The Associated Press:
Sep 21, 2007

“DALLAS (AP) – Buzz Aldrin’s handwritten card with a Bible verse that the Apollo 11 astronaut planned to broadcast from the moon fetched nearly $180,000 at an auction of space memorabilia.

The index card-sized note, which Aldrin never read publicly because of legal challenges NASA faced from famed atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, was part of nearly $1.2 million in items sold this week by Heritage Auction Galleries.”

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The auction was part of Heritage’s 2007 September Grand Format Air & Space Auction which ran September 20 to 21, 2007.

Tom Slater, Director of Americana Auctions for Dallas-based Heritage said, “As we expected, the most coveted items were those that came from the personal collection of astronaut Buzz Aldrin.”

Slater continued, “Other items of note in this auction included Aldrin’s Apollo 11 slide rule, an instrument he took with him in case of computer malfunction, which brought $77,675, a US flag carried to the moon by Neil Armstrong that realized $56,762, and a Russian Sokol spacesuit, complete in every detail, which sold for $17,925. Also of interest was the common 1923-S Peace dollar that Aldrin took with him on Apollo 11. Not only did this piece bring $31,070, far beyond what it could ever have hoped to realize without its impressive pedigree, but it engendered quite a bit of cross-bidding activity from our coin clients.”

Some of the other items that were sold were:
* A Section of Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 Mission Flown Descent Monitoring Chart, Signed & Annotated by Aldrin: REALIZED: $71,700
* U.S. Flag Carried on the Moon by Neil Armstrong: REALIZED: $56,762
* Buzz Aldrin’s Space Flown Cutting Tool Used on the Apollo 11 Mission, With Original Velcro Still Attached: REALIZED: $31,070
* Buzz Aldrin’s 1923-S Peace Silver Dollar Flown to the Moon Aboard Apollo 11: REALIZED: $31,070
* Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Space Flown Book by Robert Goddard: REALIZED: $29,875
* Apollo 11 Signed Flown Commemorative Cover with Notation by Buzz Aldrin: REALIZED: $26,290
* Apollo 11 Flown Robbins Sterling Silver Medallion, numbered 390 of 450 flown, presented to Joe Garino by Michael Collins: REALIZED: $19,120
* Original Russian Sokol Spacesuit: REALIZED: $17,925
* Buzz Aldrin’s Apollo 11 Flown Signed Beta Cloth Bag: REALIZED: $16,730
* Project Mercury Spacecraft Signed Color Poster: REALIZED: $15,535
* Apollo 11 Flown Robbins Medallion From the Buzz Aldrin Collection: REALIZED: $15,535
* Beautiful Charles Lindbergh Signed Photograph in Gorgeous Silver Frame: REALIZED: $3,883
* Large Archive of Early Amelia Earhart Press Photos: REALIZED: $2,629
* Star-Studded 1936 National Air Races Autograph Book: REALIZED: $2,629

For more information about Heritage and to view this full release, visit americana.ha.com/common/info/press/default.php?ReleaseID=1411