One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind and no commemorative from the US Mint.

40 years ago today seemed larger than life to me. As an eleven-year-old boy, I remember exactly where I was at the pinnacle of what was perhaps mankind?s greatest technological triumph. At a carnival picnic sponsored by my father?s employer on July 20, 1969, I heard an announcement over the loud speaker that we had landed on the moon. The reaction to the news on that warm summer afternoon was a rousing cheer from the crowd in attendance at the picnic.

I have always been fascinated with space and space travel. As a boy I remember wanting to be an astronaut when I grew up. My favorite plastic model was the Saturn V rocket. To satisfy my curiosity and interest, I did all I could to find books, information, newspapers, and television news and documentaries on all the Apollo missions. I was certifiably a space nut, my favorite television show at the time was ?Lost in Space? and today I have most of those episodes on DVD. With my heart so set on being an astronaut my mother told me, why go in a rocket, one swift kick, and I?ll be on the moon! Of course, my mother was only jesting with me!

Fast forward 40 years and I lament with ?Neverman? and ?Raresov?, why no official commemorative to mark the occasion? This year is a perfect year to run a commemorative on Apollo 11, seeing as there are so few commemoratives scheduled for release this year. Now I have nothing against Louis Braille and Abraham Lincoln, but none of us was alive when these men, worthy of commemoration lived. With an event like man walking on the moon, a large portion of the public that witnessed this monumental event is still alive. Certainly, this should make for a sure seller from the US Mint, simply because people can readily identify with the moon landing. Perhaps, that the event is already commemorated on the Eisenhower and SBA dollars is the reason why there is no commemorative now. At any rate, I think the Mint is missing an opportunity.

With other countries recognizing the importance of this event, it appears that I will have to look towards other countries to satisfy my collecting desires, much like ?Raresov?. In the past, the Marshall Islands have been very good in recognizing our space accomplishments, and I know there are 25th anniversary issues out there too. It is simply a shame that an event built largely on good old-fashioned Yankee ingenuity and innovation is not commemorated on coinage from the United States.

Enjoy this photo of the reverse of my 1999-P Proof 70 Ultra Cameo SBA dollar fashioned after the official Apollo 11 patch worn by the astronauts of Apollo 11. Happy collecting all!