Sieger Cover Flown to Lunar Surface on Apollo 15 - No 146 of 300, Signed by Crew

Description

APOLLO 15
.  Excessively rare and highly desirable Sieger cover flown to the lunar surface aboard Apollo 15’s Lunar Module Falcon.  Numbered 146 out of 300; signed in black felt tip by the Apollo 15 crew, “Dave Scott, Al Worden, Jim Irwin”; measures 6.5 by 3.625 inches; reverse is marked in blue ballpoint with NASA serial number “253”; retains two informational inserts; and in pristine condition.
EXCESSIVELY RARE AND HIGHLY DESIRABLE SIEGER COVER FLOWN TO THE LUNAR SURFACE ABOARD APOLLO 15’S LUNAR MODULE FALCON, NUMBERED 146 OUT OF 300, SIGNED BY DAVE SCOTT, AL WORDEN, AND JIM IRWIN
Includes a July 19, 1983 typed notarized certification signed by, “Alfred M. Worden, David R. Scott, James B. Irwin,” that reads in part: “Postal covers were carried aboard the Apollo 15 Mission, which postal covers 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 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…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…The undersigned have this date inspected Postal Cover No. 146, bearing NASA Serial No. 253, and aver, affirm and certify that said Postal Cover is a cover which was carried aboard the United States Lunar Mission—Apollo 15.”  All three crew members have also added their initials to a small correction in the text.
INCLUDES A 1983 TYPED NOTARIZED CERTIFICATION SIGNED BY THE APOLLO 15 CREW: “POSTAL COVERS WERE CARRIED ABOARD THE APOLLO 15 MISSION…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 LANDING ON THE MOON, AND WERE RETURNED TO THE EARTH AT THE TERMINATION OF THE MISSION ON AUGUST 7, 1971.”
Accompanied with a letter of authenticity signed by Jim Irwin’s daughter acknowledging the cover originated from his personal collection: “I, Joy Irwin Schtakleff daughter of the late Apollo 15 Astronaut James B. Irwin certify that postal cover #146 which was flown onboard Apollo 15 to the moon has been in Irwin family possession until this date.”
THE UNAUTHORIZED COVER ASSOCIATED WITH NASA’S GREATEST SCANDAL ORIGINATES FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF APOLLO 15 ASTRONAUT JIM IRWIN AND IS ACCOMPANIED WITH A LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM HIS DAUGHTER
The German stamp dealer Hermann Sieger recruited the Apollo 15 crew to carry some philatelic covers to the moon and back in exchange for a payment of ,000 to each of them in 1970.  NASA required astronauts to obtain permission prior to taking anything with them on the spacecraft.  The Sieger covers were never reported or properly manifested and were stored in Scott’s spacesuit pocket during the flight.  After Sieger began selling the covers, it immediately became a national story that the Apollo 15 crew carried unauthorized covers in space.  The astronauts returned Sieger’s money, but a congressional inquiry caused NASA to suspend all three from active flight status and the remaining covers were confiscated and held by the Federal Government.  It wasn’t until 1983 that NASA settled Al Worden’s lawsuit out of court and returned the covers to the crew.  One of these covers associated with NASA’s greatest scandal commanded as much as ,654 at RR Auction in November 2014.