posted 02-22-2013 07:22 PM               

I acquired this oddball 3" collection of Mercury and Gemini souvenir 3" patches. At first glance they appear to be standard A-B issue patches, but a longer look reveals distinctly different nuances in almost all of the patches. Whether this was intentional or an oversight, I am not sure.

They appear to be "period": they are cheesecloth backed, stiff and were mounted in a frame on velvet. (The "vc" tabs on the bottoms is my note that they were from the "Velvet Collection" as I nicknamed it). The velvet was unfaded under the patch indicating at least some age. Unfortunately, some glue remains on some of the items.

Here are the variations I noted, and some are substantial:

• Mercury 3 -
  
• Mercury 4 -
  
• Mercury 6 - Distinct double serif on 'F'
  
• Mercury 7 - Yellow tip of capsule
  
• Mercury 8 -
  
• Mercury 9 - Black border

• Gemini 3 - Missing midstitch on white
  
• Gemini 4 -
  
• Gemini 5 - Crude steps/cargo on wagon
  
• Gemini 6 - Cylindrical Agena, no mast on Agena, grey lettering
  
• Gemini 7 - Maroon border
  
• Gemini 8 - Black border
  
• Gemini 9 -
  
• Gemini 10 - Upside down flight path!
  
• Gemini 11 - Distinct stars, long Agena
  
• Gemini 12 - No vertical centerline on capsule