Mint starts art contest

A coin design competition was to begin May 1 to find a design for the four 2019 Apollo 11 50th anniversary commemorative coins.

It is literally a search for a single design to be used on the obverses of all the commemorative coins.

The Mint is going to execute a common reverse design internally with its own sculptor-engravers because the design itself is already mandated by the authorizing legislation.

As the Mint’s website expresses it, the reverse design is to “be a representation of a close-up of the famous ‘Buzz Aldrin on the Moon’ photograph taken July 20, 1969, that shows just the visor and part of the helmet of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, including the reflection of astronaut Neil Armstrong, the United States flag, and the lunar lander.”

This likely will look gorgeous on the very large three-inch 5-ounce $1 silver proof coin but not so much on the nickel-sized $5 gold coin.

The other two coins, a clad half dollar and a standard silver dollar will fall between these two sizes.

The relatively tiny space for the gold reverse design will be a challenge.

But if it is paired with an emotive obverse design, that should make the $5 gold piece an appealing coin as well.

All four coins will be curved like the National Baseball Hall of Fame coins were in 2014.

The baseball designs were very clever with the outward curve on the reverse showing the seams of a baseball and the inward curve was used to give the baseball glove design depth to make it even more lifelike.

For the 50th anniversary Apollo 11 coins the visor is on the outward curved reverse.

What will look good on the inward curved side paired up with the visor?

That is the artist’s challenge in a nutshell.

Naturally there are rules.

The first phase of the competition will last until June 29. Artists must submit three to five designs each digitally.

A jury will then select 20 artists from this pool of talent to submit one design each for the Apollo 11 coins’ obverse.

They will be notified July 31.

The 20 artists will then have until Sept. 8 to submit their best shot.

What is chosen will be revealed in 2018 and the winning artist will be paid $5,000,

The artist will have his or her initials on the coins and will be named on historical documents, certificates of authenticity and promotional materials, according to the Mint.

For the full rules, Click Here.

More Collecting Resources

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