posted 12-03-2006 03:58 PM               

Additionally, I have seen this particular badge advertised as a Gemini 6 badge. However, I am not so sure that this is the case. In NASA photo 65-H-0431 (see below) John Young is seen wearing a similar badge with the number "6" during preps for the GT-3 mission. Any ideas?

The Forbush Saturn Operations badge is of a standard type that I have seen in many Apollo-era photos. My question on this badge is what is the significance of the letter designators in the blocks on the bottom of this badge? This badge has "B", "C", and "S" designators. I have seen others with an additional "E" added in the last column.

Additionally, I have not been able to track down any info on J. Forbush. Any info at all here would be greatly appreciated.

Finally, the green unsigned NASA LOD (Launch Operations Directorate) badge is a total mystery to me. Any ideas as to when it was in use and the significance of the numeral "2"? I would guess that this badge pre-dates Apollo but can obviously be no earlier than when Charles Buckley became NASA security chief. Does anyone know the date when Buckley first began as security chief?

posted 12-04-2006 06:45 PM               

The "BI" on them stands for "background investigation," signifying the bearer had passed. They provided greater access than area permits without the "BI" stamp.

posted 01-27-2008 05:32 PM               

Two examples of which are posted above. Although it is still a relative rarity to find outright forgeries (as I believe the above examples are), the field of badge collecting is on the rise and, most likely as prices continue to escalate, we will undoubtedly see more of this type of fraud in the market place.

Both the Apollo 14 and Jim Lovell badges were offered and sold on eBay over the past year or so. Although these particular examples were advertised by the seller as "part of a collection for which there is no verification of authenticity", I have seen other similar type sales for which no such disclaimer is mentioned. I believe that these items are worthless, even as curiosities. They do hold marginal value, perhaps, as learning tools for what to avoid when looking to purchase authentic items for your own individual collections.

I'm far from an expert but have been collecting long enough to recognize the subtle nuances that differentiate vintage items from those of a reproduction. For example, on the Apollo 14 badge, the grayscale watermark of the NASA meatball logo and the computer generated "signature" of Kurt Debus (in a modern day font) stands out like a sore thumb in comparison to the authentic example with colored watermark and proper facsimile signature. To a lesser extent, it can be seen that the badges differ somewhat in physical dimension. I'll leave it up to you to spot the discrepancies between the fake "Lovell" badge and the authentic Liebergot example.

In short, just like all areas of collecting, the more familiar you become with the authentic items, the easier it becomes to spot the forgeries. It's not rocket science, but it can be dangerous if you don't know what you are doing.

My advice:

1. If you are new to badge collecting, buy only from trusted and knowledgeable sources first.

2. Build your collection slowly until you are comfortable with the various types of badges that are out there and what they look like and how they are constructed (type of paper or material used, physical dimensions, watermarks, signatures, lamination style, clip styles, etc.).

3. If you are buying over the Internet, ask for clean hi-resolution scans if none are provided originally. Items, particularly from the early space program (M-G-A), should in most cases show normal signs of usage (even if minor) if they were truly used and worn. Even if the badges were issued but unused, normal signs of age are usually apparent in some sense. Check for signs that the badge has not been printed by computer (font styles, print patterns, etc.). Always ask to see the back of the badge if not originally shown. Sometimes, the back is blank (by design) but this is relatively rare. Learn which badges are of this type and which are not. Verify that the proper type of info is present on the back of the badge and check for consistency with other known examples.

4. Ask a fellow collector for help if you are unsure.

posted 01-18-2009 02:47 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by FFrench:
Might some of these be the movie / miniseries props that I know a lot of people in this part of the world have - used in Apollo 13, From the Earth to the Moon, etc?

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posted 01-24-2009 08:01 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Joel Katzowitz:
Can anyone give more information about the stripes?

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posted 04-20-2009 10:09 PM               

I have seen a couple of other instances where this has been done on other types of NASA badges. Examples of these can be seen in the image below.

