Gemini 9
The Gemini 9 mission emblem is an elongated shield shape depicting the Gemini spacecraft in rendezvous with an Agena target vehicle and an astronaut performing an EVA, with the crew names positioned below. The embroidered version of the patch is visible in the close-ups shown below from various photos, and it can be clearly seen that the crew (and support staff) wore patches without the name tab.
During training for the Apollo 10 mission, however, Stafford wore the complete version with the name tab alongside a Gemini 6 crew patch on his flight suit, as can be seen in the photo on the right taken from the LIFE magazine archives.
The Crew Patches
Gemini 9 Crew Patch
This patch has now been identified as having been produced by Texas Art Embroidery for NASA. The production run was likely limited to something like 110 examples, as was the case with the TAE Gemini 10 patch.
Gemini 9 Crew Souvenir Patch (formerly GT9UNK1)
This distinctive vintage patch merges the lower name tab of the crew version into the main body of the patch. At least one example of this patch was also flown on the mission, as evidenced by a flown example sold at Bonhams in 2014 from Stafford's estate. As well as being worn by Cernan on his In addition, Cernan wore on of these patches on his flight jacket alongside Apollo 10 and 17 crew patches at around the time of the Apollo 17 mission, as seen here.
Other Embroidered Mission Patches
Unknown manufacturer patch [GT9UNK2]
This patch, only identified in 2009, is a very close match to the Crew patch but has enough distinct differences to indicate that it was likely produced by a different manufacturer and is not just an example of a separate production run of the Crew patch.
Notable differences include the fact that it is embroidered onto grey cloth (the crew patch has dark blue or black), the blue background thread has an apparent vertical alignment (horizontal on the crew patch), the "IX" is thinner than the crew version (on which the X meets up above and below the Agena), and the astronaut has a much bolder outline.
Given that this patch appears to be as rare as the crew version it is likely that it was never available commercially, and may possibly have been produced by another manufacturer hoping to supply the patches to be worn by the crew.
AB Emblem 2010 Replica patch
A high quality modern replica of the Gemini 9 crew patch, produced by AB Emblem in 2010 in collaboration with Gene Dorr.
AB Emblem souvenir patch
The standard souvenir AB Emblem version of the patch is crude and incorportates the crew names into a tabless design.
Eagle One Aerospace Replica patch
A fairly accurate replica patch produced in the late 80s by Eagle One Aerospace. The most obvious difference is the triangluar hatch on this version.
Footnotes
[1] Examples of unflown Gemini 9 patch sales:
Trimmed example from NASA suit tech Clyde Teague's collection, eBay item #230105219919 March 22, 2007 sold at $1252.
Trimmed example originally from NASA suit tech Walt Salyer's collection, eBay item #250365810666 Feb 6, 2009 sold at $899.
Goldberg Space Auction lot no. 1100 Jul 10, 2011 sold at $1180 [trimmed, ex Al Rochford, suit tech]
RR Auction lot 155 Apr 22, 2014 sold at $857.50 (unflown, mounted with crew ISP)
[2] Flown untrimmed version sales:
Heritage Auctions September 21, 2007 lot 25080 at $5078.75 (inc buyer's fees).
RRAuction Oct 15, 2020, Lot 4041 at $10,798.75 (FLOWN from Cooper).
RRAuction Apr 22, 2021, Lot 3800 UNSOLD at $4,693.75 (FLOWN by Stafford).
[3] Crew Souvenir patch [GT9UNK1] sales:
eBay item 220358579103 Feb 13, 2009 sold at $473.89
eBay item 220362053919 Feb 19, 2009 sold at $458.78
Lunar Legacies Spring 2010 auction lot no. 98 Sold Mar 6, 2010 at $431.25
eBay item 360484976595 Sep 9, 2012 sold at $511.01
eBay item 111039449264 Mar 28, 2013 sold at $450
Bonhams Space Auction lot 131 Apr 8, 2014 sold at $6,000 [FLOWN by TS]
eBay item 221987206918 Jan 12, 2016 sold at $511.50 with other scarce patches
eBay item 122918157282 Jan 18, 2018 sold at $511 [offer accepted]
American Space Museum & Space Walk of Fame auction lot 39 Apr 10, 2021 sold at $840
Heritage Auction Dec 6, 2024 Lot 50018 sold at $5,750 [FLOWN by TS]
[4] GT9UNK2 sales:
eBay item 220367887547 Mar 3, 2009 sold at $1009.99
eBay item 250410135190 Apr 26, 2009 sold at $500
eBay item 360228200485 Jan 31, 2010 sold at $525.55
eBay item 123055106786 Apr 5, 2018 sold at $520.00