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Patch id: | Grumman Lunar Module KSC patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Limited to Grumman LM KSC team |
Dimensions: | 3¼" / 84mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. |
Value: | Examples sold in recent years have fetched between $50 and $259[4]. |
|
Notes: |
At its peak, Grumman's team at the Kennedy Space Center was around 1,400 strong. It's not clear when exactly
this patch was produced but it's likely that a significant portion of those employees received one of these patches.
This image taken prior to the Apollo 13 launch in 1970, shows one of these patches being worn by a Grumman employee at KSC.
This patch exists in two distinct forms, one embroidered on
dark blue twill and the other on slightly lighter blue twill (
see example ).
This is probably just the result of two separate production
runs as the design is otherwise identical.
Both forms of the patch are rare but the lighter blue versions seems to be the scarcer of the two.
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Patch id: | Grumman Lunar Module KSC patch replica |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | 4" / 103mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Merrowed border, selvedged (no 'tail'). |
Scarcity: | Unknown |
Value: | Unknown |
|
Notes: |
This apparently modern replica of the Grumman Lunar Module KSC patch only surfaced recently. The patch can be easily distinguished
from the original by its clean modern stitching and by the fact that the final letter of Grumman seems to have been mistakenly
executed as an "r". Also, the patch has been created as a 4" design whilst the original was only 3¼" across.
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Patch id: | Grumman Lunar Module patch likely replica |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx 4" / 101mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. Three examples sold in last year. |
Value: | The most recent example sold for $267.22[3]. |
|
Notes: |
This patch is an embroidered version of the Grumman Lunar Module insignia which is more often seen as a decal. Although there is a
possibility this may be vintage it seems more likely that this is a modern patch based on the original decal design, possibly produced
by Randy Hunt.
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Patch id: | Grumman Lunar Module insignia Crew Patches replica |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | AB Emblem |
Distribution: | Available exclusively from my
Crew Patches store. |
Dimensions: | 4" / 101mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Limited production run. |
Value: | On sale at $12 |
|
Notes: |
This is a high quality replica of the vintage Grumman Lunar Module decal design, produced for me by AB Emblem in late 2014.
These patches are not available via regular retail outlets, or from AB Emblem directly.
If you want to purchase one or more of these patches
please go to the Crew Patches Store page.
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Patch id: | Grumman LM Ground Support patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Limited to Grumman LM Ground Support team. |
Dimensions: | Approx. 3½" / 89mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Extremely rare. |
Value: | Examples have sold for $540 and $1,377[5] |
|
Notes: |
I've only seen two examples of this striking fully-embroidered patch sold to-date, implying
that its distribution must have been very limited.
At its peak the Grumman Lunar Module Ground Support team at Bethpage numbered around 600 so it's likley the patch
wasn't an official Grumman product issued to the staff.
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Patch id: | Grumman LM Ground Support patch replica? |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx. 3½" / 89mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Merrowed edge with 'tail' |
Scarcity: | Unknown. |
Value: | Unknown. |
|
Notes: |
Two examples of this patch have now been sold[5], with the most recent example
being offered amongst a host of modern replicas of rare patches, all most likely produced by Randy Hunt.
The poorly-excecuted design, particularly the thread color transition on the hand,
and the odd combination of 2D LM on a 3D hand would seem to indicate that if this patch
is vintage then it was likely
a first draft or prototype for the more successful version shown on the left.
However, all the evidence, and particularly the modern fill thread pattern apparent on parts of this patch (e.g. the palm of the hand),
makes me think this is almost certainly a modern replica, likely produced by Randy Hunt in the 1990s or early 2000s.
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Patch id: | Grumman LEM Cold Flow Test Site |
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Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Grumman Bethpage personnel. |
Dimensions: | Approx. 3⅛" / 80mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Merrowed edge. |
Scarcity: | Rare. |
Value: | An example sold recently for $416[6] |
|
Notes: |
An example of this patch appears on a vintage
banner
displayed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum at Long Island, New York.
Thanks to a letter discovered in the estate of Walter Schirra we now know that this patch was designed by a Grumman employee at the Bethpage plant in 1965. He intended it to be worn by personnel working on the LEM Propulsion systems there.
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Patch id: | Grumman LEM Cold Flow Test Site variant |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Grumman Bethpage personnel. |
Dimensions: | Unknown |
Type: | Partially embroidered on dark blue twill. Merrowed edge with no tail. |
Scarcity: | Rare. |
Value: | An example sold in 2017 for $238[13] |
|
Notes: |
This variant of the Cold Flow Test site patch has a blue border and uses golden thread in place of yellow.
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Patch id: | Snoopy "Grumman" Randy Hunt reproduction patch |
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Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Randy Hunt |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx 4" |
Type: | Partially embroidered on felt. |
Scarcity: | Unknown |
Value: | Unknown. |
|
Notes: |
This patch is a modern unauthorized reproduction of a vintage decal design, produced by Randy Hunt in
the 1990s or 2000s. Examples sold today are often mistaken for vintage patches and thus sell for significant sums.
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Patch id: | Grumman W.S.T.F. patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Body approx 3" / 76mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on blue twill. Stitched border with cut edge. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. |
Value: | Unknown[11] |
|
Notes: |
This W.S.T.F. acronym on this patch is related to the White Sands Test Facility,
where Grumman tested the Reaction Control System thrusters of the Lunar Module.
As for the symbols under the lettering, it is possible that the crosses
represent the city of "Las Cruces" and the nearby mountains.
It seems almost certaint that these patches were hand made (presumably in a very small run) as the two examples seen to date
(see second example
here) show
distinct differences in details of the execution - the lettering, yellow lines, and particularly the details of the Lunar Module.
