Cook Islands 2009 "Fly Me To The Moon" Silver Coin Set To Soar!

One of the greatest things about coin collecting is the large amount of product produced from all over the world by hundreds of different designers all with their own distinct styles. The imaginations of those who determine how a particular commemoration is going to be presented on a coin provides limitless possibilities. Sometimes, these designs aren't so overwhelming, and we wonder in these cases whether bureaucracy may have taken precedence over style. In a lot of cases however, the issues produced around the globe are nothing short of mesmerizing, and whether it is for the type of metal/coin, the tribute being paid or the design of the obverse/reverse, the passionate collectors come in droves to obtain a piece that is spectacular, if only to them.

Every so often a coin comes along that not only celebrates an important moment of our past, but also captures the very essence of the commemoration. Celebrating not one but two such momentous occasions in history, and doing so with a truly unique visual style is the recent silver issue from the Cook Islands entitled "Fly Me To The Moon".


Cook Islands 2009 $5 Fly Me To The Moon Silver BU

Commemorating both the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Soviet Luna 3 probe which was the first to be able to send back pictures of the "dark side of the moon", as well as the 40th anniversary of the first man on the moon, this stunning issue is unlike any other collector coin in terms of design and innovation. Both the reverse and obverse images are detailed landscapes of the moon's surface, with the obverse capturing the dark side of the moon and the reverse the facing side of Earth's only naturally orbiting satellite. The detail on both sides of the coin is superb, with known regions of the moon visible on the coin's surface.

The coin has also gone through an special oxidizing process which darkens the coin slightly. The obverse has been given more treatment to further enhance the "dark side". On top of that the makers have added an extra innovation, that of embedding an actual piece of the moon into the coin itself! Taken from the lunar meteorite NWA 4881, which through comparisons of chemical composition and mineralogy has been confirmed as originating from the moon, this small piece of space debris adds to the uniqueness of each coin issued.

The Luna 3 space probe was launched from the Soviet Union on October 4, 1959, with the sole purpose of taking pictures of the moon's surface. It managed to do this, sending back the first ever images of the "dark side" of the moon (in actual fact there is no true dark side, as the entire moon is dark. "Far side" is a more appropriate term). Though these first images were poor quality, several features on the moon were clearly visible, such as the lowlands and highlands and the large Mare Moscoviense, one of the few lunar mares on the far side of the moon.

10 years later, on July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong made history by being the first man to set foot upon the moon. As he did he spoke the immortal words that have resonated through history; "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". The world rejoiced in this momentous achievement of man and still, 40 years later, the event is one of the most popular and significant in human history.

These Fly Me To The Moon legal tender silver coins have been struck from 25 grams of 92.5% silver on a 38.61mm flan, and given an antique finish to darken the surfaces. The coin is supplied in a case with certificate of authenticity confirming the extremely low mintage of just 1969 coins produced worldwide.

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