^Lot 289 Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan

Flown Apollo 10 mission patch. The gold-trimmed shield-shaped emblem for the flight shows a large, three-dimensional Roman numeral “X” sitting on the moon's surface, a CSM circling the moon as an LM ascent stage flies up from its low pass over the lunar surface with its engine firing. Signed on the reverse in black felt tip by Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan. In fine condition. Accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Tom Stafford, reading, in part: “This cloth patch was carried to the Moon on the Apollo X mission…The patch flew to within 50,000 feet of the lunar surface in our Lunar Module (LM–4) named Snoopy…This patch has been in my private collection since 1969.” Item was obtained directly from General Stafford by the consignor. With all its mission objectives achieved, Apollo 10, with this patch aboard, set the stage for the first manned moon landing just two months later.