of intense interest to collectors and science and space travel buffs. Don't miss out on owning this historic coin with a label signed by a true American hero. Blast off for yours today!
-
FIRST-YEAR KENNEDY HALF-DOLLAR – Featuring U.S. Mint Chief Engraver Gilroy Roberts’ bust of President John F. Kennedy, thnedy Half-Dollar was originally meant to be a one-year-only tribute to the fallen President. It proved to be so popular, however, that the U.S. Mint has issued it every year since. The coin’s reverse is a modified design of the Presidential Seal by Frank Gasparro, who replaced Roberts as the U.S. Mint’s Chief Engraver in 1965.
-
STRUCK IN GLEAMING SILVER – These first-year Kennedy Half Dollars were struck in 90% silver – the only year these coins were struck in 90% silver for general circulation.
-
LARGE LEGAL-TENDER COIN – Each large, 30.6 mm coin is 50 cents legal tender in the United States.
-
GRADED IN GORGEOUS GEM PROOF CONDITION – Yonedy Half-Dollar has been graded by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) as being in gorgeous Gem Proof condition, meaning it was expertly crafted by the mint from hand-selected planchets, polished dies and multiple strikes to produce beautifully frosted details rising over mirror-like fields.
-
INCLUDES SIGNATURE OF REAL-LIFE AMERICAN HERO – These coins all feature an exclusive label personally signed by astronaut Charles “Charlie” Duke, CAPCOM (Capsule Communicator) for the landmark Apollo 11 mission.
