0 0 1 7 ▁and ▁a ▁M alt ese ▁flag . ▁The ▁bas alt ▁ 7 0 0 1 7 ▁was ▁collected ▁by ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 7 ▁astr onaut ▁Harrison ▁Sch mitt ▁on ▁the ▁Moon ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁Once ▁lun ar ▁bas alt ▁ 7 0 0 1 7 ▁was ▁brought ▁back ▁to ▁Earth ▁from ▁the ▁Moon , ▁the ▁bas alt ▁Moon ▁rock ▁was ▁cut ▁up ▁into ▁small ▁fragments ▁of ▁approximately ▁ 1 ▁gram . ▁The ▁spec imen ▁was ▁enc ased ▁in ▁a ▁pl astic ▁ball ▁and ▁mounted ▁on ▁the ▁wooden ▁pla que ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁M alt ese ▁flag ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁to ▁the ▁Moon ▁and ▁back ▁by ▁the ▁crew ▁of ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 7 . ▁The ▁pla que ▁was ▁then ▁distributed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁by ▁President ▁N ixon ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁of ▁Mal ta , ▁as ▁he ▁did ▁that ▁year ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁ 1 3 4 ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁( the ▁same ▁countries ▁previously ▁for ▁the ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 1 ▁pla que ▁display ▁g ifts ) ▁and ▁again ▁to ▁all ▁ 5 0 ▁states ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁This ▁was ▁done ▁as ▁a ▁good will ▁gesture ▁to ▁promote ▁peace ▁and ▁harm ony . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁M alt ese ▁Apol lo ▁ 1 7 ▁good will ▁lun ar ▁sample ▁display ▁that ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁Mal ta ▁was ▁st olen ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁It ▁had ▁been ▁hous ed ▁in ▁M d ina ▁at