Moon Stamps

U.S. Stamps Issued (1969-1999) With The Moon As Their Central Theme...

Stamp Name: Moon Surface & Earth
Stamp Subject: Apollo 8 mission
Date Issued: May 8, 1969

The second manned Apollo-Saturn flight, Apollo 8, had as its crew Col. Frank Borman, Lt. Col. William A. Anders, and Navy Capt. James A. Lovell.

The mission flew 10 orbits of the moon on December 24, 1968, and the crew took turns reading aloud from the Book of Genesis. Their words were broadcast worldwide over the NASA communications network.

Their eight-day mission served as a reconnaissance for landing sites.

The Apollo program was the successful conclusion of the U.S. effort to achieve, within the decade of the 1960's, the goal of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.

Philatelic Information
Minkus Number: CM617, Denomination: 6c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Intaglio, Color: Gray, Deep Blue & Blue,

Neil Armstrong is depicted stepping from the Eagle onto the Moon's surface. Armstrong was a combat fighter pilot who also had a college degree in aeronautics.

The Apollo 11 mission was perhaps the most visible scientific project ever, with hundreds of millions of people watching on television.

Armstrong statement on touching the Moon's surface was, "That one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Philatelic Information:
Minkus Number: A76, Denomination: 10c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Intaglio & Offset, Color: Multicolored

Stamp Name: First Man on the Moon
Stamp Subject: Moon Landing
Date Issued: September 9, 1969

Stamp Name: Earth, Sun & Landing Craft on Moon
Stamp Subject: Space Achievement Decade
Date Issued: August 2, 1971

Apollo 11 made the first manned lunar landing on July 20, 1969. Col. Michael Collins orbited the Moon in the mother ship Columbia. Neil Armstrong and Col. Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., touched down on the Sea of Tranquility in the Lunar Module Eagle with the historic report:

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Philatelic Information
Minkus Number: CM661, Denomination: 8c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Intaglio & Offset, Color: Multicolored,

The United States has a policy that no person, other than a deceased president, will be honored on a postage stamp until at least 10 years following his/her death. At the same time, the first instance of a person walking on the Moon certainly is reason for a postal commemoration.

Although not mentioned, Neil Armstrong is depicted exploring the Moon's surface. Armstrong was a combat fighter pilot who also had a college degree in aeronautics. He went to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a research pilot and was selected to become an astronaut in 1962. His first space venture was in March 1966 in Gemini 8. That craft went out of control after six orbits and had to make an emergency landing near Okinawa.

Armstrong statement on touching the Moon's surface was, "That one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Philatelic Information:
Minkus Number: CM971, Denomination: 18c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Gravure, Color: Multicolored

Stamp Name: Moon walk
Stamp Subject: Space Achievement
Date Issued: May 21, 1981

Stamp Name: Raising U.S. flag on Moon surface
Stamp Subject: Moon Landing, 20th anniversary
Date Issued: July 20, 1989

On July 20, 1969, the Lunar Module Eagle landed in the Sea of Tranquility on the surface of the Moon.

In the module were Neil Armstrong and Col. Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Orbiting overhead in the mother ship, Columbia, was Lt. Col. Michael Collins.

As the module touched down, Armstrong reported, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." He was the first out the vehicle, stepping onto the surface of the Moon at 10:56 p.m. EST. On the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin erected the American flag and set up scientific instruments. Man's first stay on the Moon was for a total of two hours and 13 minutes.

Philatelic Information
Minkus Number: CM1352, Denomination: $2.40, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Intaglio & Offset, Color: Multicolored

Stamp Name: Moon rover
Stamp Subject: UPU Congress--Futuristic Mail Delivery
Date Issued: November 28, 1989

These four stamp designs, printed se-tenant as individual stamps and also produced in a souvenir sheet form, are a science fiction look at the future of mail delivery.

The postal items were issued at the time of the first Congress of the Universal Postal Union ever held in the United States and the concurrent World Stamp Expo '89 postage stamp exhibition.

Philatelic Information
Minkus Number: A125 Denomination: 45c Perforation: Perf 11 Print Method: Intaglio & Offset Color: Multicolored

The five Lunar Orbiter missions, all successful, were launched at three-month intervals from August 10, 1966, through August 1, 1967.

The program was a series of spacecraft used for lunar mapping. General area of interest for Apollo landing sites was a rectangle extending five degrees north and south of the lunar equator and 45 degrees east and west of the lunar prime meridian.

As a result of the program, 95 percent of the Moon's surface was photographed.

Philatelic Information:
Minkus Number: CM1435, Denomination: 29c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Gravure, Color: Multicolored

Stamp Name: Moon & Lunar orbiter
Stamp Subject: Space Exploration
Date Issued: October 1, 1991

Stamp Name: Moon Landing
Stamp Subject: 25th Moon Landing Anniversary
Date Issued: July 20, 1994

This is one of two stamps issued to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first successful moon landing, on July 20, 1969. This stamp covered the existing rate for a single ounce of first-class mail and showed a close-up view of an astronaut holding a U.S. flag on the moon's surface.

The stamp was available from the U.S. Postal Service only in sheetlets of twelve, in a special commemorative format.

On the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin raised the American flag and set up scientific instruments, including a laser beam reflector, a seismometer that later transmitted evidence of a moonquake, and a sheet of aluminum foil to trap solar wind particles.

Included on the sheetlet are Neil Armstrong's famous words as he stepped onto the moon's surface: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Philatelic Information
Minkus Number: CM1645, Denomination: 29c, Perforation: Perf 11, Print Method: Gravure, Color: Multicolored

This is one of two stamps issued to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first successful moon landing, on July 20, 1969. This stamp covered the basic existing rate for Express Mail.

Launched July 16, 1969, Apollo 11 made the first manned lunar landing on July 20. As Lieutenant Colonel Michael Collins orbited the moon in the mother ship Columbia, Commander Neil Armstrong and Colonel Edwin Aldrin, Jr., touched down on the Sea of Tranquillity in the lunar module Eagle. The astronauts announced their landing with the historic report: "Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed."

The astronauts took photographs of soil and rock and collected samples.

Philatelic Information:
Minkus Number: 1045, Name: Moon Landing, Issue Date: July 20, 1994, Denomination: $9.95, Perforation: Perf 10 1/2 X 11, Print Method: Intaglio & Offset, Color: Multicolored

Stamp Name: Moon Landing
Stamp Subject: 25th Moon Landing Anniversary
Date Issued: July 20, 1994