Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 99

The July 8-9, 2017 Manuscript, Space, Collectibles & Stamp Auction

Mercury Program

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 805		1960s Color Litho of the Mercury 7 Astronauts, Signed by All Seven. Color 8 x 10" litho of the Mercury 7 crew, signed by all seven. The astronauts are standing on the flight line in front of an F-102 aircraft. All seven signed vertically, above their heads: "M. Scott Carpenter," "Gordon Cooper," "J.H. Glenn, Jr.," "Virgil I. Grissom," "Walter M. Schirra," "Alan B. Shepard," and "Donald K. Slayton." Very good condition; creases at top right and lower left, a small area of paper loss in left border, and nicks to top and right borders. Grissom's signature is often lacking from these photos. Having all seven signatures together is the ultimate in Mercury 7 photos. With COA. Estimate Value $3,000 - 5,000 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,750
Lot 806		1960s Color Photo of the Mercury 7 Astronauts, Signed by Six, With Check Signed by Grissom. Color 8 x 10" photo issued by NASA of the Mercury 7 crew, signed by six of the original seven NASA astronauts. The astronauts are standing on the flight line in front of an F-102 aircraft. Six of the astronauts signed vertically, above their heads: "M. Scott Carpenter," "Gordon Cooper," "J.H. Glenn, Jr.," "Walter M. Schirra," "Alan B. Shepard," and "Donald K. Slayton." Fine condition, lacking only Gus Grissom's signature. With COA. Accompanied by a check signed and filled out by Gus Grissom, 2¾ x 6¼", datelined San Antonio, Texas, May 2, 1955. It is written on the National Bank of Fort Sam Houston and paid to the order of the bank in the amount of $676.29. Stamped cancellation touches top of the "V" and "l" in "Virgil," otherwise fine. Estimate Value $1,500 - 2,500 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,438
Lot 807		Mercury Astronaut Signed Photos & Lithos (x13). Thirteen 8"x10" color or B&W photos & lithos single signed (x11) and multiply signed (x2) with both inscribed & uninscribed. Includes bold signatures of Scott Carpenter (x2), Gordon Cooper, John Glenn (x6), Wally Schirra and two Mercury Seven lithos signed by Carpenter, Glenn & Schirra and Carpenter, Glenn, Schirra & Shepard, respectively. Estimate Value $650 - 800 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $750
Lot 808		Mercury Space Program, Collection of 7 Autographs by Glenn, Schirra, Shepard and Cooper. Project Mercury was the first human space flight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963 with the intent of putting the first man into Earth's orbit and return safely. Offered is a collection of autographs by 4 of the 7 original pioneers and with photos and other vintage commemoratives. 1.) John Glenn a cut signature from a TLS on cardstock signed in black fountain pen ink signed "J H Glenn, Jr." with "Best Regards typed above signature Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Marine Corps. NASA Astronaut. typed below. Also a signed 3 x 5 card with a commemorative postal stamp of Glenn from the Republic of Maldives affixed. Pair of signatures complimented with an 8 x 10 early portrait of Glenn in snappy bow-tie, a commemorative cover and a vintage point of sale for 4 cent Mercury stamp. 2.) Wally Schirra a signed Space Shots trading card, a fine autographed 8 x 10 NASA photograph, with an additional 4 x 5" black and white photo (with printed signature) 3.) An autographed 10th Anniversary cover for Freedom Seven with canceled Project Mercury 4 cent stamps from Kennedy Space Center, coupled with a dedication program of the stamp and a long postcard of MR 3 manned launch 5/5/61. 4.) Two autographs of Gordon Cooper, one a signed black and white 8 x 10 signed "Gordon Cooper Faith 7" dated 1968 and a very early aircraft report signed "Leroy G. Cooper" from 1961. All the signatures and other pieces in excellent condition. Estimate Value $250 - 500 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $475
Lot 809		Two FLOWN Mercury Ablative Heat Shield Sections From Manned Mission. These heat shield sections were removed from a manned spacecraft after its mission was completed. After recovery the spacecraft was processed by NASA and several sections of the heat sheld were removed. The sections were examined to determine their performance during the re-entry phase of the flight, which heated the ablative material to temperatures exceeding 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. Cracking on the fiberglass composites clearly indicates stress of re-entry on their charred exterior surfaces. These pieces were destined to be a part of an acrylic display but were never used. It is unclear which orbital manned flight these sections came from. Each section measures approximately 1 cubic inch. Estimate Value $300 - 400 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,156
Lot 810		Collection of 2 US and 1 Russian Swatches of Flown Parachutes; Mercury 3, Mercury 5 & Vostok 6. Collection of three swatches of flown parachutes and one test fabric sample all mounted and presented on COA's including histories and information. Offered is a small sealed swatch of parachute recovered from Mercury 3 in 1961 flown by Alan Shepard affixed to COA with mission information, a nice sized cut-portion of the flown/recovered parachute of the Mercury Atlas 5 spaceflight that carried Enos, the chimpanzee affixed to COA and finally a small swatch from the flown parachute from the flight of Russia's Vostok 6 which carried the first woman in space, Valentina Tereshkova in 1963, sample is small glassine envelope affix to COA with image of Tereshkova. Also included is a nice sample of blue ribbon fabric used for the Ares 1-X/Orion Test Parachute with a COA and NASA facts bulletin. Estimate Value $300 - 500 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $781
