1953 Series A Space Flown Signed $2 Bill with COA, John Glenn MA-6 Friendship 7

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1953 Series A Space Flown Signed $2 Bill with COA, John Glenn MA-6 Friendship 7:
$41999.00

Extremely Rare, Authentic, One of Only 15 Known in ExistenceHistorical Mercury- Atlas 6 (Friendship 7) space flown 1953 series "A" $2 bill w/ original certificate of authenticitysigned by Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. , M. Scott Carpenter & 22 additional members of launch crew.Framed, matted & under glass.
About the ProvenancePurchased from a local antique store in North Carolina. It is authenticated by the period signatures on the bill, the original signed flight certification document, and it matches by serial number to the official investigation listing of bills flown on Mercury-Atlas 6. (See the list of matching serial numbers in the provided additional images).
The bill has a hand written note on the left front border indicating that it "Belongs To Pete Thompson".About the BillThis particular $2 bill is one of no more than fifteen of the original that were flown on the Mercury-Atlas Six, Friendship 7 space mission. There werea total of 52 documentedbills, (37) $1 bills and (15) $2 bills,that wereflownaboard the missioncapsule piloted by Lt. Col. John H.Glennon February 20, 1962,the first manned orbital flight in history.One of the other elusive $2 bills that has surfaced & known to still exist, other than this one, is on display at the Jefferson Space Museum.
This 1953 series A $2 bill, serial number A42817965A, is hand signed by Lt. Col. John Glenn, his backup pilot, mission capsule communicator and fellow Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter and Guenter Wendt, pad leader & head of the MA-6, Friendship 7 launch crew. Wendt was reportedly the onewho placed the bill in the capsule and was the last person to see the crew before the capsule was sealed for launching. The bill also bears the signatures of 21 additional crew members and is further flight certified on an ornate, printed document, also hand signed by Glenn and Carpenter, and stating that it was flown on the MA-6 mission.
This bill, along with other $1 and $2 bills – totaling 52 bills in all became subject of a congressional investigation after the discovery of their flight.Ground crew members snuck the bills on board by rolling them into tube shapes, and taping them around wiring within the capsule. Congress was concerned that the bills, part of a tradition started with Alan Shepard’s flight, would interfere with flight operations and cause a danger. One senator called their flight a “foolish business.” When Glenn testified in front of the House Space Committee, he claimed at the time to only know of one $1 bill to have flown, wrapped in a wire bundle behind the control panel. But a NASA spokesperson is later quoted as reporting that some 200 bills (mostly $1 bills) were hidden aboard Glenn’s spacecraft by launch crew personnel.
Further research at the John Glenn Achives, however, has turned up a memo dated March 9, 1962, written by Charles L. Buckley, Jr., of the NASA security office. According to Mr. Buckley's memo, "approximately $52 to $56 or a total of 52 bills of one and two dollar denominations were place aboard the capsule by a McDonnell Aircraft employee..." So the universe of flown bills from this mission are extremely limited to just 52 bills making the $2 bills the more rare of the demoninations.
According to Same Beddingfield, Kennedy Space Center employee number 4, and the engineer responsible for the weight and balance of the Friendship 7 capsule, this was the first flight in U.S. manned spaceflight history to carry a $2 bill.
Based on the serial numbers of the bills flown on Glenn’s flight as published in Russ Still’s Relics of the Space Race, no more than 15 were of the two dollar denomination. Because of the investigation, no other bills were known to have flown on the remaining Mercury flights as “contraband” groundcrew items.Items Included:

Authentic & extremely rare 1953 series A, space flown [multiple signature] $2 bill
Original decorative printed, flight certifiedNASA Certificate of Authenticity
Printed copy of the affirmed list of serial numbers of all bills that were flown upon the MA-6, Friendship 7 capsule
Signed $2 bill & original COA come matted, framed & under non-glare glass.

