Iran, Persian Empire. An Order of the Crown, III Class Commander by Bertrand to NASA Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin

(Neshan-e Pahlavi). Instituted in 1913 by Shah Ahmad Shah Qajar. In Silver gilt, a five armed white and green enamelled Maltese cross with large ball finials, clusters of smooth rays in each quadrant, the central medallion features an Iranian crown on a blue enamel field, surrounded by a ring with a green laurel and oak leaf wreath, the reverse presents a super imposed sunburst on a blue enamel field, the cross is surmounted by an ovular shaped half laurel half oak leaf wreath, measures 68.2mm (w) x 97.2mm (h), weighs 90.8 grams (including ribbon), marked with the AB&C with 800 silver fineness mark denoting Bertrand manufacture, three ball finials have been bent, loss of enamel in tips of arms, and on surmounting wreath, worn on a full length original neck ribbon, remains in near extremely fine condition.

Contained in its original case of issue, a dark blue leatherette exterior with the emblem of Iran on the lid, the interior marked ARTHUS BERTRAND PARIS in the bottom right corner of the lid, the base with a crème coloured velvet medal bed with storage area for neck ribbon near the hinges, flap in bottom left corner for a buttonhole rosette, measures 90mm (w) x 160mm (h) x 36mm (d), light wear to exterior edges, lid splitting along right side, light wear to interior, remains in very fine condition.

Accompanied by documents relating to the Apollo 11 World Tour visit to Tehran, October 24-26, 1969, include a schedule, copies of speeches, a detailed map of Tehran including visited locations, all in very fine condition.

Footnote: The Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy on July 16 1969, carrying three astronauts: Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.

Buzz Aldrin was born on January 20, 1930 in Glen Ridge, New Jersey. His father, Edwin Eugene Aldrin Sr. was an Army aviator during the First World War, later working at Standard Oil. Aldrin attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating third in his class in 1951.

When the Korean War broke out, he joined the United States Air Force and underwent basic training in Florida. He served as a jet fighter pilot, flying 66 combat missions in a F-86 Sabre and shooting down two MiG-15 aircrafts. For his service in Korea, he was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Air Medals.

Aldrin later attended MIT, earning a Doctor of Science degree in astronautics. His doctoral thesis entitled “Line-of-Sight Guidance Techniques for Manned Orbital Rendezvous” resulted in the nickname ‘Dr. Rendezvous.’ He was selected as a member of NASA’s Astronaut Group 3, making him one of fourteen individuals chosen for the Gemini and Apollo programs.

His first space flight took place in 1966 on Gemini 12, in which he spent over five hours on extravehicular activity. In 1969, Aldrin was the second person ever to set foot on the moon, 19 minutes after Commander Neil Armstrong. As a Presbyterian elder, he was the first person to hold a religious ceremony on the Moon when he privately took communion. They returned to earth by splashing into the Pacific on July 24th. The total duration of the missing was 195 hours, 18 minutes, and 35 seconds. Each astronaut was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. At the end of September 1969, they embarked on a 38-day world tour, visiting 22 foreign countries.

In 1971, Aldrin left NASA and became the Commandant of the U.S Air Force Test Pilot School. He retired from the Air force in 1972, after 21 years of service. He continued to advocate for space exploration, struggled with alcoholism and depression, and created the Aldrin Cycler, a special spacecraft trajectory. In 2015, Aldrin, along with the Florida Institute of Technology pitched a master plan to NASA in which astronauts would create a colony on Mars before the year 2040. Aldrin is currently 92 and resides in Montclair, New Jersey. He is the only living Apollo 11 astronaut.

Provenance: Sotheby's Auction, Buzz Aldrin: American Icon 26 July 2022, Lot 52