November Auction Features More CAG-certified Artifacts from The Armstrong Family Collection

Medals, flags and other important items that astronaut Neil Armstrong took with him on the historic Apollo 11 moon mission are among hundreds of artifacts certified by Collectibles Authentication Guaranty® (CAG™) in the fourth auction of selections from the Armstrong Family Collection™.

Together, these items comprise about half the lots in a Heritage Auctions space memorabilia auction scheduled for November 14-15, 2019. They include:

Medals, tokens and coins

Among the most valuable artifacts in the Armstrong Family Collection are the Apollo 11 Robbins Medals that were taken by Armstrong into space on the historic mission. All of these medals have been graded by Numismatic Guaranty Corporation® (NGC®), a CAG affiliate, and certified by CAG.

Armstrong's Gold Apollo 11 Robbins Medal, which was graded NGC MS 67, realized over $2 million in July 2019, in a sale that coincided with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. Nine Silver Apollo 11 Robbins Medals from the Armstrong Family Collection have been sold since the first artifacts were offered in November 2018, realizing prices as high as $112,500.

CAG-certified Apollo 11 Silver Robbins Medal #332, flown on the Apollo 11 Lunar Module. Graded NGC MS 67 and pedigreed to the Armstrong Family Collection. Click images to enlarge.

Three more silver medals from the CAG-certified Armstrong Family Collection are being offered in the November 2019 sale. One with serial number 332 was graded MS 67 by NGC and is being offered in a standalone lot.

Two other Silver Robbins Medals (#276, graded NGC MS 66 and #303, graded NGC MS 67) are each the centerpiece of a framed presentation that also includes a NASA photograph of Neil Armstrong in his spacesuit, an Apollo 11 mission patch and an insurance cover signed by the three Apollo 11 astronauts. These insurance covers are stamped postal collectibles that the astronauts signed and left behind for their families to sell, in case they did not return from the mission.

In addition, the auction features four Fliteline Medals flown on the Gemini 8 mission in 1966. Like the Robbins Medals, these are graded by NGC and certified by CAG as part of the Armstrong Family Collection. Gemini 8 was Armstrong's only other mission to space.

The auction also includes various coins, medals and tokens Armstrong acquired after the Apollo 11 mission earned him worldwide renown.

Wright Flyer piece

CAG-certified Wright Flyer Wing Piece. Flown on Apollo 11 and pedigreed to the Armstrong Family Collection. Click images to enlarge.

Another important piece in the auction is a piece of Wright Flyer wing fabric from the plane whose 1903 flight changed the course of aviation history. Under a special arrangement with a museum, Armstrong took pieces from the Wright Flyer to the moon with him and was allowed to retain some of them.

To date, 11 wing pieces from the Armstrong Family Collection have been sold, realizing prices as high as $175,000. As with the others, the one offered in this sale has its incredible provenance certified by CAG.

Flags and other flown items

Armstrong took an assortment of postcard-sized flags with him on Apollo 11, which CAG has certified as Apollo 11-flown. This auction includes four US flags (including two as part of presentation set lots and two as standalone lots) as well as state flags from Ohio, Indiana, Mississippi and Wisconsin.

Another item flown on Apollo 11 is a CAG-certified piece of Beta cloth, fireproof material used on the mission.

Other collectibles

CAG-certified NASA Photograph of Neil Armstrong. Pedigreed to the Armstrong Family Collection. Click images to enlarge.

Other CAG-certified collectibles being offered include vintage NASA photographs (including one of Armstrong in a business suit), dozens of magazines (many with Armstrong's mailing address label still attached), patches, papers and personal effects.

The Armstrong Family Collection, one of the most significant collections of memorabilia of the last 50 years, was the first major collection to be certified by CAG. To date, selections from the collection have realized more than $12 million.

CAG was established to preserve the authenticity and provenance of collectibles at the source by working directly with collectors, estates, artists, museums and others. Most items certified by CAG are encapsulated in proprietary holders that enable the artifact to be both preserved and attractively displayed.

For more information about CAG, visit CAGcertified.com. For more information about NGC, visit NGCcoin.com.