Skylab, America's first space station, had already been dead for a decade when this coin was issued. The station reentered Earth's atmosphere in July 1979, scattering debris across the Australian outback — NASA had miscalculated the reentry trajectory, and the Western Australian town of Esperance famously issued the agency a $400 littering fine that went unpaid for nearly thirty years.
The Marshall Islands gained self-governance in 1979 and began its commemorative coin program in 1986, quickly establishing itself as a prolific issuer of .999 silver rounds targeting the collector market rather than circulation.
Skylab, America's first space station, had already been dead for a decade when this coin was issued. The station reentered Earth's atmosphere in July 1979, scattering debris across the Australian outback — NASA had miscalculated the reentry trajectory, and the Western Australian town of Esperance famously issued the agency a $400 littering fine that went unpaid for nearly thirty years.
The Marshall Islands gained self-governance in 1979 and began its commemorative coin program in 1986, quickly establishing itself as a prolific issuer of .999 silver rounds targeting the collector market rather than circulation.