posted 09-09-2020 04:54 PM               

I noticed the signed transfer/sticker on the back seems to be placed over another transfer/sticker of equal size. Look closely at the photo and it can be clearly seen. I have tried reading it through a light with no result and I fear damaging the transfer or map if I try to remove it.

Has anybody else's have this? Can anybody shed some light on this?

posted 09-09-2020 05:15 PM               

I have no idea why Gene chose to use two stickers instead of one. It's possible that he just wanted them to feel more thick and substantial, with a higher amount of contrast. You can faintly see the second sticker below, which means the stickers themselves are thin enough to be slightly transparent. Perhaps he attached one sticker, felt it looked too thin and flimsy, and added another for a cleaner white background on them.

It's also possible (though less likely) that there was some sort of mixup in the signing process. Maybe these stickers were created by someone else involved in the original sale, and Gene didn't realize he was supposed to sign them. And then after the book had been sold, he signed another set and sent them to the buyer, resulting in a second set on the top of the first. Again, this seems unlikely, as every one of the maps was sold with a photo of Gene holding the signed book. So it definitely seems to have been fully signed before he parted with it. (I can send you one of these photos if you don't already have one.)

posted 09-09-2020 05:41 PM               

The stickers on top have a photo of the Apollo 17 insignia, followed by "The Eugene A. Cernan Space Collection". On the bottom sticker, this section is replaced with the following text:

Flown to Lunar Orbit aboard the Apollo 17 CM "America"

So I think that the stickers were probably amended to specify that these were from Cernan's collection, to place his signature directly above his name, and to remove the duplicate "lunar orbit flown" notations. The newer stickers look much nicer, I think. Although I prefer the way the bottom stickers more boldly list them as flown.

posted 09-09-2020 06:11 PM               

Gene didn't want to inscribe all the maps and pages that he was selling due to arthritic pain in his hands. David made up rubber stamps and signature plates for each piece that he picked up from Gene. David didn't like the original wording and redid the labels and had Gene sign them again.

posted 09-09-2020 08:00 PM               

Ian, I really like your particular map. I can never decide whether or not I like the fact that most of the certificates were attached to the front of the maps. For display purposes, it's nice to have a signed notation on the front, in full view. But it also alters the historical perspective of them. Most of the maps have a blank section that was large enough for the sticker to be attached. You have a bigger portrait of the lunar surface, which required it to be hidden on the back. I think I prefer that. You could always photocopy the certificate and have it framed below the map if you wanted. So you have the choice of whether or not to display it.

My cover has the COA sticker on the front, along with the added "Provenance" stamp on top. I think it clutters the format a bit, and it's an alteration of the original item. I think I would have preferred the cover to look exactly as it did when it flew, with the sticker on the back. So you got a really great one!