|
Author
|
Topic: 220572136577: Apollo 14 'Bolaffi' flown cover
|
Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
|
posted 03-18-2010 06:07 PM
   
On eBay, there is a 'Bolaffi' Apollo 14 cover signed by Ed Mitchell. It is identified as number 52 of 55 and 'Carried to the moon on Apollo 14'. By curious coincidence this exact numbered 'cover' is featured on page 277 of Russell Still's 'Relics of the Space Race'. Any thoughts/comments anyone? |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3871
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 03-18-2010 06:19 PM
This story sounds all too familiar. There was a Bolaffi #52 flown cover from Apollo 14/Mitchell offered on eBay years ago. As it turned out, the lunar cover was only a professional photocopy of the exact cover and NOT the original as advertised. |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1540
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 03-19-2010 01:23 AM
Yes, #52 is "ALWAYS" a color copy of the flown Apollo 14 cover which apparently belongs to Albert Bolaffi of Italy.Either Goede or Borek in Germany (not Sieger) has originally made them up and distributed along with a 8x10 certificate detailing the aspects. By the way, the certificate is authentically signed by Mitchell, not the cover! |
Daniel Lazecky
Member Posts: 522
From: Czech Republic-Europe
Registered: Oct 2007
|
posted 03-19-2010 03:26 AM
All fours piece be in my collection also. Very early disclose, that the is concerned reprint from original.At our place it occur on philatelist stock exchange plentifully. Is that a same how writes SpaceFlori- Florian be right. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3871
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 03-19-2010 09:26 AM
Florian, I've never seen a Mitchell-signed certificate pertaining to the copied #52 flown lunar cover. This wasn't the case when one of the copies (actually on two separate occasions) surfaced many years ago on eBay. Do you know why he would hand-sign such COAs and for what purpose? Is there any chance that a scan of the certificate could be made available here? I've known and worked with Goede for decades and never saw him promote something like this, however, I have no knowledge of Borek at all. |
Steve Procter
Member Posts: 1031
From: Leeds, Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Oct 2000
|
posted 03-20-2010 12:58 PM
The seller has had some information on the item from a couple of cS members and has revised his item description and price accordingly. He seems to have been more than happy to take the advice of those more knowledgable in the field. All credit to him. |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1540
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 03-23-2010 01:18 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Is there any chance that a scan of the certificate could be made available here?
Ken, I was just checking my photos but couldn't find the Mitchell COA anymore. I have handled around 10 of these in the past so I know for sure that the autograph on the COA is authentic while the cover #52 is a complete color copy.Mitchell doesn't certify the cover as flown, he just certifies that a cover like this has been flown on Apollo 14 - so there is no misunderstanding. Apparently many actually disposed of that COA and only kept the replica cover. |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1540
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 03-23-2010 04:28 AM
A friend sent me a pic. The caption on the bottom says "Herewith I certify that this is a real copy of the original Apollo 14 flown cover - Edgar Mitchell."The Mitchell autograph is authentic on the certificate. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3871
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
|
posted 03-23-2010 05:14 AM
I can't recall seeing one of these beforehand. I guess there is no other name or company attached to the German COA and it makes me wonder how many of them were signed? |
spaceflori
Member Posts: 1540
From: Germany
Registered: May 2000
|
posted 03-23-2010 08:12 AM
Ken, I have seen and handled about 10 to 20 of these alone in the past decade or so. I know of many of those still circulating and would assume an overall amount of several hundreds have been made. Text at the bottom of the certificate refers to a show in San Francisco where Mitchell presented one of the original covers to the public — so technically these sheets were done after 1977. My guess based on similar album pages for stamps made would be 1977-1985. I'm fairly sure it was done by Borek then. Borek, Goede, Coelle, Sieger, Fuchs all worked together from time to time then. |
advertisement