Apollo 8 trading card – medallion - lunar flown material

Apollo 8 Trading Card with Flown Metal Medallion

This unique collectible commemorates Apollo 8, the groundbreaking mission that first carried humans beyond Earth orbit and into lunar orbit in December 1968—forever changing humanity’s relationship with the Moon.

Embedded within the trading card is a 9 mm medallion containing authentic flown metal from Apollo 8. The metal originated from a ring of the flown “Apollo 8 Updates” checklist (reference photo shown), a critical onboard document used during the mission and later preserved in the personal collection of astronaut James Lovell, commander of Apollo 8 and Apollo 13.

Renowned NASA medallion producer Winco carefully melted this historic flown checklist ring and transformed the material into a limited series of small medallions, allowing collectors to own a tangible fragment of one of NASA’s most important missions. Each example is certified on the reverse of the card, confirming the authenticity and flown status of the metal.

Apollo 8 marked a series of historic firsts:

• the first crewed launch on the Saturn V

• the first humans to leave Earth’s gravitational influence

• the first humans to orbit the Moon

• and the iconic “Earthrise” moment that reshaped how humanity viewed its home planet

As NASA prepares to return astronauts to lunar orbit with Artemis II, Apollo 8 stands as its direct and indispensable precursor—the mission that proved humans could safely reach the Moon and come home again.

A meaningful, historically rich collectible that bridges Apollo-era exploration with the modern Artemis program, ideal for space history collectors, educators, and anyone inspired by humanity’s first journey to another world.