Catalog
50 Dollars USS Hornet
| Issuer | Government of the Marshall Islands |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 31.1 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIC OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS JEPILPILIN KE EJUKAAN SEAL |
| Reverse description | A detailed high-relief depiction of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier underway at sea dominates the reverse field, rendered with fine engraving showing the vessel's superstructure, deck, and bow wave. A large, dramatically shaded mountainous landmass rises in the upper left background, contrasting with the open sky to the right. A small aircraft is visible in the middle distance to the right of the ship. The legend USS HORNET arcs along the upper periphery, and the denomination 50 DOLLARS is inscribed in the right field. |
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| Additional information |
The USS Hornet (CV-12) was the Essex-class carrier that recovered the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts after splashdown — a role assigned partly because the ship had already been fitted with biological isolation facilities following uncertainty about lunar contamination protocols. The Marshall Islands issued commemorative silver dollars throughout the 1990s at a pace that strained credibility as a sovereign coinage program, but the underlying subjects were often genuinely well-chosen.
CV-12 was also the ship from which Jimmy Doolittle received his Medal of Honor citation in 1942 — though that ceremony took place aboard the original Hornet, CV-8, lost at Santa Cruz that October.