What is Apollo 11?

Apollo 11 was the space flight that first landed humans on the Moon. On 20th July 1969, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin undertook their famous moonwalk. Neil Armstrong became the first person ever to step onto the moon, with Buzz Aldrin joining him 19 minutes later. This historic event captured the world’s attention and imagination. Many commemorative items were created to mark the momentous event, including jewellery and watches.

We are very lucky to have sold a few Man on the Moon commemorative necklaces in our Jewellery auctions. You could describe the small gold necklace as a pendant or medallion, depending on your preference. As jewellery auctioneers, we went with a "pendant"!

The First Man On The Moon Apollo 11 Pendant

There are two designs of these pendants that we have seen, both depicting the moment the astronauts from the lunar module walked on the moon.

Both of the pendant designs are very small. They each measure less than 3cms and weigh just under 7gms, which is about double the weight of a 1p coin.

Let's have a look at the pendants in detail:

In both cases, the front of the pendant shows the historic moon landing. The medallion shows Commander Neil Armstrong and the lunar module. Both the flag of the USA and the earth are clearly visible in the scenes.

First Man On The Moon Apollo 11 commemorative pendant

The earlier pendant cleverly works in the name of the lunar module mission, Apollo 11 with a neat portmanteau as a heading. This scene shows both Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin.

First Man On The Moon Apollo 11 commemorative pendant

This design clearly shows the date of the landing, including the month and say, as well as the year. It is interesting to note that despite this being an American mission, the date is in the British format of DD/MM/YY rather than the American MM/DD/YY. This is likely because it was made in the UK.

The reverse of the pendant is where the designs differ significantly. Both show the dappled surface of the moon with its craters. However, they use different motifs to remind the viewer of Earth's conquering of its moon.

First Man On The Moon Apollo 11 commemorative pendant

In this design, we see the American flag that was planted by the lunar module crew. The year of the landing, 1969, is shown here too to commemorate the event.

First Man On The Moon Apollo 11 commemorative pendant

The later pendant shows the topography of the moon, as with the first one. However, the pendant splits the view of the Moon with a satellite view of the Earth, symbolising the unity of the two and highlighting their differences.

Both designs are equally charming and have enticed buyers to bid well past their estimates to acquire them.

First Man On The Moon pendants at auction

We were delighted when the first Apollo 11 pendant rocketed to stratospheric heights in our Jewellery auction. We saw an out-of-this-world price achieved on this necklace with it selling for £1,212 (including fees). Even though we entered the necklace to auction with an estimate of £150 - £200, 5 bidders battled it out to take the piece of jewellery to a £950 hammer price. One particular buyer in December's first Jewellery auction is sure to be over the moon with their new purchase.

The next First Man On The Moon pendant had a higher estimate. It still went on to achieve a price well above the £200 - £300 that was the guide price, finally selling for £1,105 (including fees).

Excitingly, we have another Apollo 11 commemorative pendant in our next Jewellery auction. We will enter this lot to auction with a guide price of £200 - £300.

If you would like a similar item, make sure to set up lot alerts on our website to receive notifications when one becomes available.

What our experts have to say

Talking about the First Man On The Moon pendant that we sold in December 2021, Alex Duffy said:

Alex Duffy - Jewellery Cataloguer

“We are so pleased to see that the pendant achieved such a great result. I love seeing the various items of commemorative jewellery come up at auction, that remind us of the historic events that meant so much. The Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was such a momentous achievement for humankind, still recognised today as the first step in the ongoing race to the stars.
For me, personally, it is the design and detail of this piece that really makes it. The highly textured concave moon, showing Neil Armstrong taking his first steps outside of the spacecraft, above the words '1st Man on Moon' and even the reverse with a small American flag. Such a fun design that encapsulates the style of the era and does a wonderful job of commemorating this iconic event.”

Alex Dufft - Cataloguer Manager

Valuations

Our valuations are free, with no obligation to sell with us. Our experts will value your item with an estimate, so you can find out what it could achieve at auction.

The process is simple, so you can get a valuation now:

Fill in a form online. In addition, you can book an appointment to visit our offices in Birmingham and London. Moreover, you can book a virtual valuation appointment.