Apollo 8 Issue
The 6-cent stamp commemorating the Apollo 8 mission went on sale May 5, 1969, in Houston, Texas. The Apollo 8 mission (December 21-27, 1968) was the first manned lunar orbital flight. The astronauts on this historic mission were Col. Frank Borman, Capt. James Lovell, and Maj. William Anders.
Leonard E. Buckley of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing based his design on a photograph by the Apollo 8 astronauts. The printing of 150 million stamps in panes of fifty were authorized. The stamp was printed on the Giori press.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (March 27, 1969).
Glossary
