posted 10-07-2026 10:09 PM               

Out of circulation, into orbit: 2026 coins spent a month in space

This week, the United States Mint began selling sets of its 2026 coins, featuring designs celebrating the country's semiquincentennial. The collection is special for another reason, though — it includes examples of the same coins that were launched to the International Space Station earlier this year.

Out of the 10 coins in the annual set, eight are of the type chosen by the mint to be sent into low Earth orbit by NASA. In May, a SpaceX Dragon capsule brought to the space station a Jefferson nickel, an "Emerging Liberty" dime, an "Enduring Liberty" half dollar and five quarters. Each of the 25-cent pieces had different themes, including the Mayflower Compact, Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Gettysburg Address.