A Three-Time Flown Treasure of the Space Age: Gene Cernan’s Legendary $2 Bill

_{by Richard Jurek}

In the world of space-flown artifacts, certain items transcend mere collectability and rise into the realm of mythology. Gene Cernan’s three-time flown $2 bill—carried into Earth orbit on Gemini 9A, into lunar orbit on Apollo 10, and then all the way to the surface of the Moon on Apollo 17—sits alone at the summit of this rarest category. It is, quite literally, the only piece of currency ever flown on three crewed missions during the Mercury-Gemini-Apollo era, and the only example to complete the full trifecta of spaceflight achievement: low-Earth orbit, lunar orbit, and lunar landing. 

This singular relic, a Series 1953 $2 bill (serial number A10241591A), embodies not only the technical triumphs of America’s race to the Moon, but also the deep personal story of an astronaut honoring his father across the vast expanse of space.

A Father’s Good-Luck Talisman

Long before it became the most traveled banknote in history, the bill lived a quieter life in the wallet of Cernan’s father, who carried it for years as a good-luck charm. When Gene Cernan prepared for his first spaceflight—Gemini 9A in 1966—he brought the bill along as a favor to his father. 

Tragically, Cernan’s father passed away in January 1967, before Gene could return the bill to him. The loss imbued the small note with profound emotional weight. What began as a simple keepsake soon became a symbol of remembrance—and Cernan chose to carry it forward on every space mission of his career. “My father carried it for good luck,” Cernan said. And his father gave it to Gene for the same reason. When describing the bill, Cernan becomes emotional in a video interview about it’s history – as he remembers his father. “Unfortunately, you don’t know who your real heroes are until they are gone.” 

Mission One: Gemini 9A — First Flight Into Orbit

Cernan first carried the bill aboard Gemini 9A, where it traveled into Earth orbit during the ambitious two-man mission with Tom Stafford. In one of the bill’s most remarkable distinctions, it was also exposed to the vacuum of space during Cernan’s extravehicular activity (EVA)—a feat almost no currency could claim. During this EVA, Gene Cernan struggled to get back into the spacecraft – so much so that Tom Stafford feared he’d have to cut him lose and go back to Earth alone. But Gene was able to overcome and get back into the spacecraft….the luck of the bill helping to bring him back home.

Mission Two: Apollo 10 — The Dress Rehearsal for the Moon Landing

In 1969, Cernan carried the treasured bill once again—this time to lunar orbit on Apollo 10. Serving as the “dress rehearsal” for the first lunar landing, Apollo 10 took astronauts within 8.4 miles of the Moon’s surface, the closest approach ever made without landing. The bill followed Cernan aboard the Lunar Module Snoopy, deep into the Moon’s gravitational embrace. It was also there to serve as a good luck talisman for Cernan, as he and Tom Stafford momentarily lost control of the Lunar Module for a few brief seconds — the luck of his bill saving him once again.

Apollo 10 also retains the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed attained by a crewed vehicle—24,791 mph—making this $2 bill the only such bill to have ever traveled at that extraordinary velocity.

Mission Three: Apollo 17 — To the Surface of the Moon

The bill achieved its final and greatest milestone in December 1972, when Cernan—Commander of Apollo 17, the last mission of the Apollo program—carried it with him to the lunar surface. The spacecraft Challenger delivered Cernan and geologist Harrison Schmitt to the Taurus-Littrow Valley, where the bill became the only known $2 dollar bill to actually touch down on the surface of the Moon. 

Notably, it was again exposed to space during astronaut Ron Evans’s trans-Earth EVA on the return journey, marking its second direct exposure to the vacuum of space

A Survivor With a Story – And Impeccable Provenance

The bill’s creases, wear, and softening are not defects—they are history. According to documentation, the bill’s well-worn condition reflects years spent in Cernan’s father’s wallet before beginning its extraordinary three-mission voyage through space. Its marks bear witness to both its terrestrial life as a family talisman and its extraterrestrial journey across multiple NASA missions. 

Cernan himself chronicled its legacy, signing the bill and formally certifying its flight history. It was later acquired directly from his personal collection in 2010, with extensive documentation and filmed interviews describing its meaning and provenance.

On Film — Cernan Speaks About His Most Personal Artifact

A moving interview filmed with Cernan in 2010 captures the emotional and historical depth of this small banknote. In the video, Cernan reflects on the mementos he carried into space—and especially this bill, flown in honor of his father.

The Rarest Space-Flown Currency Artifact in Existence

Among space-flown banknotes—a niche yet cherished category of astronaut-carried relics—Cernan’s $2 bill is unmatched. It is:

• The only currency flown on three separate missions from the Golden Age of Spaceflight
• The only $2 bill ever flown in orbit, lunar orbit, and on the lunar surface
• One of the few artifacts to experience EVA exposure—twice, when the Gemini Capsule opened in Earth orbit, and when the lunar module opened on the lunar surface.
• The only $2 bill to travel at the record-setting Apollo 10 velocity – no other $2 bill has ever traveled faster. 
• Arguably one of the most historically meaningful personal mementos carried by an astronaut during Apollo.

Its story is not simply about where it traveled, or how it traveled, but why. It serves as a testament to an astronaut’s devotion to his father, and a father’s love for his son, a symbol carried across hundreds of thousands of miles, through the silent darkness of space and onto another world.

A Legacy Preserved

This extraordinary artifact stands as one of the most significant pieces of flown currency in existence—an unparalleled blend of historical, technical, and personal meaning. Like the finest treasures that have appeared at RR Auction, Gene Cernan’s flown $2 bill is not just a collectible; it is a narrative—of family, exploration, courage, and the human impulse to carry memory into the unknown.