March 8, 2007

Regency-Superior Conducts 
Major Space Memorabilia Auction

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Regency-Superior will conduct a two-day Public Auction at their gallery in Beverly Hills, California on April 19th & 20th. This sale will have over 1,100 Space memorabilia lots ranging from early aviation to the Mercury Program through the ISS including autographed covers and documents, flown equipment, flown flags, and other important and rarely offered collectibles. Plus, a major model section (78 lots) including 12 different handmade rocket models dating from the late 1950s (these are truly amazing works that include part of the launch structures).

The Space sessions begin at 10am (Pacific Time) on both days with a live bidding floor at the Gallery with simulcast bidding on eBay Live Auctions.

Regency-Superior has material in this sale that is head and shoulders above other space auctions. Consignments are offered from astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and Jean-Loup Chretien; from the estates of astronauts Gordon Cooper, Deke Slayton and Ed White II; from esteemed collector Rooster Andrews as well as from the internationally known balloonist Don Piccard.

Some of the highlights that they, and others, have consigned are as follows:

(Lot 11 FUGO Balloon)

• (Lot 11) An actual flown Japanese “FUGO” balloon, used by Japan during WWII to bomb the United States. This balloon is one of the Army version balloons actually deployed. It is 10 meters in size, weighs 152 pounds, and has a volume of 19,000 cubic feet. Hydrogen gas was used as the lifting agent. These balloons traveled at an altitude of about 30,000 feet, and used the jet stream to travel up to 300 miles per hour for propulsion. This balloon offered is the fourth known example of a war-flown balloon, and is the only one known to be in private hands. It is in excellent condition with minor faults, and includes the curtain and suspension cord. It does not include the bomb payload device, and is presently folded and stored in a sealed fiber drum with Dowcide anti-fungal toxic crystals.

(Lot 15 Flown Stratospheric Cover. Sold for $5,750)

• (Lot 15) A 1934 cover flown on the Piccard Stratospheric Flight in which Jeanette Piccard (consignor’s mother) attempted to fly high enough to become the “First Woman in Space”. This cover is signed by Jeanette and her husband Jean, and addressed to her son, Don Piccard. This is cover #4 – covers #1-3 were given to other family members, and have never come on the market. Pristine condition.

(Lot 309 Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Sold for $92,000)

• (Lot 309) The Congressional Space Medal of Honor presented to Ed White III in 1997 in his father’s name for making America’s first EVA and for Apollo 1. It is complete in a blue & white presentation case, along with the complete set of large and small medals and lapel ribbons. The medal is inscribed ‘Congressional Space Medal Presented to Edward H. White II 12/17/97’. This is the first time one of these medals has come on the market. Proceeds from the sale of this medal will be used to fund the Ed White II Scholarship Fund for scholarships awarded in Aeronautics and Astronautics to qualified students around the country.

(Lot 380 Apollo 11 Flown Flag with Crew Autographs. Sold for $13,800)

• Several flown U.S. flags from various Apollo flights, including (Lot 380) a 1969 flag attached to a NASA presentation sheet (professionally matted and framed) that reads: ‘This flag traveled to the Moon with Apollo 11, the First Manned Lunar Landing, July 20, 1969 / Apollo 11 / July 16-24, 1969 / Armstrong-Collins-Aldrin’. The presentation sheet is handsigned and inscribed: ‘To Rooster, with sincere best wishes from Apollo 11 – Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin’. The signatures are boldly signed and lightly oxidized, but clear and legible.

(Lot 419 Prototype U.S. Lunar Flag. Sold for $9,775)
• (Lot 419) The prototype United States Lunar Flag, identical to that left on the lunar surface by the Apollo 11 crew, was the first prototype of the U.S. flag developed by Johnson Spaceflight Center Technical Services for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to plant on the lunar surface. It consists of a gold-anodized, two-part pole (96”) with a fold out nylon flag mearsuring 59”x35”. A fold-out gold-anodized horizontal bar across the top of the flag holds the unfurled flag when opened. As far as we know, this is one of only two examples of NASA lunar flags on earth.

(Lot 747 Flown NASA Silverware)
• (Lot 747) A complete set of flown NASA Shuttle silverware used by astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien. It is a place setting of four pieces including knife, soup, teaspoon, and fork. Each piece is engraved ‘SHUTTLE’ on the handle and has an orange dot on the end. Included is the original baggie that contained this silverware, marked with a NASA label that reads ‘UTILITY KIT ASSY / P/N SED48100152-305. Pristine condition, and almost never available. 

(Lot 915 Flown Russian Spacesuit. Sold for $18,400)
• (Lot 915) A flown Russian spacesuit used by cosmonaut Vinogradov to and from his flight to MIR. This full pressure suit is complete with gloves (each marked with cosmonauts initials, VPV), as well as the internal pressure lining, hoses, etc., plus a felt cover for the helmet. There is a Russian Federation flag patch on the shoulder, and a ‘PK’ (Russian Cosmonauts) patch – the Russian equivalent of NASA on the chest.

(Lot 1016 Alan Bean Pencil Sketches.
Sold for $7,475)

• (exa Lot 1016) Three original Alan Bean large pencil sketches for actual completed paintings, plus several limited edition multi-colored lithographs all pencil-numbered and signed by the astronaut-artist.

(Lot 1050 NASA Saturn V Model. Sold for $5,460)

• (Lot 1050) c1960 NASA Saturn V model measuring 46" in height comes in six parts with a small man standing beneath the rocket as a size reference. It is mounted upright on an 8-1/2” square wooden base with a descriptive label affixed that reads ‘George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Graphic Engineering and Models Branch/Saturn V’.

(Lot 379 Flown 'Moon Landing USA' Cancellation. Sold for $77,050)

• (Lot 379) 1969 flown ‘Moon Landing USA’ cancellation from the astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s collection. The crew of Apollo 11 carried a cancellation device, a die proof of 10c Moon Landing stamp, and an envelope to be cancelled on the lunar surface. These were carried by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the lunar surface, but due to lack of time, the cancelling process was done en route back to earth in the Command Module on July 22. The piece we are offering is the ‘Aldrin’ 1/3 page of that flight plan. The cancellation which reads ‘July 20’ is on a partial flight plan page that is in a clear plastic wrap that is original with slight shrinkage. Also included is the envelope in which this document has been stored for the past 30-odd years. The envelope has been notated in Buzz Aldrin’s hand: ‘Apollo 11, 1/3 CSM Flt Plan, page 3-70a, cancelled with Moon landing stamp while in flt’.

There is material in the sale for all budgets and interests. The auction will be held at Regency-Superior’s gallery in Beverly Hills, 9478 W. Olympic Blvd, Suite 200 2nd Floor beginning at 10am (Pacific Time). Viewing of the auction lots is available in Beverly Hills from April 16th through April 20th.

The entire auction is available online for viewing and bidding at www.RegencySuperior.com, and includes full lot descriptions, estimates, color photographs and opening bids. Bidding is also available through eBay live auctions at www.ebayliveauctions.com.

To receive a complimentary auction catalog, please call Regency-Superior at (800) 782-0066; Fax (314) 361-5677; or write to Regency-Superior, 229 N. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108. 

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