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1 Dollar Bars and Lisichka
| Issuer | Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 2014 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features the national seal of the Republic of Marshall Islands rendered in high relief at the centre, depicting a traditional Marshallese sailing canoe, a frigate bird, and a sun with rays, all enclosed within a circular emblem. The outer legend reads REPUBLIC OF MARSHALL ISLANDS along the upper arc, with the Marshallese motto JEPILPILIN KE EJUKAAN along the lower arc. The date 2014 appears in the lower field beneath the seal. The design is executed in a polished, proof-like style on a reeded-edge flan. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the two Soviet space dogs Belka and Strelka in full colour, shown in their space suits against a vivid rendition of the Soviet flag bearing the hammer and sickle emblem in red and gold. The dogs are portrayed in a frontal composition, their suits clearly detailed. The Cyrillic legend БЕЛКА И СТРЕЛКА arcs boldly across the upper field. The denomination 1$ appears to the left within a ring of small stars encircling the lower portion of the design. The colourised central motif contrasts sharply with the polished silver-plated field. |
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| Additional information |
The Marshall Islands has issued commemorative dollars under its own authority since 1986, when the newly independent republic established a coinage program largely aimed at the collector market rather than circulation. This piece honors Bars and Lisichka, the two Soviet dogs launched aboard Sputnik 5 in August 1960 — a mission that also returned them safely to Earth, making them among the first living creatures recovered alive from orbit. They flew one day before Belka and Strelka on the same mission, a detail that frequently gets collapsed in popular accounts.
Wait — I need to correct that. Bars and Lisichka were killed when their rocket exploded on July 28, 1960, during a separate, earlier failed launch attempt. Belka and Strelka flew successfully on August 19, 1960, aboard Sputnik 5.The Marshall Islands has issued commemorative dollars under its own authority since 1986, when the newly independent republic established a coinage program largely aimed at the collector market rather than domestic use. Bars and Lisichka died on July 28, 1960, when their rocket exploded roughly 28 seconds after launch — a failure Soviet authorities suppressed for decades. Their mission predated Sputnik 5's successful flight by three weeks.