Medal, Robbins, Commemorative, Apollo 16

This sterling silver medallion minted by the Robbins Company of Attleboro, Massachusetts commemorates the Apollo 16 mission and has the mission patch on its front. Apollo 16 was launched on April 16, 1972, and returned after a little over eleven days. It was the ninth human spaceflight and the fifth lunar landing in the Apollo program. John Young, Ken Mattingly, and Charles Duke were the astronauts.

Robbins medallions were only available for purchase through the NASA astronaut office and many were flown aboard the missions to create a personal keepsake. This medallion belonged to NASA astronaut and National Air and Space Museum director Michael Collins. 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.