Apollo 15 Flown "Phases of the Moon" Crew-Signed Cover with Notarized Certification Signed by the Crew, NASA #344. ...

Description

Ex. Al Worden

Apollo 15 Flown "Phases of the Moon" Crew-Signed Cover with Notarized Certification Signed by the Crew, NASA #344. A #5 philatelic cover with a 8¢ USPS stamp with an unofficial oval "Launch" stamp applied by stamp dealer F. Herrick Herrick and a se-tenant pair of 8¢ "Decade of Achievement/ United States in Space" stamps cancelled on board the U.S.S. Okinawa on the splashdown date of August 7, 1971. At upper left is an applied color cachet sticker showing fifteen phases of the moon. The crew has signed at lower left in black felt tip: "Dave Scott", "Al Worden", and "Jim Irwin". On the verso is a red round "Recovery" stamp, again unofficial and placed by Herrick. Underneath the loose flap is written in black ink: "344 SNH" by NASA General Counsel S. Neil Hosenball. Cover and letter excellent.

There were 144 of these covers created by Herrick and flown by Worden in his PPK. They were properly reported and authorized to fly. After the splashdown, Worden had the additional stamps added and they were cancelled on board the recovery ship. The crewmembers signed each cover while flying back from Hawaii to Houston. Worden then sent all the covers to Herrick for safe keeping and finalization (where the "Launch" and "Recovery" stamps were applied). When the NASA investigation into the carrying of the Sieger covers was started, Worden requested that Herrick return all of them to him. Herrick had already sold some and claimed that others were damaged; Worden only received sixty covers and they were impounded by the government and numbered by Hosenball; numbers1-298 were the Sieger covers and numbers 299-358 were the "Moon Phases" covers that were owned by the astronauts. Worden eventually got his sixty covers back in the 1980s at which point the crew certified them by means of the included Certification document (text below).

This is the first of the rare astronaut-owned group of sixty that Heritage has ever offered. In 2013, we sold one of the less rare Herrick-owned group of eighty-four. A splendid opportunity to add one of these to your Space Philately collection. From the Family Collection of Jacques Bracke.

More Information: CERTIFICATION
Re: UNITED STATES LUNAR MISSION - APOLLO 15
July 26 - August 7, 1971

The undersigned, COLONEL ALFRED M. WORDEN, COLONEL DAVID R. SCOTT and COLONEL JAMES B. IRWIN, certify that:

1. They were the crew members of the United States Lunar Mission - Apollo 15 during the period from July 26 to August 7, 1971;

2. Postal covers were carried aboard the Apollo 15 Mission, which postal clovers were stamped and postmarked at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on the date of the launch, July 26, 1971, and carried aboard the Apollo 15 Spacecraft during the entire term of the Mission, to include orbit of landing on the moon, and were returned to the Earth at the termination of the Mission on August 7, 1971. At that time, the covers were again stamped and postmarked aboard the U.S.S. Okinawa, Pacific Ocean, and signed by each of the Astronauts, COLONEL ALFRED M. WORDEN, COLONEL DAVID R. SCOTT and COLONEL JAMES B. IRWIN;

3. The postal covers were in the possession of one or more of the undersigned until 1972, at which time they were deposited with the United States Government; and

4. The undersigned have this date inspected that Postal Cover bearing NASA Serial No. 344, and aver, affirm and certify that said Postal Cover is a cover which was carried aboard the United States Lunar Mission - Apollo 15.

The undersigned have this date executed this Certification for the purpose of identifying said Postal Cover and certifying that said Postal Cover was carried aboard the United States Lunar Mission - Apollo 15.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 19th day of July, 1983.
[signed] Lois M. McIntosh
Notary Public
My Commission Expires August 3, 1986
[Blindstamped SEAL present]

[signed] Alfred M Worden
Alfred M. Worden

[signed] David R. Scott
David R. Scott

[signed] James B. Irwin
James B. Irwin