Curious $20 Liberty Head / Apollo 12 medal

dcarr

I recently came across a group of odd medals that were circa 1965-1972. Most are related to space travel. A couple were made by the Franklin Mint. Some of them I had never seen before and are possibly made in Germany. This is one of those. The rendition of the Liberty Head is very accurate (although a little fuzzy). I surmise that the die for this was made via transfer from a genuine $20 Liberty Head gold Double Eagle coin. The medal appears to be solid silver (although not marked for content), 34mm diameter, 15.5 grams, finely-reeded edge. I have never seen another of this particular medal.

gumby1234

Looks like something @dcarr Would make.

CaptHenway

That obverse font rings a bell. Let me see if I can place it.

ricko

Nice medal... I like how the reverse juxtaposes space trave with sailing ships. The tools of exploration. Cheers, RickO

291fifth

I've never seen it before. Is it from 1969 or actually from much later?

Kurisu

Oh that's just lovely. I'm in love with space related coins.

Maybe...Lombardo Mint in Canada? Here's a similar but different in aluminum - https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/medal-commemorative-apollo-12-lombardo-mint/nasm_A19731526000

And another similar but different on Numista - https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia193647.html

dcarr

@Kurisu said:
Oh that's just lovely. I'm in love with space related coins.

Maybe...Lombardo Mint in Canada? Here's a similar but different in aluminum - https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/medal-commemorative-apollo-12-lombardo-mint/nasm_A19731526000

And another similar but different on Numista - https://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia193647.html

I think they are similar on the one side because both of them replicate the Apollo 12 mission patch.
Lombardo Mint (of Canada) products are almost always marked "LOMBARDO" in small lettering near the rim.
My Liberty-Head/Apollo-12 medal does not have that.

dcarr

@291fifth said:
I've never seen it before. Is it from 1969 or actually from much later?

I think it is 1969 vintage.

Some_of_it

Similar reverse to a couple medals posted on ma-shops. Different obverse.

coinsarefun

I like it!

CaptHenway

@dcarr said:

@291fifth said:
I've never seen it before. Is it from 1969 or actually from much later?

I think it is 1969 vintage.

Agreed. If you could access Coin World or Numismatic Scrapbook for 1969 I am sure that you could find a press release for it.

Zoins

Great find Dan! It's a great piece and seems to show recent usage of transfer dies for medallions. I've never seen one before either.

It would be great to find out more about it.