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Author
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Topic: Manned Flight Awareness coins reproductions?
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Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 46
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 06-04-2023 01:45 PM
   
Are there any known reproductions of the Manned Flight Awareness coins made with flown metal for Apollo 8 and Apollo 11? I know these were produced in pretty large numbers anyway, but I came across someone with several dozen of each and I wondered if that had ever been an issue. |
teopze
Member Posts: 192
From: Ithaca, NY
Registered: May 2008
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posted 06-05-2023 01:30 AM
In my experience, they were most likely stolen. These are subjects of strict accounting. Finding, in the wild, more than one/two should made you think twice... |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2187
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 06-05-2023 11:45 AM
I wonder if you are confusing the Manned Flight Awareness medallions with the Robbins medallions?The Robbins were indeed very limited numbers, whilst I believe the Apollo MFA medallions numbered something like 100,000 each. Enough to give us each an atom or two if flown material, lol. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50644
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-05-2023 12:18 PM
Back when we had an store (buySPACE) as part of this site, we took on a consignment of 20 or so each of the Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 Manned Flight Awareness medallions and then marketed each separately. The consignor, if I recall correctly, had been a NASA manager who was given an even larger number of the medallions to distribute to the team. What he consigned was what was left over at the time of his retirement.NASA also has or had some quantity of the medallions left at the time of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing, as I saw a bag of them at an event at NASA Headquarters where they were being given out to the students in attendance. |
nasamad
Member Posts: 2187
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001
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posted 06-05-2023 02:44 PM
I suspect the MFA medallions were handed out by the bag or box within NASA. My Apollo 11 one was gifted to me by Paul Weitz and I know it wasn’t the last he had.
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Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 46
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 06-08-2023 10:45 PM
Thanks for the input! I've collected aluminum coins in other areas, and even talked with someone who worked at a production facility. I was told they could churn out many thousands in a very short time. It's pretty expensive to create tooling, though. I figured these were likely given out in large batches sometimes, but I wanted to see what others had experienced. |
Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 46
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 06-22-2023 01:32 PM
I bought those coins and got them today, but now I'm a bit more confused than before.  Are there two different versions of the Apollo 11 MFA medallions? I thought they were the same size as the Apollo 8. The Apollo 11 medallions in this group are about a quarter of an inch smaller than the Apollo 8 and made from a heavier metal than aluminum. I've sifted through a number of older threads on collectSPACE and in this one the Apollo 11 coin is described as aluminum. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 297
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 06-22-2023 01:57 PM
Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 Manned Flight Awareness medallions differ in size and material. There are two variants of the Apollo 11 MFA medallion, a more common silver colored alloy variant and a less common gold plated version. |
Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 46
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 06-22-2023 02:00 PM
Thanks! The silver and gold versions of the Apollo 11 are the same size, correct? From the threads I read, it seemed likely the 2nd anniversary versions were plated on top of existing medallions from the first run, correct? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 50644
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-22-2023 02:26 PM
To my knowledge, the Apollo 11 Manned Flight Awareness medal does not contain any silver. It is aluminum, just a heavier alloy than the Apollo 8 medallion.And yes, it is believed the gold-plated second anniversary medallions were made from medallions struck with the original run. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 297
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 06-22-2023 02:32 PM
Amended, meant silver colored aluminium alloy. |
Rambler Typhoon
Member Posts: 46
From:
Registered: Dec 2015
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posted 06-22-2023 02:32 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
To my knowledge, the Apollo 11 Manned Flight Awareness medal does not contain any silver. It is aluminum, just a heavier alloy than the Apollo 8 medallion.And yes, it is believed the gold-plated second anniversary medallions were made from medallions struck with the original run.
Thanks Robert! |
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