The budget for mankind’s first manned mission to the moon was about $25.4 billion. Buried within the countless lines of expense details is the cost for one of the most memorable aspects of the mission. The cost for that could probably be covered by the spare change you have laying around your home.

As the final details came together for the historic Apollo 11 mission, NASA turned its attention to the idea of having the astronauts leave an appropriate symbol to commemorate the occasion. After much debate, the Committee on Symbolic Activities for the First Lunar Landing settled on an American flag.

Buzz Aldrin plants and salutes the $5.50 American flag during the Apollo 11 moon landing.

The 3-by-5-foot (0.91 by 1.52 m) nylon flag chosen for the mission was a standard government-issued item. Engineers altered it slightly by sewing a hem at the top to allow an aluminum pole to hold the flag outward in the atmosphere-free conditions of the moon. The added cost to NASA’s budget for the flag was $5.50.

Read more fun facts about astronomy.

Read more fun facts about flags.