Lot 811		Pair of Gordon Cooper Sharpie-Signed Vintage Lithos From the Mercury Program Period. 8 x 10". Very fine. Estimate Value $200 - 300 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $114
Lot 812		2002 Stunning lift off litho signed by 4 astronauts (x2). Two matching 8½"x11" color lithos of Mercury mission launch each bearing bold signatures of Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn & Wally Schirra. Signed for benefit of Astronaut Scholarship Fund. Gorgeous images. Estimate Value $300 - 400 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $528
Lot 813		Americans Into Orbit - Signed by Three Mercury Astronauts. Book detailing "The Story of Project Mercury" by Gene Gurney, signed by "Gordon Cooper" followed by "Faith &"; "Scott Carpenter" followed by "Aurora 7"; and "Wally Schirra" followed by Greek letter sigma and the number 7. Hardcover; front has a small, discolored blemish. No dustjacket. Estimate Value $200 - 300 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $175
Lot 814		MR-3 FLOWN Chute Fiber Piece. Approximately 1" long piece of fiber from Alan Shepard's MR-3 chute mounted on small photo card. Originally obtained from Hal French, NASA telemetry technician. Spaceflori handwritten COA on card's reverse. MR-3 artifacts are very scarce. Estimate Value $150 - 200 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $216
Lot 815		Mercury 7 Presentation, 4 Cent Commemorative Plate Blocks with Autopen Signatures. A nicely matted presentation of the 7 Mercury Astronauts (Carpenter, Cooper, Shepard, Glenn, Slayton, Grissom, and Schirra) with a great color portrait of all seven in front of the Convair F-106B-75-CO Delta Dart 59-0158. All signatures, while autopen are executed on original 4 cent Project Mercury Plate Blocks, and does make for a fine presentation ready for framing. 20 x 28". Estimate Value $200 - 300 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $125
Lot 816		MR-4 Liberty Bell FLOWN Artifacts (x3). Three artifacts from Liberty Bell 7, piloted by Gus Grissom, each encased in Lucite. Includes two pieces of film from pilot observation camera, each with Cosmosphere certs, and a screw from the Liberty Bell 7 capsule. Scarce artifacts. Estimate Value $250 - UP From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $870
Lot 817		MA-6 John Glenn Signed Mercury Capsule Model. Biltmore precision model, scale 1/24, bearing bold, personalized signature of John Glenn on side of base in gold ink. Housed in original box. Great display piece. Estimate Value $150 - 200 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,260
Lot 818		7 Vintage Original B&W Photos of John Glenn All Relating To His Historic Mercury 6 Flight. John Herschel Glenn, Jr. (1921-2016) was a United States Marine Corps aviator, engineer, astronaut, and United States Senator from Ohio. In 1962 he was the first American to orbit the Earth, circling it three times. Offered here are seven vintage original 8 x 10" B&W stills from the Mercury 6 Flight that John Glenn flew in 1962. Included are Glenn dressing for the the flight, walking to the launch site, being stuffed into the Friendship 7 capsule, addressing Congress, a spectacular image of his ticker tape parade in Manhattan down Broadway, another with his wife in back of a limo with Vice-President Johnson for a parade in DC and finally a great image of President Kennedy pinning the NASA Distinguished Service Award Medal on Glenn. All photos have the press release information on verso. Some photos have irregular emulsion staining on verso but the images remain quite clean and fine overall. Such an amazing time. Estimate Value $200 - 400 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $125
Lot 819		MA-7 Scott Carpenter Signed Mercury Capsule Model. Biltmore precision model, scale 1/24, bearing bold signature of Scott Carpenter on side of base in gold ink. Housed in original box.Great display piece. Estimate Value $200 - 300 From The Collection of Michael Scherzi. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $938
Lot 820		MA-7 and MA-9 Rare Mercury Public Information Operating, Press Related Plans and Documents. MA-7, 1962, "Public Information Operating Plan" + Other Documents (8 x 11") This original, multi-page stapled internal document "presents the operating plan to implement the information program in support of the second United States manned orbital flight, designated Mercury-Atlas 7…". Also included with the lot are four different copies of "Current News" relating to the flight and an original Akron Beacon Journal clipping from May 13, 1962 regarding NASA and Press relations at the Cape for this flight. An interesting lot in the usual mixed condition. MA-9, 1963 An interesting group of about 10 different documents and copies of documents relating to press relations during the flight. They provide an entirely different viewpoint of how the flight was seen at the time and the work that went into "managing" the "clowder" of cats (there you go members of the press!) that were the news corps at the time. All fascinating documents in generally good condition. Estimate Value $300 - 500 Ex. The Paul Haney Estate collection, Public Affairs Officer NASA. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $350