Neil Armstrong's Family To Auction Off Personal Artifacts
DAYTON, Ohio (CBSDFW/AP) — Flight enthusiasts will soon get a chance to buy items from astronaut Neil Armstrong's personal collection of artifacts.
The Dayton Daily News reports the family of the first man to walk on the moon will auction off more than 2,000 of his personal memorabilia during a series of sales by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions beginning next month.
The collection includes a variety of artifacts from Armstrong's 1969 lunar landing and private mementos that include pieces of a wing and propeller from the 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer that the astronaut took with him to the moon.
Other items that went to the moon with Armstrong include a U.S. flag, the largest size typically flown during Apollo missions; a United Nations flag; a Texas flag; and some Robbins Medallions. The sterling silver medallions were paid for by the crews of Apollo missions and were available for purchase only by NASA astronauts. Armstrong's collection also includes a rare gold medallion.
Among the more personal items to be auctioned are a Purdue University centennial flag from Armstrong's alma mater that traveled on Apollo 11 and his Boy Scout cap.
One of Armstrong's sons, Mark Armstrong, says some of the collection items are historically significant while others will produce laughs.
Armstrong died in his native Ohio in 2012.