It is rare occurrence that items we offer are of strong interest to numismatic and non-numismatic buyers alike, and rarer still when an item can truly be described as one-of-a-kind. This is undeniably such a piece, and is one of the most historically significant pieces of American numismatics that has come to market in recent years. Further, this is the first time it has been offered for sale at public auction, and it may well be the last.In the early days of the space program, it was not uncommon for astronauts to take personal items of nominal value with them as souvenirs on their missions. NASA formalized this practice by allowing astronauts to take a small bag known as a Personal Preference Kit (PPK) wherein each item was validated by NASA. The contents of these bags were limited by necessity and design, and were generally quite private. Only once have the contents been made public, that of Wally Schirra on the Gemini 6A mission; the handwritten inventory reads: "Navy wings, 33rd Degree Masonic ring, 1950D coin, dime-sized memento, 5c-sized memento, miniature Gemini s/c, Fla. hunting license, 20 gold medals, 5 silver medals, various flags, and 15 GTA-6 patches." These personal items were not intended for sale by the astronauts, but were instead given to friends and family. In recent decades, various items from some of the PPKs have been offered for sale to eager collectors of space memorabilia. Of the few known coins that have flown in space, most are pieces of fairly low numismatic value, and only a handful have ever been offered at public auction. The present lot is clearly very much unlike any other, with an obvious numismatic value to collectors, and is further made unique in that it was not included in an astronaut s PPK but was surreptitiously slipped into the inflight medical kit, without NASA s prior knowledge.Accompanying documentation and correspondence reveal that flight surgeon Howard A. Minners placed this cent, owned at that time by William Ulrich, in the inflight medical kit of the Gemini VII spacecraft at his request, an action that Minners later described as "just one more public relations type of thing done in the space program." In a letter from Dr. Minners to Ulrich dated December 15, 1965 and written on U.S.S. Wasp letterhead he writes: I hope you are enjoying the thought that right now your 1793 cent is in orbit. I have flown aboard this carrier from Bermuda and we eagerly await the astronauts return to mother earth. The coin is in their medical kit, and I shall try to photograph it in the kit before removal after flight. Another letter to William Ulrich, dated January 25, 1966, and written on NASA letterhead, certifies "[T]hat a 1793 United States wreath cent...was carried into space in the Inflight Medical Kit aboard the Gemini VII spacecraft" and is signed by Command Pilot Frank Borman, Pilot James A. Lovell, and by Howard A. Minners, M.D. An additional letter from Minners to Ulrich dated March 9, 1966, and written on NASA letterhead accompanies an 8 x 10 color image of this same coin inside the medical kit that Minners indicates was taken on December 18, 1965, approximately four hours after the Gemini spacecraft landed.Apart from the historical value, the technical merits of this coin are quite impressive. The strike is sharp and the details are strong. Each strand of hair on Liberty s portrait can be delineated from the next, and the peripheral devices on both sides are bold. The planchet itself is remarkably smooth on both sides and displays delightful chocolate brown patina that early copper enthusiasts crave. There are also no post-production distractions of note, a few trivial abrasions consistent with the assigned grade. A couple of shallow scuffs on Liberty s cheek and a small dig between the lower strands of Liberty s hair serve as useful pedigree markers. It is housed in an NGC holder that indicates the coin completed 206 orbits around the Earth as part of the Gemini VII mission -- the longest time astronauts had spent in space up to that point. In any numismatic season a 1793 Wreath cent is an object of desire, commanding interest and attention even if worn nearly smooth. Although no documentation survives, it likely required special attention and effort to strike these up properly on a hand press due to the high relief of the original design. We can imagine a high rejection rate. The solution was to lower the relief of the designs, which indeed was done when the Liberty Cap variety was introduced later in the year. If there was ever a classic United States Mint issue to send into space, certainly the Wreath cent merits the honor, and this must have been the thoughts of Mr. Ulrich when he asked Dr. Minners to include this coin on the Gemini VII. After its return to Mr. Ulrich, the coin was displayed briefly in April 1966 at a few banks in Mississippi, and then it seems to have disappeared from public view until it was sold in 1972 to William Fox Steinberg for a collective sum of $15,000 in cash and real estate. This prompted several articles in newspapers and industry-specific publications, some of which are included in this lot. It was later sold in 1977 to an anonymous collector with Thomas V. Tallarico acting as the purchasing agent, again attracting media attention. It once again saw public display at the September 1980 New England Numismatic Association Convention, and in February 1987 Talarico Rare Coins sold the coin to Paul Sims, Inc. for $20,000. The coin then passed through unknown intermediaries to our present consignor who wishes to remain anonymous. Off the market for decades and never offered at public auction, we expect spirited bidding on this outstanding example. Not only is it a rare, conditionally challenging, one-year type from the initial year of large cent production in the United States Mint, but it also boasts one of the most impressive stories we have ever seen associated with a classic U.S. Mint coin. This historic item is truly out of this world and deserving of a price that reaches toward the stars. Also included in this lot are the following supporting materials:-Letter from Howard Minners to William Ulrich dated December 15, 1965, with original postmarked envelope. -Certification letter signed by Frank Borman, James Lovell and Howard Minners dated January 25, 1966. -Letter from Howard Minners to William Ulrich dated March 9, 1966, with accompanying photo of the cent in the inflight medical kit and a Gemini VII mission patch.-April 18, 1966, clipping from the Tupelo, Mississippi Daily Journal. -September 13, 1972, clipping from Coin World. -October 3, 1972, clipping from Numismatic News Weekly. -Photocopy of October 4, 1972, clipping from Chicago Daily News. - October 5, 1972, clipping from The Miami Herald. -Photocopy of December 16, 1977, clipping from unknown city, Missouri Daily News. -September 20, 1980, clipping from the Worcester, Massachusetts The Evening Gazette. -February 17, 1987, bill of sale to Paul Sims, Inc. from Tallarico Rare Coins, Inc. -(5) photographs of the Gemini VII spacecraft and related material. -Gemini VII postal cover signed by Frank Borman, James Lovell and Gus Grissom. -Gemini VII postal cover signed by Frank Borman. -Gemini VII postal cover signed by James Lovell. -(3) additional Gemini VII postal covers. -Custom Capital Plastics holder that housed the coin prior to its certification by NGC. -(2) additional pieces of related ephemera.， Provenance: Ex William Ulrich; private sale in 1972 to William Fox Steinberg for $15,000; unknown intermediaries; private sale in 1977 to Thomas V. Tallarico acting as purchasing agent for an anonymous collector; Tallarico Rare Coins to Paul Sims, Inc., February 17, 1987 for $20,000; unknown intermediaries. Est. $25,000-$50,000
