[APOLLO 11]. BUZZ ALDRIN'S APOLLO 11 FLOWN CREW-SIGNED DOW-UNICOVER "APOLLO XI FIRST STEP" COVER, NUMBER EEA-31

DIRECTLY FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF APOLLO 11 LUNAR MODULE PILOT BUZZ ALDRIN

FLOWN TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 11

BUZZ ALDRIN'S APOLLO 11 FLOWN CREW-SIGNED DOW-UNICOVER "APOLLO XI FIRST STEP" COVER, NUMBER EEA-31

FLOWN color-cacheted Dow-Unicover "Apollo XI the First Step" cover, 6 1/2 by 3 1/2 inches, with 6 cent United States Flag stamp, cancellation stamp dated August 11, 1969 at Webster, Texas. Below cancellation is stamped: "Delayed in Quarantine at Lunar Receiving Laboratory. M.S.C. - Houston, Texas". Written at upper left, in Aldrin's hand: "EEA-31/ CARRIED TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 11." SIGNED BY: NEIL ARMSTRONG, BUZZ ALDRIN, and MICHAEL COLLINS. Additionally SIGNED AND INSCRIBED on flap: "FROM MY PERSONAL COLLECTION. BUZZ ALDRIN. APOLLO XI LMP". With a Typed Letter Signed from BUZZ ALDRIN.

FLOWN TO THE MOON ON APOLLO 11 AND SIGNED BY THE FULL CREW, NUMBER EEA-31 FROM ALDRIN'S PERSONAL COLLECTION. The crew of Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24th, 1969. After they were recovered by the USS Hornet, the crew, along with their equipment were placed in quarantine. There were only a total of 214 covers flown on the Apollo 11 mission, which were all sent to be cancelled at the nearest post office once they were released from quarantine. Of these flown covers, three different cachet designs are known; Type-1, the present "Spacecraft Center Stamp Club" design, showing astronauts on the lunar surface with the EASEP (see lot 115); Type-2, the Dow-Unicover" the present Apollo XI First Step" design; and Type-3, the Apollo 11 Mission Emblem type (see lot 116). 

Buzz Aldrin's letter reads in part: "This Dow-Unicover cachet commemorative postal cover was carried to the Moon during July 16-24, 1969 on the Apollo 11 mission. The lunar module Eagle made the first manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969.

The cover has been in my private collection since 1969 and was signed by the Apollo 11 crew, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and myself. I have written on the cover that is was "Carried to the Moon on Apollo 11" and added my initials "EEA" with the number 31, which is a serial number for this group of covers from my personal collection. As noted on the reverse of the cover, it is from my personal collection."