2003 GOLD ISRAEL 10 NEW SHEQALIM SHAVIT ROCKET NGC PERFECT PROOF 70 ULTRA CAMEO ONLY 573 MINTED

STATE OF ISRAEL

INDEPENDENCE DAY 55^TH ANNIVERSARY 2003

ISRAEL'S SPACE PROGRAM - SHAVIT ROCKET 

10 GOLD NEW SHEQALIM CERTIFIED BY NGC A PERFECT PROOF 70 ULTRA CAMEO

DEDICATED TO ISRAEL'S FIRST ASTRONAUT AND THE CREW OF THE "COLUMBIA" THAT LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE SHUTTLE DISASTER OF 2002.

ONLY 573 MINTED!

OBV: SHAVIT ROCKET BLASTING OFF LEFT; ENCIRCLING TRIPLE LANGUAGE LEGEND “ISRAEL’S SPACE PROGRAM”.

REV: SMALL STATE ARMS UPPER RIGHT; DEPICTION OF THE “OFEQ 1” SATELLITE UPPER FIELD; DENOMINATION LOWER RIGHT; TRIPLE LANGUAGE LEGEND “INDEPENDENCE DAY 2003”. (JE5763)

HEBREW EDGE DEDICATION: “IN MEMORY OF ILAN RAMON AND HIS COLLEGUES IN THE COLUMBIA”.

KM # 373

IN 1988 ISRAEL LAUNCHED ITS FIRST ROCKET INTO SPACE, THE “SHAVIT (COMET)” SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLE. ASCENDING FROM A PAD IN THE NEGEV DESERT, IT WAS DESIGNED TO LAUNCH SMALL SETELLITES INTO LOW EARTH ORBIT. ITS PAYLOAD WAS AN “OFEQ (HORIZON)” RECONNAISSANCE SATELLITE THAT TESTED SOLAR CELL AND RADIO TRANSMISSIONS.

THIS GOLD SPACE EXPLORATION 10 NEW SHEQALIM COMMEMORATIVE ALSO HONORS ISRAEL’S FIRST ASTRONAUT, ILAN RAMON, PAYLOAD SPECIALIST ABOARD THE ILL-FATED SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA. HE AND HIS SIX CREWMATES PERISHED IN THE FATAL RE-ENTRY ACCIDENT THAT DESTROYED THE SHUTTLE. RAMON WAS THE ONLY FOREIGN RECIPIENT TO POSTHUMOUSLY RECEIVE THE CONGRESSIONAL SPACE MEDAL OF HONOR.

THE COIN ALSO MARKS THE 55^TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, WHICH OCCURRED IN 1948.

CONTAINS 16.96 GRAMS OF .917 FINE GOLD

(.5 OZ AGW)

30 MM IN DIAMETER

ONLY 573 MINTED!