Apollo 12 Hammer Used on the Moon Sells for $812,500 at Heritage Auctions

A geological hammer used by astronaut Alan Bean on the surface of the Moon sold for $812,500, leading a Heritage Auctions space memorabilia sale that brought more than $3.1 million.

The hammer was carried aboard Apollo 12 and used by Bean during the second crewed lunar landing in November 1969. It became an important part of the mission when Bean used it to help open a stubborn fuel cask while setting up scientific equipment on the Ocean of Storms.

Bean later described the hammer as a universal tool and advised future astronauts never to travel to the Moon without one. After his NASA career, he also used the artifact while creating his lunar-inspired artwork, giving it a second connection to his life as both an astronaut and an artist.

The hammer was the top lot in Heritage’s July 23-24 Space Exploration Auction, which realized a total of $3,114,908. Heritage said it was the auction house’s largest space sale since the third auction of the Armstrong Family Collection in 2019.

Another major item from Bean’s collection was the wrist checklist he carried and used during Apollo 12. The checklist, which included hidden Playboy images and cartoons secretly added by fellow astronauts before launch, sold for $400,000.

A section of fabric from the Wright Flyer that Neil Armstrong carried aboard Apollo 11 sold for $112,500. The artifact connects two major moments in aviation history, beginning with the Wright brothers’ first powered flight in 1903 and continuing with the first crewed Moon landing in 1969.

Remnants of patches from Bean’s Moon-worn Apollo 12 spacesuit brought $84,375. The framed display included portions of his American flag patch, NASA insignia, mission emblem and name tag. Bean later incorporated some of the surviving material from his spacesuit into his paintings.

A lunar core tube bit used to collect geological samples on the Moon sold for $81,250. Bean later pressed the tool into the surfaces of his paintings to recreate the texture of the lunar landscape.

Other results included Apollo 12 life-support-system patch remnants at $78,125, Bean’s flown Skylab II spacewalk gloves at $68,750 and an XLR99 rocket engine developed for the X-15 research aircraft at $62,500.

The results show the continuing demand for artifacts that were not only flown in space, but actually carried and used on the lunar surface. Few collectibles have a more direct connection to the history of human space exploration than a tool that helped astronauts complete their work on the Moon.