Yuri Gagarin First Man In Space Silver Orbital Coin

The second release from The Perth Mint's innovative Orbit and Beyond Series celebrates Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut and national hero, who became the first human in space and the first to orbit the Earth on 12 April 1961.

Struck by The Perth Mint, the coin comprises 1oz of 99.9% pure silver with a central core made of non-precious metal. The coin's reverse comprises the border inscription 1961 FIRST MAN IN SPACE – YURI GAGARIN and a montage of coloured images symbolising his epic journey.

Blasting-off in Vostok 1 from Baikonur in Soviet central Asia, Gagarin completed a single orbit of the Earth in 108 minutes before re-entering the atmosphere and parachuting back to the Soviet Union. Thanks to the coin's unique construction, these design elements literally 'orbit' around a coloured representation of Earth.

Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of the Cook Islands, the coin's obverse depicts the Raphael Maklouf effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the 2008 year-date and the monetary denomination surrounding another coloured image of the Earth.

The Perth Mint will release no more than 25,000 'orbital' coins celebrating Yuri Gagarin. Each coin, which is protected by an acrylic capsule, is housed in an elliptical-shaped silver display case. The case comes in a blue box shipper with a lid depicting the famous cosmonaut. Each coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The coin is available from around the world. For more information or to order, visit:

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The Perth Mint Website: http://www.perthmint.com.au/