posted December 10, 2007 10:07 AM               

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The National Aeronautics and Space Association has licensed a new, extremely limited line of 10 collectible space coins celebrating the final years of the Hubble Space Telescope called the HST Discovery Coin Series.

Discovery Collectibles, an exclusive creator of rare coin lines focusing on space exploration and discovery, today announced the release of a highly limited collection of 10 brilliant silver nickel uncirculated coins celebrating the work of NASA and the amazing odyssey of the Hubble Space Telescope.

This first collection of 10 coins focuses on the eight planets in our solar system. This commemorative coin collection includes an extremely rare Pluto coin, the last Pluto-Hubble coin approved by NASA before the planet was decommissioned in 2006. It also includes a remarkable Sun coin, striking in its powerful, kinetic design.

Inspired by the NASA and JPL 50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin Act which authorizes the US Mint to produce a $50 gold coin with an image of the Sun and nine $1 silver coins each representing one of the nine planets in our solar system, Discovery Collectibles worked with NASA to create a coin line that complements the anniversary and celebrates one of the agency's greatest accomplishments in the [Hubble Telescope.

"Minting coins is a distinctive way to honor 50 years of dedicated service by the men and women of JPL and NASA," said Representative Adam Schiff, who was a co- sponsor of the Act.

Only 1000 complete sets of the HST Discovery Collection have been minted worldwide. According to NASA a total of 30 designs in all have approved which will focus on Hubble Discoveries in deep space and some of the new coins will also include material from deep space as well. One of the coins in the following set will include pieces of meteorite and flown metal from NASA spacecraft.

All the coins in the current and future HST Discovery Collection were hand designed by sculptor Alex Shagin, a Russian born designer who was awarded the fabled American Numismatic Society J. Sanford Saltus Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Art of the Medal in 1995. Mr. Shagin's work is displayed in some of the world's greatest museums such as the National Air and Space Museum, the Hermitage Museum and the British Museum Permanent Numismatic Collection.

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posted January 22, 2008 09:32 PM               

While implying these are NASA coins, they seem to me to be merely commemorative medals issued by a private entity. Using a name similar to "National Aeronautics and Space ADMINISTRATION" to mislead the consumer-along the lines of the private "Postal Commemorative Society" which issued those great "gold" stamps.

posted January 22, 2008 10:11 PM               

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Originally posted by MScherzi:
Using a name similar to "National Aeronautics and Space ADMINISTRATION" to mislead the consumer-along the lines of the private "Postal Commemorative Society" which issued those great "gold" stamps.

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