Huntsville Coin Club Launches a Saturn V Challenge Coin With a Standing Liberty Twist
The Madison County Coin Club of Huntsville, Alabama, has released a newly designed challenge coin for club members and friends of the club. The design brings together two powerful themes: Huntsville’s space-age identity and America’s numismatic tradition.
Club member Stephen D’Angelo designed the piece. As a result, the coin carries a local story on both sides. One side looks toward the Moon. The other looks back to one of the most admired U.S. coin designs of the 20th century.
A Challenge Coin With a Rocket City Story
The obverse reads MADISON COUNTY COIN CLUB / MEMBER. At the center, it features the Saturn V rocket, a fitting symbol for Huntsville. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center developed the Saturn rockets for the Apollo program, which helped make Huntsville known worldwide as “Rocket City.”
The design also includes the American flag. In addition, a magnifying glass examines three popular U.S. coins. That small detail gives the piece its collector-focused personality. It also points directly to the club’s mission: close study, shared knowledge, and the joy of collecting.
Standing Liberty Inspires the Reverse
The reverse takes inspiration from Hermon Atkins MacNeil’s Standing Liberty quarter. Collectors have long admired MacNeil’s quarter as one of the great artistic achievements of early 20th-century U.S. coinage. NGC notes that MacNeil won the commission to replace Charles Barber’s quarter design in 1916.
Here, the Madison County Coin Club uses that historic design language in a modern club format. The reverse includes the club’s founding year, 2001, along with its motto: EDUCATION, PUBLIC SERVICE, and FELLOWSHIP.
The reverse also highlights the club’s core interests: COINS, BANK NOTES, and HISTORY.
A Member Piece With Local Meaning
The new challenge coin measures 1.75 inches, or 44.45 mm, in diameter. Although the release calls the item a challenge coin, it also uses the term medal. That distinction matters to collectors. This piece functions as a club medal or token, not as legal-tender coinage.
The Madison County Coin Club has shown a strong interest in medals and club issues in recent years. CoinWeek previously reported on the club’s 2026 25th anniversary medal, while the American Numismatic Association’s Reading Room also covered that anniversary issue.
This new challenge coin takes a different approach. Instead of focusing only on a classic coinage theme, it connects Huntsville’s aerospace history with numismatic education. That mix gives the piece a distinct local identity.
How to Get the Madison County Coin Club Challenge Coin
The Madison County Coin Club will provide the challenge coin free to all club members. Friends of the club may also request information.
For more information about the club and the new challenge coin, visit the Madison County Coin Club website or email [email protected].
