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Press, 12 August 1980, Page 17

An astute Australian businessman- has turned last year’s crash of a piece of Skylab in Western Australia into a golden business opportunity—by marketing silver commemorative medallions, each containing a piece of Skylab. The world-wide interest in the re-entry of the American Skylab space station, and the subsequent discovery of one of its oxygen tanks in Western Australia, prompted Mervyn Cole to design and market the medallion. His company plans to issue 10,000 internationally—but, so far, he has found only enough pieces of Skylab to make 5900. ’

The Skylab oxygen tank has been displayed by Mr Cole in major cities throughout the United States and is now on show at the N.A.S.A. Space and Rocket Centre in Huntsville, Alabama. He has displayed other bits of Skylab in Japan and Hong Kong. He says the success of these exhibitions and the Continued interest in Skylab inspired the making of the medallions. “It will be of particular interest to coin collectors, space enthusiasts, and .investors as it is the first time a silver medallion containing space metal has been produced.”