NGC-graded, CAG-certified Neil Armstrong Space-Flown Medals Being Sold

Space-flown medals from both of Neil Armstrong's missions as an astronaut are part of Heritage Auctions' Space Exploration Signature Auction scheduled for November 21-22. Online bidding is already underway. The medals are certified by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®), the world's leading grading service for coins, tokens and medals, and Collectibles Authentication Guaranty® (CAG®), an NGC affiliate dedicated to preserving the provenance of historical artifacts.

A Flown Apollo 11 Robbins Medal graded NGC MS 66 and certified by CAG as part of The Armstrong Family Collection™ is expected to generate intense interest at the sale. It was among the artifacts that Armstrong brought with him on the most famous space mission of all time — the 1969 moon landing.

Flown Apollo 11 Robbins Medal graded NGC MS 66 and certified by CAG as part of The Armstrong Family Collection. Click images to enlarge.

The Robbins Medals were struck for Apollo astronauts to bring with on their spacecraft to commemorate their missions. The Apollo 11 version depicts the famous mission insignia showing an eagle landing on the moon, which was later adapted for US dollar coinage. The reverse shows the astronauts' names and the dates of the missions, including July 20, 1969.

Meanwhile, a Flown Gemini 8 Fliteline Medal graded NGC MS 63 and certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection will also spark collectors' interest. The Fliteline medals were the predecessors to the Robbins Medals and were struck for the Gemini missions that laid the groundwork for the US to win the space race.

Flown Gemini 8 Fliteline Medal graded NGC MS 63 and certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection. Click images to enlarge.

Gemini 8 in March of 1966 was Armstrong's only other trip to space. The mission successfully completed the first docking in orbit, but then took a dangerous turn. Because of a stuck thruster, the Gemini 8 capsule began tumbling rapidly before Armstrong could stabilize it.

Autographed NASA photograph of Neil Armstrong in his spacesuit, certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection. Click image to enlarge.

The CAG-certified Armstrong Family Collection comprises thousands of artifacts saved by astronaut Neil Armstrong and his immediate family. Other highlights in this sale include an autographed NASA photograph of Armstrong in his spacesuit and a piece of wing fabric from the Wright Flyer that was flown on the Apollo 11 moon mission. Armstrong was given pieces of the Wright Flyer to take on this historic mission and was allowed to keep a portion of them.

LEFT: Piece of wing fabric from the Wright Flyer that was flown on the Apollo 11 moon mission and certified by CAG as part of The Armstrong Family Collection. RIGHT: Piece of wing fabric from the Wright Flyer certified by CAG as part of the Otto Kallir Collection. Click images to enlarge.

Incredibly, the auction includes a second piece of wing fabric from the Wright Flyer, the Wright Brothers' airplane that kicked off a new era in aviation in 1903. This particular piece is certified by CAG as part of the collection of Otto Kallir, a renowned collector of aviation history who obtained enough of the wing fabric to build a small model of the famous plane.

Other CAG-certified highlights in the sale include:

• a piece of Beta Cloth flown on Apollo 11 certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection
• an Universal Commemorative Apollo 11 Patch certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection
• a schedule of events from the Gemini Goodwill Tour to Venezuela in 1966 certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection
• an original NASA film slide showing Buzz Aldrin on the moon certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection
• a July 25, 1969 edition of Time magazine certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection

Other NGC-certified highlights in the sale include:

• a Flown Gemini 4 Fliteline Medal graded NGC MS 62 and pedigreed to Gemini 4 astronaut James A. McDivitt
• a Flown Apollo 12 Robbins Medal graded NGC MS 68 and pedigreed to Apollo 17 astronaut Ron Evans
• a 2019 5-ounce Silver Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Robbins Medal Restrike, with space-flown material, graded NGC MS 70 with an NGC Signature Label signed by Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins