Apollo 8 Flown Robbins Medal Sells for $9,450 at NateDSanders.com
FREE VALUATION. To buy, auction, sell or consign your Apollo 8 flown items that are for sale, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (http://www.NateDSanders.com).
Apollo 8 Flown Items
Apollo 8 flown items are considered rare and expensive mainly because the crew included elusive astronaut William “Bill” Anders whose autographs and items are worth good money. We have sold several items flown on the Apollo 8 mission. Please see details below:
Apollo 8 Flown Heat Shield Segment, Comprising a Charred Plug from the First Manned Mission to Orbit the Moon
Very rare heat shield segment flown on the historic Apollo mission, not only the first manned mission to leave Earth’s low orbit and summit to the moon, but also the first manned mission of the Saturn V rocket. Segment is a charred plug, here preserved in lucite on a wooden base, with a plaque reading “First Manned Lunar Orbital Flight / Apollo 8 / Dec. 21-27, 1968″. Measures 4″ x 5.5″ x 3.125”. Very good plus condition. Very rare, with only one other recent example found at auction. Sold for $19,020.

Flown Robbins medal from Apollo 8, the first crewed Apollo mission to orbit the moon. Sterling silver medallion is serial number 242, engraved on the reverse along with the Robbins sterling mark and mission dates of 21-27 December 1968. Obverse of medal features the mission insignia in relief with the surnames of crew members Frank Borman, James Lovell and William Anders. Medallion measures 1.5” x 1.25”. Very good to near fine condition. From the personal collection of astronaut Story Musgrave and with his LOA. Sold for $9,450.

Jack Swigert Personally Owned Rare Apollo 8 Flown Robbins Medal — Serial Number 231
Jack Swigert’s rare Apollo 8 Robbins Medal flown aboard the spacecraft during the 1968 mission. The historic Apollo 8 mission was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth’s orbit. Pyramid-shaped sterling silver medal features mission insignia including the number 8 circling the moon and earth, and the last name of each crew member Frank Borman, James Lovell, and Bill Anders to front. Reverse is engraved ”Dec. 21-27, 1968” with serial number ”231”. Medal measures 1.5” x 1.25” housed in its original ”Robbins Company” plastic box with a ”231” sticker on the bottom. Tarnishing, else near fine. With an LOA from Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert’s sister. Sold for $6,250.

Rare Apollo 8 Robbins Medal aboard the spacecraft during the 1968 mission. The historic Apollo 8 mission was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth’s orbit. Pyramid- shaped sterling silver medal features mission insignia including the number 8 circling the moon and earth, and the last name of each crew member Frank Borman, James Lovell, and Bill Anders to front. Reverse is engraved ”Dec. 21-27, 1968” with serial number ”205”. Medal measures 1.5” x 1.25” housed in its original ”Robbins Company” plastic box with an ”205” sticker on the bottom. Minor tarnishing to verso, else near fine. With an LOA from Apollo 13 astronaut Jack Swigert’s sister. Sold for $6,250.


Apollo 8 Space-Flown Flag With COA Signed by Frank Borman, William Anders and Jim Lovell
American flag flown in space aboard Apollo 8. Flown flag is mounted to a COA signed by command module pilot ”James Lovell”, lunar module pilot ”Bill Anders” and commander ”Frank Borman”. COA reads in print, ”This flag was carried aboard the first manned lunar orbit spacecraft / Apollo 8 / December 21-27, 1968…” Affixed below the flag is a color photo of the crew in their spacesuits. Cloth flag measures 6” x 4”. Certificate measures 10” x 12”. Show through of adhesive to flag corners, else near fine. Sold for $5,948.

Apollo 8 Space-Flown Flag With COA Signed by Frank Borman and Jim Lovell
American flag flown in space aboard Apollo 8. Flown flag is mounted to a COA signed by command module pilot James Lovell and commander Frank Borman, who also inscribes, ”To Ron / With very best Wishes”. COA reads in print, ”This flag was carried aboard the first manned lunar orbit spacecraft / Apollo 8 / December 21-27, 1968…” Affixed below the flag is a color photo of the crew in their spacesuits. Cloth flag measures 6” x 4”, mounted, matted and framed to an overall size of 15” x 17”. Scuffing to frame, lifting to edges of photo and toning to adhesive at flag corners, else near fine. Sold for $3,049.

