Souvenir Bank Commemorating "First U.S. Astronaut Space Flights," 1963

Summary

This souvenir bank, shaped like a space capsule, commemorated the U.S. flights of astronauts Alan Shepard (May 5, 1961) and John Glenn (February 20, 1962). President John F. Kennedy's vision to explore the "new frontier" of space ignited the public's imagination. For children in the 1960s, the idea of space flight was wondrous. For parents, it had the added value of encouraging children to save money.

Artifact

Bank (Container)

Date Made

1963

Subject Date

1961-1962

Creators

Unknown

Keywords

Glenn, John, 1921-2016

Shepard, Alan B. (Alan Bartlett), 1923-1998

Project Mercury (U.S.)

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2013.57.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Plastic

Color

Copper (Color)

Dimensions

Height: 5 in

Diameter: 4 in

Inscriptions

Top: SAVE / HAVE Side, middle: UNITED STATES Side, near bottom: REDSTONE ATLAS / ASTRONAUT CAPSULE / PROJECT MERCURY Bottom, around edge: FIRST U.S. ASTRONAUT SPACE FLIGHTS Bottom, left side: SUB / ORBITAL / ALAN B. SHEPARD JR. / COMMANDER U.S.N. / MAY 5, 1961 / HEIGHT 115 MILES / SPEED 5100 M.P.H. / DISTANCE 302 MILES [below line]: WEIGHT 1 TON / DIAMETER 74.5 IN. Bottom, right side: ORBITAL / JOHN H. GLENN JR. / LT. COLONEL U.S.M.C. / FEB. 20, 1962 / HEIGHT 160 MILES / SPEED 17,545 M.P.H / 3 EARTH ORBITS [below line]: HEIGHT 108 IN. / REDSTONE ATLAS Bottom, near bottom edge: FREEDOM 7 / BEACON / FRIENDSHIP 7