Seven $1 coins that once traveled to space sold today in an online auction. The sale prices ranged from $120,000 up to $550,000. Officially designated as 2000-W Sacagawea dollars, the coins were struck in 22-karat gold in the late 1990s. In July 1999, they travelled nearly 2 million miles in orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. Since then, they sat in storage at the Fort Knox Bullion Depository. This is the first time that the coins have become available for public ownership.
“Lot 10006 and lot 10007 each sold for an astonishing $550,000 and set new records across several categories,” the auction house shared in a press release. “These are now tied as the most valuable U.S. gold dollars struck since the Civil War and the most valuable space flown federal coins sold at auction. They are also the most valuable Sacagawea dollars ever sold, even surpassing records for the rare Sacagawea quarter.”
According to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS), the space-flown, 22-karat gold Sacagawea dollars are ranked #5 among the Top 100 Modern Coins. They were originally struck as part of an effort to celebrate the Golden Dollar coins that were issued from 2000 to 2008. They also celebrated the first space shuttle flight under the command of a woman (retired United States Air Force Colonel Eileen Collins).
The coins were part of an initial mintage of 39 pieces produced in 22-karat gold and struck with the pattern “engraved tailfeathers” reverse design. That special reverse design was only used on the first coins in the series and was modified to a less detailed design shortly after production began.
According to Stack’s Bowers Galleries, only the 12 best strikes were selected for flight aboard Space Shuttle Columbia and seven were sold at auction today. The United States Mint confirmed that the remaining five coins will be archived and permanently out of reach for collectors.
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“We are extremely honored to once again present a historic selection of rarities on behalf of the United State Mint,” said Stack’s Bowers Galleries President Brian Kendrella. “These space-flown 22 Karat gold Sacagawea dollars transcend any single collectible category and stand as true American treasures.”
The Sacagawea dollar coins that were in wide circulation in the early 2000s feature a portrait of Sacagawea on the obverse or “heads” side. Sacagawea was a young Shoshone woman, who assisted the historic Lewis and Clark expedition from 1804-1806. Unlike other coins, her portrait is looking straight at the user. Artist Glenna Goodacre included the large, dark eyes attributed to Sacagawea in Shoshone legends. Goodacre used Shoshone woman Randy’L He-dow Teton as her model. She is also carrying her infant son, Jean Baptiste. Sacagawea was likely six months pregnant when she joined the Lewis and Clark expedition and gave birth early in the journey.
The reverse or “tails” side of the coin features a soaring eagle circled by 17 stars, representing each state in the Union at the time of the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition.
