Incredible flown Apollo 11 ‘Type 1’ insurance cover, 6.5 x 3.5, with a color cachet of the moon landing and an August 11, 1969, Webster, Texas, quarantine cancellation, signed in blue felt tip by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and in blue ballpoint by Michael Collins. Also flight-certified in the upper left by Collins, “Carried to the Moon aboard Apollo 11,” who adds the identification number within the Earth image, “C-57.” Includes an ALS by Collins also certifying the piece, one page, 8.5 x 11, in full: “I hereby certify that the accompanying Apollo XI official commemorative cover, numbered C-57 within the earth image, further identified with the August 11, 1969 Webster, TX postmark, the Lunar Receiving Laboratory quarantine stamp, and the original signatures of the crew, is one of my 63 covers that flew to the moon with me aboard the mission July 16–24, 1969.” In fine condition.
In the weeks leading up to mission launch, the Apollo 11 crew signed a total of 214 commemorative covers while in pre-flight quarantine, with Aldrin signing 104, Collins 63, and Armstrong 47. These eventual flown covers, in contrast to the ‘insurance’ types left at home with their families, bore four notable distinctions—an August 11 postmark; a Scott 13171 six-cent stamp with Apollo 8 ‘Earthrise’; an identification or number key; and the crew signatures written in a horizontal line, thus allowing the astronaut to write an inscription in the lower open field; conversely, non-flown insurance covers were signed in a manner that would take up the bulk of the area adjacent to the cachet. Of particular interest, the postmark of August 11 marks the day the crew, along with their equipment and belongings, were released from quarantine after a 21-day period. As one of the original covers flown to the moon aboard Apollo 11, this supremely rare and sought-after item—boldly signed and backed by a handwritten letter of provenance from the mission CMP—would serve as a true cornerstone item in any space collection. Pre-certified Zarelli Space Authentication.
This item is Pre-Certified by STEVE ZARELLI
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*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
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