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, a nurse or doctor in training, anyone from Kansas, anyone chasing a big dream
• Finish: Antique Bronze (brass alloy) with an antique patina, so each one is unique; key ring included
• 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. Kansas uses it, as ad astra per aspera, for its state motto, and it is on the memorial plaque for the Apollo 1 crew. 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.

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.

Why a key tag

Big goals take years, and a key tag goes with you through every one of those ordinary days on the way: to class, to the hospital shift, to the airfield. It carries the same artwork as the Per Aspera Ad Astra Coin: a rider on a rearing horse charging up through thorny roots toward the stars on the front, and a burst of light inside a ring of stars on the back.

Give it

It is one of our favorite graduation gifts, and a thoughtful one for a student pilot, a nurse or doctor in training, or anyone starting something that will take years. Space fans and Kansans love it too.

Specs

• Diameter: 1.54 in (39 mm)
• Thickness: 2.7 mm
• Weight: about 1 oz (28 g)
• Material: brass alloy, Antique Bronze finish
• Made: die struck, minted in the USA
• Each key tag 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 key tags look exactly alike. Small variations in color and shading are normal, and they are what make yours one of a kind.
• Key ring included

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 a good graduation gift?
Yes. It goes with them through the hard years ahead, with a reminder that the struggle is part of the way up.

Is it the same design as the Per Aspera Ad Astra Coin?
Yes, the artwork is the same on both sides. The key tag simply adds a loop so it can hang from your keys.

Will my key tag look exactly like the photos?
Very close, but never identical. Each key tag is antiqued with a special patina that settles differently every time, so small variations in color and shading from the photos are normal. They are what make yours one of a kind.

Want it in your pocket instead? See the Per Aspera Ad Astra Coin.

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.