Auction Date:2011 Sep 22 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Incredibly rare flight-flown intact microfilm King James Bible, 1.5 x 1.5, containing all 1245 pages of King James Version of the Bible, carried to the lunar surface by Edgar Mitchell during the Apollo 14 moon mission. The bible was produced by the Apollo Prayer League, a group of NASA engineers, scientists, administrators and astronauts, and headed by NASA chaplain Rev. John Stout, who worked closely with the astronauts and NASA personnel. This lunar Bible was originally slated to fly to the moon on Apollo 12, but a mistake on the lunar landing checklist resulted in the bible orbiting the moon in the Command Module. It was then placed on board Apollo 13, but due to a near-catastrophic explosion, the crew did not reach the moon, and instead returned to Earth. The bibles were then given to Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell who stowed the Bibles in his PPK bag and landed them safely on the moon February 5, 1971, on board lunar module Anteres.
Accompanied by a signed certificate of provenance from Mitchell and Stout, which reads, in part: “Astronaut Jim Lovell carried all 512 Bibles on Apollo 13…which aborted and failed to land. I was then given 300 of those same Bibles to fly again on Apollo 14: 100 copies for use in a second landing attempt…The 100 lunar-surface Bibles were stowed in my PPK Bag on board our Lunar Module Antares. On February 5, 1971, they made their historic landfall with Alan Shepard and me on the Moon at Fra Mauro, and remained for 34 hours…After the flight, a portion of the Apollo 14 lunar–surface Bibles were cut–up into tiny 50 page fragments, and presented to dignitaries. Fewer then [sic] 100 complete lunar–surface Bibles thus remain in existence today. This intact copy is one of only 12 Complete Lunar–Surface Bibles I have ever flight–certified to date! As a complete printed text, it is also among the first 12 astronaut flight–certified books ever carried by mankind to the surface of another world.” Bible is housed within a solid 22K gold and jewel encrusted display case, that rests in a custom handmade leather clamshell case. Also accompanied by a hardcover copy of “The Apostles of Apollo” by C. L. Mersch, detailing the journey of the Bible to the moon and signed on the title page in black ballpoint by Mitchell. A very scarce artifact with impeccable provenance.
Auction Location:
5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
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