From Space to the Auction Block

The U.S. Mint has selected Stack’s Bowers Galleries to auction a special group of seven 22-karat gold 2000-W Sacagawea $1. The $1 coins traveled 2 million miles aboard the space shuttle Columbia in July 1999. The reverse features the detailed engraved tailfeathers design, also seen on the Sacagawea $1 Cheerios variety. The coins were previously stored at the Fort Knox Bullion Depository. This sale, to be held on Friday, September 12, on the Stack’s Bowers Galleries website, will be the first time they are available for public ownership.

The sale will also include the first struck 24-karat gold 2025-W Sacagawea $1, which will come with a certificate of authenticity signed by U.S. Mint Acting Director Kristie McNally. Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) will certify and specially encapsulate all eight coins and add them to the PCGS Registry Set.

The Gold Sacagawea $1

Ranked No. 5 on the PCGS list of the Top 100 Modern Coins, the gold 2000-W Sacagawea $1 coins were struck as part of the effort to promote the new golden dollar and honor the first space shuttle flight commanded by a woman, Col. Eileen Collins. Of the 39 coins produced, only the 12 best strikes were selected to fly aboard the Columbia. The other 27 were destroyed. The U.S. Mint will permanently archive the remaining five issues in the U.S. Mint heritage collection.

A version of this article appears in the October 2025 issue of The Numismatist (money.org).