Medal, Robbins, Commemorative, Apollo 15

This sterling silver medallion minted by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts commemorates the Apollo 15 mission and has the mission patch on its front. Apollo 15 was launched on July 26, 1971, and returned after a little over eleven days. It was the eighth human spaceflight and the fourth lunar landing in the Apollo program. David Scott, Alfred Worden, and James Irwin were the astronauts.

Robbins medallions were only available for purchase through the NASA astronaut office and were usually flown aboard the missions to create a personal keepsake. For Apollo 15, however, a misspelling of the "Apennines" lunar landing site was discovered shortly before launch. Only the first 127 serial numbered medallions, all with the misspelling (two "p"s), were flown aboard the mission.

This medallion, number 234, which belonged to NASA astronaut and National Air and Space Museum director Michael Collins, is one of the unflown medallions that was restruck by the Robbins Company to correct the error. Collins gave the medallion to the Museum for display in the "Apollo to the Moon" gallery when the National Mall Building opened in 1976. It became a permanent part of the National Collection in 1985.