Front: “Per Aspera Ad Astra” (through hardships to the stars)
Back: “Stars cannot shine without darkness” · “Never stop looking up”
At a glance
-
Theme: the long climb to a big goal
-
Good for: medical school, flight training, a long recovery, a career that takes years to build
-
Gift for: a graduate, a student pilot or space fan, anyone from Kansas, anyone chasing a big dream
-
Finishes: Antique Silver (brass alloy), Antique Bronze (brass alloy), Antique Copper (solid copper)
-
Size: 39 mm, about 1 oz, die struck in the USA
The meaning
Per aspera ad astra is Latin for through hardships to the stars. It grows out of a line by the Roman philosopher Seneca: there is no easy way from the earth to the stars. Kansas turned the words around for its state motto, Ad astra per aspera, and the same phrase is on the memorial plaque for the Apollo 1 crew at Cape Canaveral.
Both word orders mean the same thing. What matters is the order of events: the hard part comes first, and it is part of the way up. The back adds the hopeful half. Stars cannot shine without darkness, so never stop looking up.
The design
On the front, a rider on a rearing horse charges up through a tangle of thorny roots toward a sky full of stars, with Per Aspera Ad Astra around the rim. The back is a burst of light inside a ring of stars, with the two lines of the quote around the edge.
On good days and hard days
-
On good days, it reminds you how far you have climbed and keeps your eyes on the next star.
-
On hard days, when the road gets dark and the goal feels far away, it promises that hardship is part of the way up. Stars cannot shine without darkness.
Carry it
It is a good pocket coin for the middle of a long plan, when the goal still looks far away. One customer wrote that the coin arrived just when events in their life needed it. Another keeps it in a pocket every day as a reminder to keep moving forward.
Give it
It is one of our favorite graduation coins. One customer gave it to their daughter when she finished high school. Another gave it to their husband for their wedding anniversary, because the wedding had a star theme. It also suits pilots, astronomy fans, nurses and doctors in training, and anyone starting something that will take years.
Specs
- Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm), about the size of a silver dollar
- Thickness: 2.7 mm
- Weight: about 1 oz (28 g)
- Material: brass alloy (Antique Silver, Antique Bronze) or solid copper (Antique Copper)
- Made: die struck, minted in the USA
- Each coin is antiqued with a special patina so it looks like it has already been in circulation. The patina never settles the same way twice, so no two coins look exactly alike. Small variations in color and shading are normal, and they are what make your coin one of a kind.
Questions
What does per aspera ad astra mean?
“Through hardships to the stars.” Great things are reached by going through difficulty, not around it.
Is it per aspera ad astra or ad astra per aspera?
Both are correct and mean the same thing. Ad astra per aspera is the form Kansas uses as its state motto.
What is a good gift for a graduate with a big dream?
Something they can carry through the hard years ahead. This coin's message fits exactly that stretch: the struggle is the road to the goal.
Other coins you might like
For keys: Per Aspera Ad Astra Key Tag.
Care: keep it dry and wipe it with a soft cloth. No polishing needed; the aged finish is part of the look.
Original design by EDC Reminder Coins, protected by copyright. We don't take custom orders.
