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Author
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Topic: 164075264118: Sieger-style Worden cover
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woodg2
Member Posts: 143
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 02-10-2020 06:28 AM
   
Here's an interesting one. A cover meant to look like an Apollo 15 Sieger cover, but no stamps or cancellations and a signature by Al Worden. Is it safe to assume it's a fake and not some sort of unflown leftover? |
woodg2
Member Posts: 143
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 02-14-2020 04:25 PM
On a whim I went ahead and purchased this cover. I assumed it would be a current era cover with computer printed words in the corner. I was intrigued by it and figured that if nothing else it would be an interesting conversation starter. Well, it arrived today and the text at the top left corner appears to be an original part of the cover rather than something printed later. The cover appears be many years old and made of a very thin kind of paper, much like what I have read the originals were made of. Is there any chance this could be some sort of leftover or prototype from the famous set of Apollo 15 covers? I know it’s a long shot and probably a silly question, but I’m not aware of any similar covers on the market. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3006
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 02-14-2020 05:38 PM
Without having an opportunity to examine the cover first hand, it's more likely from the original batch of what you have already shared about it.Brevard Printing in Cocoa, FL, the same company that produced our KSC-NASA emblem cachet covers, did about 500+ of the Scott/Sieger variety in early July 1971. There were indeed some covers that were mis-printed, such as this one, of at least 2-3 type categories. The text slogan printed at top left were "tested" for the best possible results. Some of the slogans were printed in their full 6-text lines, some with no text lines, while others only have the first 3-text lines exposed. The reason why on this particular cover you're only seeing the first 3-lines is because the additional or lower 3-text lines were of a different type-face altogether being smaller in size than the first 3-top lines. |
woodg2
Member Posts: 143
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 02-14-2020 09:36 PM
Thanks for the info Ken. That likely explains what I just added to my collection. I tried to get more history from the seller but all he knew was that it was part of a bulk lot of items he got at an RR auction. I’m surprised Col Worden signed anything with the word “flown” on it, but I’m glad he did since it makes it even more unique (at least in my opinion). While probably not exceedingly valuable I am excited to add this unique item to my collection. And on my budget, it’s probably the closest I’ll ever to to owning a Sieger cover! |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1940
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 02-15-2020 08:20 AM
That is a really cool addition to your collection, demonstrating what went into creating one of the more famous Apollo-flown items. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 1759
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-26-2020 03:57 PM
Here's another rare unused Apollo 15 "unflown" cover also signed by Al Worden. I obtained this from Ken Havekotte, and with his help, had Al Worden sign it in person for me. I asked that Worden add "unflown" as I was not sure he would sign without adding that notation on covers only made to be flown to the moon on Apollo 15.This one, like the one above, missed the flight but became very special collector keepsakes.  |
woodg2
Member Posts: 143
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 02-28-2020 10:15 PM
That’s a nice cover. I had never heard of these unflown covers until I stumbled across mine on eBay a few weeks ago. I’m glad to know there is another one preserved in a collection. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3006
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-02-2020 11:25 AM
Here are a few more unusual Apollo 15 Sieger/Bishop cachet cover types that I thought would be fun to share. The covers pictured below could perhaps represent a "family portrait" of sorts featuring all the different unflown envelope-cover-stamp types that had been a part of the original Collins/Bishop lunar cover batch. As it turned out, nearly 400 of this envelope-cachet type were flown to the moon's surface, arranged by Scott, Eiermann, and sold by Sieger.  |
albatron
Member Posts: 2752
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 05-02-2020 09:12 PM
When I was still working with Worden, he had a few of the uncancelled covers of each type. I don't recall selling any for him, but I did have him indicate on the reverse they were "overruns" and not flown. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3006
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 05-02-2020 09:42 PM
That's right, Al, as Bishop did gift "overruns" to crewmen and other close friends of his. But they're not all overruns completely, Al, as Bishop did print up an extra few hundred for his own purposes, mainly as additional launch day covers.He also had the crew sign some as well, as seen above, but mostly already with KSC-launch cancels on them. A few were even posted for splashdown day, too. How many of them were signed, but not flown, I am not quite sure as Bishop never gave me a quantity (at the time he may have forgotten himself). I am thinking, though, it might be less than 25 or so from what I have been able to determine, but not confirmed. |
woodg2
Member Posts: 143
From: Madison AL
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 05-03-2020 08:43 AM
I am glad to hear at least some of these were marked as unflown. I was very surprised any of the astronauts would have signed these, especially the ones with the "flown" verbiage printed on them, without somehow marking them. That's why I originally questioned the authenticity of the one I purchased. |
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