Note that these kind of differences are often indicators of 'Tiger Embroidery' patches but some vintage patches were also
produced by hand - famously the Gemini 5 patches worn by the crew themselves.
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Patch id: | Grumman Product Development Center patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | 3¾ x 4½" ; 95 x 114mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on white twill. Merrowed border. |
Scarcity: | Rare. |
Value: | Examples have sold for $147 to $350[12] |
|
Notes: |
This Grumman Product Development Center patch is apparently related to the Apollo project, with the compass in the
main bee's hand forming an "A" for Apollo and the three small bees representing the three-man Apollo program.
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Patch id: | Grumman Astronaut-Pilot Team patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Limited to Grumman. |
Dimensions: | 4½ x 2½" / 114 x 64mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on white twill. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Rare. |
Value: | Unknown. |
|
Notes: |
This patch was used on work coveralls worn at Grumman's Bethpage plant by some staff and by visiting astronauts,
as shown in
this photo.
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Patch id: | Grumman Astronaut-Pilot Team back patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Limited to Grumman. |
Dimensions: | 8¾ x 5" / 222 x 127mm |
Type: | Partially embroidered on white twill. Merrowed edge with 'tail' |
Scarcity: | Rare. |
Value: | An example sold for $115[7] |
|
Notes: |
This patch is a larger version of that on the left, and was worn on the backs of coveralls, as shown in
this photo.
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Patch id: | Grumman Vehicle 1 Team patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx 3 5/8" / 92mm across |
Type: | Partially embroidered on yellow twill. Stitched border, cut edge. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. |
Value: | One example sold in 2017 at $1,666[9] |
|
Notes: |
I've only seen one example of this patch to-date, from the collection of a Grumman Bethpage employee.
It's not possible to say for sure that it is genuinely vintage but it seems very likely.
If so, it was likely produced directly by someone working in the LM-1 team.
The patch is fairly
crudely executed as a partially embroidered design on twill with a hand cut edge.
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| | |
Patch id: | Grumman LM-1 APOLLO-5 patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Limited to Grumman LM-1 team. |
Dimensions: | 4 1/8" / 104mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. |
Value: | Examples have sold in recent years for between $202 and $588[8]. |
|
Notes: |
This rare vintage patch celebrates the first test flight of a Lunar Module, LM-1 aboard Apollo 5. The artwork was designed by Grumman artist Richard Max Hinton and
the patch was produced by Grumman in small numbers only for employees who worked on the project.
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| | |
Patch id: | Grumman LM-1 APOLLO-5 replica patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | AB Emblem |
Distribution: | Available exclusively from my
Crew Patches store. |
Dimensions: | 4 1/8" / 104mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Limited production run. |
Value: | On sale at $15 |
|
Notes: |
This is a high quality replica of the rare Grumman LM-1 / APOLLO-5 patch, produced for me by AB Emblem in early 2012.
The patch was produced with a plastic backing to ensure that it can never be mistaken for a vintage original.
These patches are not available via regular retail outlets, or from AB Emblem directly.
If you want to purchase one or more of these patches
please go to the Crew Patches Store page.
|
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Patch id: | Grumman LM-1 APOLLO-5 Randy Hunt replica patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Likely Randy Hunt |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx 4" |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Unknown |
Value: | Unknown |
|
Notes: |
This replica of the original LM-1 patch can be readily identified by the missing dash in the "LM-1" lettering
and the "APOLLO 5" text which has apparently been executed as "APOLLO S".
It was apparently produced by Randy Hunt (4gator).
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Patch id: | LM3 patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Unknown |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Approx 3⅓ x 3½" / 85 x 87mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Very rare. |
Value: | Examples sold recently for $216 and $725[10]. |
|
Notes: |
This patch celebrates the first crewed flight of a Lunar Module, LM-3 as part of the Apollo 9 mission. It appears to be a vintage patch
(with a second example now having surfaced),
and although the rather crude design does not form part of the series of LM insignias produced by the Grumman teams working at Bethpage
it may possibly have been produced by a Grumman employee based at the KSC.
A example sold in 2015 was supposedly from the collection of an AB Emblem salesman, although this
doesn't prove they were the manufacturers.
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Patch id: | LM3 Crew Patches replica patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | AB Emblem |
Distribution: | Available exclusively from my
Crew Patches store. |
Dimensions: | Approx 3⅓ x 3½" / 85 x 87mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge with 'tail'. |
Scarcity: | Limited production run. |
Value: | On sale at $15 |
|
Notes: |
This is a high quality replica of the rare Grumman LM-3 patch, produced for me by AB Emblem in 2012.
The patch was produced with a plastic backing to ensure that it can never be mistaken for a vintage original.
These patches are not available via regular retail outlets, or from AB Emblem directly.
If you want to purchase one or more of these patches
please go to the Crew Patches Store page.
|
| | |
Patch id: | LM3 Randy Hunt replica patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Randy Hunt |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | Unknown |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge. |
Scarcity: | Unknown |
Value: | Unknown |
|
Notes: |
This replica of the LM3 patch, apparently produced by Randy Hunt (4gator), can be readily identified by the orange background.
|
| | |
Patch id: | LM8 Don Simpson replica patch |
|
Worn by crew? | No. |
|
Flown? | No. |
| |
Manufacturer: | Don Simpson |
Distribution: | Unknown |
Dimensions: | 4⅛ x 6½" ; 106 x 167mm |
Type: | Fully embroidered. Merrowed edge. |
Scarcity: | Unknown |
Value: | Unknown |
|
Notes: |
This LM8 patch, based on the vintage decal design, was apparently produced by Don Simpson in around 1991. The patch
was produced with a cloth back, so can be easily mistaken for a vintage patch.
|
|