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The rarest and most traveled $2 bill on the planet, which also holds the world's speed record for a manned vehicle flight! This is one impressive bill.

On this day 45 years ago....

May 18, 2014

On May 18, 1969, Apollo 10 lifted off from Cape Kennedy Florida for the final dress rehearsal mission before the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing. Tom Stafford, John Young, and Gene Cernan flew the mission. This would be Gene Cernan's second space flight, and along with him, he took his lucky $2 bill --- the one that flew with him on Gemini 9A. The bill was given to him by his father for good luck, and before Gene could give it back to him, his father, unfortunately, passed away.

On Gemini 9, Gene almost lost his life during his dramatic space walk attempt. And then, on Apollo 10, he and Tom Stafford, just a few miles above the lunar surface, lost control of the lunar module in its lunar orbit test flight....but quickly regained control, and made it back home safely. And yes, the same lucky $2 bill was aboard with Gene at the time. (It would also accompany him down to the lunar surface on his third and final space flight -- as the last man to leave his boot print on the lunar surface as part of the Apollo program in 1972.)

The fact that this bill has flown 3x in space, makes it one of the rarest and most unique $2 bills on (or off!) the planet. Fun Fact: this bill has also traveled at the fastest speed ever recorded for human flight, a record held by Apollo 10 during re-entry that has never been broken -- 24,791 m.p.h. (39,897 km/h)!

It is one of the rarest $2 bills on (or off!) the planet, and it is one of the many treasured bills that reside within the Jefferson Space Museum collection.

Captain Eugene Cernan, in his Houston office, flight certifying this bill from his collection, and attesting to its history.

Captain Eugene Cernan, in his Houston office, flight certifying this bill from his collection, and attesting to its history.

← New Addition: Gemini 5 flown $2 bill halves!On this day 52 years ago.... →
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Welcome to the blog site of the Jefferson Space Museum, a virtual museum of unique, space flown U.S. $2 bills. Visit the blog often to see updated news on new acquisitions, research on flown currency, or for general discussions of space artifact collecting. To see all of the bills flown in space, visit our museum gallery.

You can also email us any time.


Blog
Clip from the $2 Dollar Bill Documentary
about 6 years ago
Joe Engle and the Space Flown $1 bill -- Reunited
about 8 years ago
Gene Cernan's Moon Flown $2 Bill
about 8 years ago

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