We also sold these items related to the Apollo 8 mission:
Beautiful Earthrise photo from Apollo 8, one of the most famous images of the Apollo missions. ”Red number” photo AS8-14-2383 is printed on fiber-based paper with ”A Kodak Paper” watermark on verso along with NASA press blurb. Chromogenic print is encapsulated by PSA as a Type 1 photo from 1968. Measures 10” x 8”, encapsulated to 13.25” x 9.75”. Near fine condition. Sold for $21,875.

Frank Borman and James Lovell signed Apollo 8 Lunar Orbit Chart, additionally writing memorable passages from their 1968 Christmas Eve lunar broadcast that mesmerized the world. Borman writes at top, ”’And from the crew of Apollo 8, We close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you – all of you on the good Earth.’ / Frank Borman”. Lovell then writes his memorable quote, ”Houston, please be informed there is a Santa Claus! / James Lovell”, followed by the passage from Genesis that Lovell read to the world, ”’And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day’ Genesis 1: 1-5”. Original Lunar Orbit Chart from 1968 is Edition 1, published 4 December 1968. Measures 41” x 12”. Very good to near fine condition. Sold for $7,980.

NASA 8” x 10” Photo of the Moon Signed by 12 Apollo Astronauts — With Steve Zarelli COA
Fantastic NASA photo signed by 12 Apollo astronauts, all of whom add their Apollo mission underneath their name. Photo of the moon measures 8” x 10”, signed in black felt-tip by Charlie Duke, Fred Haise, Tom Stafford, Charles Conrad, Edgar Mitchell, Alan Bean, Richard Gordon, Al Worden, Alan Shepard, James Lovell, Frank Borman and Harrison Schmitt. Half glossy photo is near fine. With Steve Zarelli Space Authentication COA for all signatures. Sold for $5,000.


Set of Two Apollo 8 Earthrise Photos — With NASA Press Release Stamp From 1968 on Verso of Each
Set of two NASA ”Earthrise” or ”Blue Marble” photos from the Apollo 8 mission, showing, for the first time, the Earth from the vantage point of the moon. Two of the most coveted photos from the Apollo space program, both photos show the purple NASA press release stamp on verso, dating the photos to 1968. Each glossy photo measures 8” x 10”. Approximate 3” surface scratch on each at left mid-center. Light creasing, overall in very good condition. Sold for $5,000.

Excellent Apollo 8 photo signed by crew members Jim Lovell, Frank Borman and Bill Anders, as the first three men to travel to the moon and back. Official NASA photo depicts an image of Earth taken from just above the surface of the moon. Caption along bottom reads: ”Apollo 8 Spacecraft in orbit around the moon views earth”. Verso to photo has a printed narrative about the Apollo 8 mission. Matte photo measures 10” x 8” with very minor foxing to margins else near fine. A spectacular photograph, all the more so signed by the first men to view this image of Earth. Sold for $3,493.

Frank Borman signed ”New York Times” poster of its front page from 25 December 1968, reporting on the historic Christmas flight of the Apollo 8 mission. Broadcasting from lunar orbit, the three astronauts made a broadcast on Christmas, which up to that point was the most watched program in television history. Borman writes, ”From Apollo 8, good night, Merry Christmas and God Bless all on Earth / Frank Borman / Apollo 8 CDR”. Poster measures 24” x 36” on flexible off-white cardstock. Near fine condition. With Novaspace COA. Sold for $2,500.


FREE VALUATION. To buy, auction, sell or consign your Apollo 8 flown items that are for sale, please email your description and photos to [email protected] of Nate D. Sanders Auctions (http://www.NateDSanders.com).
We offer the following services for your Apollo 8 flown items:
- Appraise Apollo 8 flown item.
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- Consign Apollo 8 flown item.
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