Lot 161
Mercury 4: Flown Dime on Mercury 4, Liberty Bell 7, Personal Property of Virgil "Gus" Grissom with LOA. Rare (1926-1967) Space flown dime from the Mercury-Redstone 4 mission flew on July 21 1961 and was the second US manned space flight and was piloted by Gus Grissom. The sub orbital flight lasted just over 15 minutes. The flight and splashdown went as planned but a near calamity occurred when the hatch cover accidentally blew. Astronaut Grissom was at risk of drowning as the spacecraft sank into the Atlantic. In 2021, analysis of video of the recovery suggested that static electricity likely caused the premature detonation of the hatch bolts. Offered is a 1961 dime Grissom carried with him on the flight that has been carefully set into a mount for use in jewelry. With it a sterling silver charm (not flown) was made to accompany the dime engraved on the obverse, Liberty Bell 7 and the reverse the July 21,1961. This flown dime has remained in the Grissom Estate until made available in this auction. LOA by Mark Grissom. Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000
The Estate of Virgil I. Grissom.
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| Realized $1,849 |