The items described herein are extremely rare pieces of American space history. The space flown 1953 series $2 bill and original decorative flight certifiedNASA certificate of authenticity come framed, matted & are under non-glare glass as shown in the provided images. Both items are in verygood condition.The NASA, COA (Certificate of authenticity) is original; is dated February 20, 1962, and bears the matching serial number to the $2 bill and theofficial investigation listing of bills. Boththe COA & bill are signed byLt. Col. John H.Glenn, Jr.&M. Scott Carpenter. The bill itself has22 additional originalsignaturesfrom various other members of the NASA launch crew.
This $2 bill is(1) of no more than (15) of the $2 bills that were documented to have flown aboard thehistoric first manned orbital flight of the MA-6,Friendship 7by Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. on February 20, 1962. It,along with a small number of other $2 bills, are some of the earliest known currencyto ever fly into space.
This particular bill accompanied John Glenn aboard the Mercury- Atlas 6, Friendship 7 flight and made 3 full orbits, making him the first American toorbit the earthandspent a 4 hours and 56 minutes in orbit, before splashing down in the Atlantic.
The$2 bill, serial numberA42817965A, is attached to the original decoratively printed, flight certifiedNASA COA (Certificate of authenticity),bearing thematching serial number and the following text:
"This Certifies the following U.S. currency Serial NO.A42817965Aaccompanied Lt. Col.John H. Glennon thefirst manned orbital flight aboard Friendship 7 Feb. 20, 1962" [Signed] JHGlenn, Jr. [Signed] M. Scott Carpenter.
The serialnumber is authenticated on thelist of affirmed serial numbers of all bills that were flown upon the Mercury-Atlas 6, Friendship 7 capsule byLt. Col. John H. GlennonFebruary 20,1962.A printed copy of the affirmed list is included in the sale of this item.
The bill is hand signed byLt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., his backup pilot and fellow Mercury AstronautScott Carpenter,Guenter F. Wendt(Head of the Mercury-Atlas 6, Friendship 7 Pad Crew / Launch Pad Leader.)Pete Thompson, (Launch Pad Crew Member who made note on thisparticular bill claiming it as his own),Bill Mosley(McDonnell capsule system test conductor),along with19 Additional Signaturesof various membersof NASA's launchpad & capsule crew of the Mercury-Atlas 6, Friendship 7 mission.
The serial number for the $2 Bill & Flight Certified NASA Certificate of Authentication offered in this listing match the serial numbers for all flown billsupon the MA-6 Friendship 7 Mission.
The $2 bill & COA offered are more rarethan the space flown $1 billsand bear an incredible 24 total original signatures, most of whichhave been identified below.Signature Identifications

Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr.Astronaut /Pilot of First Manned Orbital Flight of the Mercury 6, Friendship 7 Capsule

Scott CarpenterBackup Pilot and Fellow Mercury Astronautof First Manned Orbital Flight of the Mercury 6,Friendship 7 Capsule

Guenter F. WendtHead of the Mercury 6, Friendship 7 Pad Crew / Launch Pad Leader. Worked for McDonnell Aircraft -Died May 3, 2012.Wendt wasa recipient of NASA's Letter of Appreciation Award, The Silver Snoopy Award and several group Achievement Awards. He received a NASALifetime Achievement Award in 2009. He was anative of Berlin,Germany, Wendt studied mechanical engineeringand then fought for Nazi Germanyduring World War II,serving as a flight engineeraboard Luftwaffe night fighters.

Bill MosleyMcDonnell Capsule System Test Conductor

J.A. Jones– Jack A. JonesDetailee from Jefferson Space Center. Worked in Engineering andOperations Building

C.E. BeattyMember of Pad / Launch Crew

Cal Moser,C.T. MoserMember of Pad / Launch Crew -Worked for McDonnell Aircraft– CCAFS

Jack TurnbullMember of Pad / Launch Crew-Worked for McDonnell Aircraft– CCAFS

JimVlahakesMember of Pad / Launch Crew -Worked for McDonnell Aircraft

Don Kieffer-Donald P.KirfferMember of Pad CrewWorked for McDonnell Aircraft

R. Oglesby-Raymong M.OglesbyMember of Pad CrewWorked for McDonnell Aircraft – CCAFS

J. Janokaitis-JohnJanokaitis Jr. Worked for NASA– CCAFS

Pete ThompsonMember of Pad Crew - $2 Bill is Signed By Pete Thompson & Has "Belongs to Pete Thompson" on the Left Edge of BillClaimingit as His Own.

Jim Wilson-James M.WilsonNASA Personnel Who Participated in Project Mercury

B. H. Roberts-Benjamin H.RobertsNASA Personnel Who Participated in Project Mercury

E. R. Rogers-Ernest R.RogersNASA Personnel Who Participated in Project Mercury

John H.DickinsonNASA Personnel Who Participated in Project Mercury

Official List of Serial NumbersSignatures:
S.J. Bettingfield -SamBettingfieldWorked for NASA – CCAFS
H. H. Luetjen - H. H. "Luge"LuetjenWorked for McDonnell AircraftShipping Note: All shipping estimates include a $500 handling fee that covers insurance coverage for "High Value" shipments.