Lot 223
STS-8, 1983, FLOWN "$9.35 Space Mail" Cover. In its original multicolor folder. This cover was jointly developed through the efforts of the US Postal Service and NASA. Each cover is numbered on the back and each cover is cancelled KSC/August 14, 1983 (the first day of issue of the stamp), Launched aboard Challenger/August 30 (the day of launch) and Returned to Earth/Edwards AFB/September 5 (the day the covers returned to earth). Every one of these covers, submitted by the public to be included on the launch, was supposed to have been flown on the flight. It was only after the flight was long over that it was disclosed that, due to the large numbers of covers submitted, most were left off the flight. It is generally accepted that only those covers numbered below 1000 stood a good chance of having been flown (no records were kept showing which numbers were carried).
This cover, No. 294, is one of the lowest numbered covers we have seen over the years. Also included in the lot is the Postal Service hard envelope in which the cover was returned to its buyer after the flight. Since it was returned to him c/o NASA/Johnson Space Center, the odds are fairly good that this cover was definitely flown. Rare thus.
Estimated Value $250 - 350.
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| Realized $88 |
