NASA space-flown Gemini and Apollo medallions

The Apollo 1 cabin fire in January 1967 put crewed spaceflight on hold. The crew of Apollo 7, designated to be the return to crewed spaceflight, began working with the Robbins Company later in 1967 to produce commemorative mission medallions.[8][24] Commissioned by the NASA Astronaut Flight Office (AFO), the medallions were financed entirely through the orders placed by astronauts and support crew personnel.[24][25] Only those directly affiliated with the AFO were eligible as purchasers,[26] and they were bound by their employment contract not to commercialize the medallions,[27] as NASA was concerned about any appearance that the astronauts might profit from the flown medallions.[28]

One (or more) of the astronauts from the flight crew worked directly with the Robbins Company to design the mission medallion.[24] The basic elements of the medallion design are consistent throughout the Project Apollo series. The main design element along with the mission name is located on the obverse. The names of the flight crew can be found on either the obverse or reverse. The mission dates are located on the reverse. Beginning with Apollo 11, special fields were designed for the reverse of the medallion that allowed for engraved dates of launch, lunar landing, and return. Also on the reverse (or sometimes the edge) is the medallion serial number. The size of most Robbins Apollo medallions falls roughly between a current US quarter (24.3 mm (0.96 in)) and a Kennedy half dollar (30.6 mm (1.20 in)).

The medallions were struck in sterling silver two to three months prior to the scheduled mission, though it is unclear whether serial numbers were added pre or post-flight.[28] The medallions were stored in the Command Service Module during flight and on missions involving a lunar landing, a small number were brought to the lunar surface aboard the Lunar Module.[28] The flown medallions were returned to the Robbins Company after the flight to have the dates engraved and for a final polishing.[28] Except where noted, all medallions struck for Apollo 7–14 were flown,[29] and serial numbers for Apollo 14–17 medallions appear on the rim.[30]

Apollo Robbins medallions were also struck, in very small numbers, in 14k gold.[31][nb 5] These medallions were generally ordered by the mission crew as a personal memento of their flight and were often taken to the lunar surface in the Landing Module.[33] For the duration of the Apollo program, Robbins medallions (3–7 gold and 80–450 silver per mission) were flown into space.[8][32][34]

Apollo mission space-flown Robbins medallions[nb 6]

Mission	Date[nb 3]	Medallion	No. flown (struck) [nb 7]	Size	Design	Provenance[nb 4]
A01Apollo 1	[nb 8]		0088 (unk)	31 mm (1.2 in)	Unknown	[nb 9]
A07Apollo 7	1968-10-1111 Oct 1968 22 Oct 1968		255255 [nb 10]	32 mm (1.3 in)	Walter Cunningham[37]	Rusty Schweickart[38]
A08Apollo 8	1968-12-2121 Dec 1968 27 Dec 1968		300300	38 mm × 30 mm (1.5 in × 1.2 in)	Jim Lovell[39]	Rusty Schweickart[40]
A09Apollo 9	1969-03-033 Mar 1969 13 Mar 1969		350350	25 mm (0.98 in)	McDivitt, Scott, Schweickart[41]	Jim McDivitt (Crew Commander), presented to Wally Schirra[42]
A10Apollo 10	1969-05-1818 May 1969 26 May 1969		300300	29 mm × 31 mm (1.1 in × 1.2 in)	Stafford, Young, Cernan[43]	Rusty Schweickart[44]
A11Apollo 11	1969-07-1616 Jul 1969 20 Jul 1969 24 Jul 1969		440440 (450) [nb 11]	28 mm (1.1 in)	Michael Collins[45]	Neil Armstrong (Crew Commander), presented to Wally Schirra[46]
A12Apollo 12	1969-11-1414 Nov 1969 19 Nov 1969 24 Nov 1969		262262 [nb 12]	32 mm (1.3 in)	Unknown[48]	Pete Conrad (Crew Commander), presented to Jim Rathmann[49]
A13Apollo 13	1970-04-1111 Apr 1970 abort 17 Apr 1970		400400 [nb 13]	32 mm (1.3 in)	Apollo 13 crew with Lumen Martin Winter[51]	Rusty Schweickart[52]
A14Apollo 14	1971-01-3131 Jan 1971 5 Feb 1971 9 Feb 1971		303303	35 mm × 30 mm (1.4 in × 1.2 in)	Apollo 14 crew with Jean Beaulieu[53][nb 14]	Rusty Schweickart[54]
A15Apollo 15	1971-07-2626 Jul 1971 30 Jul 1971 7 Aug 1971		127127 (304) [nb 15][nb 16]	35 mm (1.4 in)	Based on a design by Emilio Pucci[57]	Rusty Schweickart[58]
A16Apollo 16	1972-04-1616 Apr 1972 20 Apr 1972 27 Apr 1972		09898 (300)	35 mm (1.4 in)	Apollo 16 crew with Barbara Matelski[59][nb 17]	John Young (Crew Commander)[60]
A17Apollo 17	1972-12-077 Dec 1972 11 Dec 1972 19 Dec 1972		08080 (300)	35 mm (1.4 in)	Apollo 17 crew[61]	Unknown
ASApollo Soyuz	1975-07-1515 Jul 1975 24 Jul 1975		09393 (192)	35 mm (1.4 in)	Unknown	Rusty Schweickart[62]

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