The image on the left was taken from a NASA employee identification badge for the Manned Spacecraft Center. This particular badge was issued in 1962. As can be seen, it includes a background image of a repeated NASA insignia. It is interesting to note that the paper was apparently printed by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

The image on the right was taken from a Gemini era Crew Visitor badge which was issued by the Kennedy Space Center security department. The background includes a repeated series of "KSC".

posted 05-05-2009 08:56 PM               

I have Area Permits from several Apollo missions. All of my examples come in one of two "flavors" - "Visitor - To Be Escorted", which has a plain background, or ones like Bill's illustration, which are issued to specific individuals and have specific clearance areas indicated with letters. These latter ones are the only ones with the repeated APIP background, and they also have the mission decals (with different shaped symbols for each mission) as opposed to the mission number just stamped on the badge. My hunch is that the patterned background is there primarily so that security could easily and quickly distinguish between people who could be in restricted areas without an escort and those people who should be led around.

posted 01-17-2010 12:57 PM               

My guess is that the blue version was for assigned seating while the other variation of this badge was for SRO (standing room only). It's just a theory, though.

posted 01-19-2010 03:30 PM               

YES--I have seen background gray-colored VIP badges for the launch of Apollo 11. Actually, the gray badges were for general use whereas the light-blue printed badges were mostly for higher-up VIPs attending the historic liftoff.

posted 07-27-2010 12:53 PM               

The artwork can also be found on LRL (Lunar Receiving Laboratory) badges.

posted 07-27-2010 05:25 PM               

The above picture of the access door to the MOCR is a screen capture taken from some NASA "behind the scenes" footage included on a Spacecraft Films DVD. I believe it was from Apollo 13. I have to laugh when I look at this sign with all the missing letters. The low resolution photo is hard to read but here is what it says:

GREEN
BADGES
ONLY

No eating or dr[in]king
in MOCR ex[cept]
during period[s] of
mission supp[or]t

The Apollo 11 MOCR badges do not come up for sale very often due to their relative rarity. I follow sales from the major auction houses (Regency, Heritage, Swann, Bonhams, Astro-Auction, etc) and eBay as well. Over the past 10 years I have only seen a small handful of these offered for sale.

posted 07-28-2010 09:42 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by 413 is in:
The above picture of the access door to the MOCR is a screen capture taken from some NASA "behind the scenes" footage included on a Spacecraft Films DVD.

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Plus programs: Ranger, Gemini Target, Atlas/Agena OAO, OGO-A, Mariner, FIRE, from Cape Canaveral and from Goddard the NASA Earth Resources Tchnoloogy Satellite and Operations Control badges. I've been sorting out the things I have after retiring last year. Started at the Cape in 1956 so getting older than dirt. Many pictures, some signatures of note but it will take me some time to catalog the items.

posted 07-29-2010 07:48 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by davidcwagner:
What are the values of the Apollo 11 MOCR and LRL badges?

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If it helps, here are some recent sales comps for the badge types in question:

• Apollo 11 Yellow LRL Access Badge
  • Jim McDivitt - Astro-Auction (March 2009) $975
    
  • Jean G. Baker - Ebay (March 2010) $557
    
  • H. M. (Harry) Porter - Ebay (July 2011) $325
• Apollo 11 Green MOCR Access Badge
  • Al Alibrando (PAO) - Ebay (Feb 2010) $260
    
  • Fred Haise - The Space Source (Mar 2008) $2000

posted 07-29-2010 07:48 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Timothy:
I worked in Houston '66-'70... Badges I have: Apollo 11 (one regular and one with the 11) and Apollo 9, 10, 12 and an "All Missions".

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I notice that you have an "All Missions" badge. During the early Gemini missions, access badges for the MOCR were white. It wasn't until Gemini 9 that badge colors were changed to green for MOCR access.

Here are some examples from my collection, showing how the badge styles evolved over the years from Gemini on to Apollo and then early shuttle:

Note: The first official mission that was fully conducted out of the MCC-H was Gemini 4. Gemini 3 was controlled from the Cape, and the MCC-H operated in shadow mode only. Blue-White visitor badges were issued to grant access to the MOCR during that brief period of transition.

