Although not of the same magnitude as September 11, 2001, the loss of the Columbia and crew on February 1, 2003 was a terrible tragedy that affected many of us deeply. As has been true throughout much of human history, medallic art reflects great triumphs and tragedies and helps current and future generations remember the bravery and dedication of those individuals involved.

This page displays a number of commemorative medals issued to commemorate the great successes of the space shuttle Columbia from its historic first flight (April 12-14, 1981) up through its 20th anniversary and completion of renovation in 2001.

Click on each image to view a 3x enlargement. These are all separate, individual medals or coins, except for the first two images, which are the obverse and reverse of the same medal made by the famous Franklin Mint.

See numismatic remembrance of national tragedies for the previous
Apollo 1 and Challenger space disasters.