This type of 2-cm diameter core tube was used on Apollo missions 11, 12, and 14. Each core tube had a bit on one end and an adapter screw on the other end. The astronaut attached an extension handle to the adapter, placed the core tube on the soil, and drove it into the soil by hitting the top of the handle with a hammer. Once pulled from the soil, the bit was replaced by a cap. Two tubes could be screwed together to make a longer tube. It was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1975.
This object is on display in Destination Moon at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.