Catalog
50 Dollars First Space Station Crew
| Issuer | Republic of the Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1989 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1986-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the Soviet Salyut space station in orbit, with a Soyuz spacecraft approaching for docking, rendered in fine detail against a starfield background. The composition commemorates the first crewed space station mission of 1971, with stars scattered across the field to evoke the vastness of space. The curved legend FIRST SPACE STATION CREW - 1971 arcs along the upper portion of the coin. The denomination FIFTY DOLLARS, styled within a decorative cartouche incorporating the numeral 50, appears in the lower right field. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Marshall Islands began issuing commemorative coinage in 1986 following the Compact of Free Association with the United States, which granted the republic self-governance while the U.S. retained defense authority. This piece marks the crew of Salyut 7's final long-duration mission — not, as the title might imply, the first crew ever to inhabit a space station, which was Salyut 1 in 1971. The phrasing likely references the first American crew aboard a permanent station, anticipating Freedom, which was never built as designed.
The Marshall Islands Mint had no domestic striking facility; these were produced by contract manufacturers and sold directly to collectors, with essentially no circulation history.