CAG-certified Apollo 11 medal realizes $30,000 in Heritage Auctions sale

Another CAG-certified artifact — a small piece of the Wright Flyer — also sold for thousands of dollars.

An artifact from the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright Flyer and another from the Apollo 11 moon mission — both certified by Collectibles Authentication Guaranty (CAG) — were among the top lots in a Heritage Space Exploration Signature sale held May 21-22, 2021.

A CAG-certified Apollo 11 Robbins Medal graded NGC MS-66 realized $30,000 at the May 22 sale. The medal was part of a group of artifacts saved by astronaut Neil Armstrong and his immediate family. Armstrong brought the medal and other mementos with him on the historic Moon mission in July 1969, when he left humankind’s first footprints on the lunar surface.

The Apollo 11 medals show an eagle landing on the surface of the moon, a scene later used for the reverse of the Eisenhower and Susan B. Anthony Dollars. The reverse shows the dates of the mission, including the moon landing date: July 20, 1969.

CAG has certified the provenance of thousands of items from the Armstrong Family Collection, including a Gold Apollo 11 Robbins Medal that realized over $2 million in 2019.

On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers flew the Wright Flyer near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina — the first manned powered flight in history and the one that launched the modern aviation era. An exciting memento of this extraordinary moment in aviation history — a CAG-certified Wright Flyer Wing Fabric Piece — realized a price of $9,375. CAG certified the provenance of this piece to Otto Kallir, a renowned collector of aviation history. This particular piece was once part of a model of the Wright Flyer built at a 1:42 scale.

The Heritage sale also featured a CAG-certified photograph of Neil Armstrong standing in front of an American flag that realized $550. The NASA photo of Armstrong dates to 1964, before his first mission in space. CAG certified its provenance to the Armstrong Family Collection.

What is CAG?

CAG works directly with collectors, estates, artists, and museums to preserve the authenticity and provenance of memorabilia and estate items at the source. With authenticity and provenance guaranteed, collectors have greater confidence, which results in a safer and more vibrant marketplace.

In addition to the Armstrong Family Collection, CAG also has certified artifacts from the Michael Collins Collection. Collins was one of the three astronauts, including Armstrong, to serve as the crew for the Apollo 11 mission.

CAG has certified pieces of the Wright Flyer from both Otto Kallir and the Armstrong Family Collection, as well as another pioneering aircraft the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin.

Prices realized include buyer’s premium.

Press release courtesy of the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation.

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