David S. Ball
US Delegate to FIP: Fédération Internationale de Philatélie
Section on Astrophilately
Although the United States only had 15 minutes of experience in space, President John F. Kennedy committed the country to landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth, before the decade was out. “We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people.” Over the years 1961-1970 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) orbited astronauts (Project Mercury), docked two spacecraft (Project Gemini), and landed men for the first time on another celestial body (Project Apollo). The Moon landing represented one of the greatest examples of exploration and technological achievement.
The First Man on the Moon Commemorative Stamp (C-76) was also extraordinary in several respects. The issue was the largest American stamp to be created up to that point. The Master Die was transported to the surface of the Moon and then returned in order to print the stamp. A die proof was cancelled during the flight and represents the first postal item postmarked in outer space. The event was celebrated by dozens of countries, some even before the United States issued the stamp, and after its release, requests for the stamps poured in from more than 100 nations. First Day of Issue cancels exceeded 8.7 million. The full story is only possible after thorough examination of archives and libraries of the National Postal Museum (NPM), United States Postal Service (USPS), and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP). This study examines the design, production, and impact of one of the most consequential commemorative stamps of the 20th Century.