The white Gemini "All Missions" badge was utilized for GT-4, GT-5, and GT 7/6 only. Directly following these missions, a white-colored combination Gemini and Apollo badge was used (Apollo test flights overlapped with Gemini manned missions).

posted 09-14-2011 08:07 AM               

He had joined NASA's precursor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in 1922 (!). In 1957-1958, he served on NACA's Special Committee on Space Technology, which led to the creation of NASA. In this photo of the committee members, he is sitting up front on the left, across from von Braun.

NACA was abolished, and its research centers, including Lewis, incorporated into the new agency. NASA officially opened its doors on October 1, 1958 in the old Dolley Madison House across Lafayette Square from the White House. (A year later the Mercury 7 astronauts were introduced to the public in that house.) NASA's first administrator was T. Keith Glennan.

Here is the back of Sharp's ID card. First, I find the date of birth interesting: 3/9/94, as in 1894. This is a NASA employee who was born the year the Wright brothers started repairing and selling bicycles.

Then there is the fact that this card wasn't authorized by a security officer with a stamp, but hand-signed by Administrator Glennan himself, just a month after NASA started its work.

posted 09-14-2011 10:58 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by stsmithva:
Here is the laminated NASA photo ID card of Edward R. Sharp.

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posted 03-03-2012 05:27 PM               

Pursuant to the earlier discussion of gray/blue Apollo 11 Viewing Passes, the darker blue VIP example acquired below had Agnew’s name typed in as shown in the first image below (all images can be enlarged by clicking).

I was originally thinking the badge could be a “second” given a slight correction to the ‘s’ in ‘President’ and the eBay listing was clear about uncertainty of whether it was Agnew’s actual badge or a discarded first-try.

After examining several photos that document the VP’s A11 presence, I’m reasonably convinced that the badge was indeed worn by Agnew on launch day.

Looking at the last photo in particular where I’ve blown up part of the image showing the badge on Agnew’s jacket, the horizontal placement of the “Vice President Agnew”, the slight tilt of the typed line relative to pass edge, and the curl/curve of the plastic badge envelope are all a dead match to the eBay purchase.

While much more speculative and harder to discern given finite detail, the ‘s’ in question seems to be a perfect match as well with a slightly darker area in the typing visible in the precise location above the shadow demarcation line on the moon graphic of the badge.

Given all of the correlation in subtle aspects of typing and the notion that a typed addition would likely have some placement variation on a second attempt, I’m pretty sure we have a winner.

Feel free to weigh in with any contrary opinions; it’s just for fun and my feelings will not be hurt.

posted 03-03-2012 06:02 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by David Carey:
A recent eBay purchase turned out to be an interesting and perhaps favorable gamble.

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That's some fine analysis. I noticed the same badge and in fact used the same high-resolution image as I considered bidding. My wife asked why the heck I was tilting the screen on my laptop up and down as I tried to find the precise angle to most favorably view the close-up of the typing on Agnew's badge. I decided not to bid, but maybe if I'd compared the angle of the typing as you did I would have.

posted 03-04-2012 12:18 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by David Carey:
A recent eBay purchase turned out to be an interesting and perhaps favorable gamble.

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posted 03-04-2012 02:00 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by stsmithva:
You might want to ask the eBay seller if they can give you any details.

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I'll ask Steve, but may not have much luck as the seller's other VP item listings state:

These are part of a large lot of Vice Presidential / Presidential / NASA/Apollo collection that we recently acquired. We do not have any paperwork to substantiate this but, they are from the estate of a friend of the former Vice President that was given/bought the items from him/his estate.

quote:

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Originally posted by 413 is in:
I did make a quick scan of the badge in question and played around with the contrast a bit:

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Also, thanks to J.L. Pickering, here is another image (AS11-0922-69P-642) composited and modified to enlarge the badge.

The aberration in the 's' of 'President' seems to me best visible in these last two images and is aligned just below the 'S' of "Space Center" at the top of the badge, consistent with the item acquired on eBay.