Article No.: 8077
The crown jewel of any space and astrophilatelic collection :
From the personal collection of Apollo 11 Command Module pilot Michael Collins along with his handwritten certification letter for cover C-50.
Apollo 11 crew hand-signed (and annotated "Carried to the moon aboard Apollo 11") flown cover by Neil Armstrong - Buzz Aldrin - Michael Collins.
According to renowned collector Howard Weinberger this cover and COA are the only flown Apollo 11 cover actually CAG graded and encapsulated (both cover and letter) - with the increasing interest in graded memorabilia this is probably the safest bet of all flown Apollo 11 covers.
Similar Apollo 11 flown covers have realized up to $156.000 for one of Armstrong's flown covers.
The 214 flown covers were shared among the crew in the following breakdown: Armstrong: 47; Collins: 63; Aldrin: 104.
Important note : We do not accept creditcard payment or Paypal here, please contact us for payment options and shipping details.
Each of the astronauts devised their own serial numbering key for their covers. Aldrin noted each cover in the top left corner with his initials and a number (e.g. EEA-1 and some A-?), Collins noted his covers within the image of the earth on the front with his last name initial and a number (e.g. C-50).
The Apollo 11 flown envelopes are highly coveted artifacts that hold a special place in the history of space exploration. These envelopes were carried aboard the historic Apollo 11 mission, which marked humanity's first successful landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
The crew of Apollo 11 consisted of Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and Command Module Pilot Michael Collins. Prior to their mission, the astronauts took special measures to ensure that their families would be financially supported in the event of a catastrophic accident during the mission. As part of this effort, they arranged for a series of envelopes to be flown aboard the spacecraft.
The Apollo 11 flown envelopes were essentially philatelic covers. These envelopes were personally signed by the crew members and often stamped with various cachets or special markings. The intention was that if the astronauts did not return safely from the mission, these envelopes would become valuable philatelic items, which could be sold to collectors to provide financial support to their families.
After the successful completion of the Apollo 11 mission, the flown envelopes became prized possessions among space enthusiasts and collectors. They serve as tangible reminders of the bravery and pioneering spirit of the Apollo astronauts and the monumental accomplishment of landing humans on the Moon for the first time in history.
Today, Apollo 11 flown envelopes are highly sought-after collectibles, often commanding significant prices at auctions and sales. They represent a unique intersection of space exploration, philately, and historical memorabilia, embodying the spirit of adventure and exploration that defined the Apollo era.