(1985) Medal Space Shuttle - Challenger Silver

Coin Details

Description

The 1985 Space Shuttle Challenger silver medal is part of a series of .999 fine silver commemoratives honoring NASA's Space Shuttle orbiters. Challenger (OV-099) was built from structural test article STA-099, making it lighter than Columbia and capable of carrying heavier payloads. The orbiter first flew on April 4, 1983 (STS-6) and quickly became NASA's workhorse, flying nine successful missions before the events that would make its name synonymous with catastrophe. The obverse features a depiction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, identified by name and accompanied by imagery celebrating its role in the shuttle program. Challenger set several records during its operational career: it carried the first American woman in space (Sally Ride, STS-7), the first African American astronaut (Guion Bluford, STS-8), and the first spacewalk during a shuttle mission. The reverse carries complementary imagery and inscriptions related to the shuttle program. This medal was produced in 1985, approximately one year before the Challenger disaster of January 28, 1986, when the orbiter broke apart seventy-three seconds after launch due to the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster, killing all seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe. The timing gives this medal a poignant historical significance — it represents Challenger as it was known before the disaster, as a capable and productive spacecraft rather than a symbol of tragedy. Struck in one troy ounce of .999 fine silver at 35mm with a reeded, serialized edge, the medal is part of the same series that includes companion pieces for Columbia, Discovery, and the program as a whole.

Rarity Notes

One troy ounce .999 fine silver, serialized on edge. Produced approximately one year before the January 28, 1986 Challenger disaster, lending the piece additional historical significance. Limited mintage with serial numbering.

Cross References

PCGS #974429; Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099); first flight STS-6, April 4, 1983; lost STS-51-L, January 28, 1986