Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 121

May 26-27 Collectibles Auction

Natural History

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 589		Duckbill Dinosaur Partial Mandible with 16 Teeth. Edmontosaurus annectens was a very large herbivore that was a favorite food choice for T-Rex. It is known as a Duckbill dinosaur because of its wide toothless beak. Behind the beak were rows of hundreds of replaceable teeth in its back jaw and Maxilla. This six inch long section of the Maxilla has 16 original teeth with replacement teeth forming beneath the exposed teeth (known as a tooth battery of teeth). The excellent quality bone is a lovely brown color with no restoration. It is 65-67 million years old and was found on a private ranch in the Lance Creek Formation of Niobrara county Wyoming. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $840
Lot 590		Huge 3.5 Inch Camarasaurus Tooth With Root. Camarasaurus was a huge saurapod, plant-eating dinosaur that lived 150 million years ago in the Morrison Formation of Colorado. Camarasaurus, meaning "chambered lizard" (referring to the hollow chamber in its vertebrae) lived alongside other more-famous saurapod behemoths such as Diplodicus and Apatosaurus (Brontosaurus). This huge Camarasaurus tooth is 3.5 inches long, consisting of a 1.7 inch enameled tooth and a 1.8 inch, mostly-complete root. Most teeth of dinosaurs are found without their root because they were lost while the dinosaur was still alive; rooted teeth would only be lost when the dinosaur died. Camarosaurus has a larger and sturdier skull than the Diplodicids and its teeth were much larger and of a totally different shape. This Camarosaurus tooth is shaped like a chisel, unlike the slender pencil shaped teeth of the Diplodicids. The shape of its teeth indicates that Camarasaurus ate different types of vegetation from the other saurapods, most likely coarser plants that grew closer to the ground. Saurapod teeth are much rarer than theropod teeth because they did not lose their teeth biting into other animals flesh and bone. This large and rare tooth is in an 8 x 6 inch Riker mount. Estimated Value $900 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 591		Carcharodon megalodon Shark's Tooth. Even though Carcharodon megalodon was the largest shark that ever lived growing to more than 50 feet in length most of the teeth found are only 3-4 inches in length. This large 4.8 inch 15 million year old Carcharodon tooth was found in the muddy river waters of South Carolina. Estimating the length of a shark at about 10 feet in length to every one inch of tooth, this behemoth would be close to 50 feet long. This large tooth has a complete black root and nicely contrasting greenish gray enamel with just a couple of small cracks. There are very good serrations on the edge and most importantly, no repair. Estimated Value $800 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $552
Lot 592		Possible Dinosaur Feather in Amber. Most amber is too young to have dinosaur feathers in it, but Burmite is the name for 100 million year old amber found in the Hukawang Valley in northern Burma (Myanmar). It was one of the science stories of the year a couple of years ago when dinosaur feathers were found in 80 million year old Canadian amber. These feathers could belong to an early bird or theropod dinosaur because what defines a dinosaur and an early bird is somewhat blurred. From remarkable fossils found in China, both Coelerasaurs and Tyrannosaurs are known to have been feathered. Both the quality and diversity of dinosaur feathers found in Burmite is superior to the Canadian amber. This 6 mm clear partial feather is beautifully preserved in an 18 x 13mm polished cabochon of honey-colored amber. The branching feather has excellent detail and is symmetric on both sides of the central rachis, which means that it is not a flight feather but rather a body, tail or neck feather. This very rare, possible dinosaur feather is presented with a color photo in an 8 x 6 inch Riker mount. Estimated Value $800 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $960
Lot 593		Large 4.25 Inch Tyrannosaur Toe Claw. Albertosaurus was a large Tyannosaur theropod dinosaur, older and a little smaller than its famous cousin T-Rex. This large 4.25 inch toe claw is 70-80 million years old and was found on a private ranch in the Two Medicine Formation of Glacier County, Montana. This large brown toe claw is complete with no restoration except for crack filling and is slightly distorted in burial with nice blood grooves on one of its sides. Dinosaur claws are much rarer than teeth because dinosaurs shed and replaced their teeth but only had one set of claws for their entire life. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $288
Lot 594		Appealing Polished Ammonite and Belemnite Fossils in Matrix. A very striking display piece for any level of collection. Three fossilized ammonites and a belemnite fossil all four highly polished in a striking mottled matrix. Piece is 17 x 12 x 1½" and a wonderful collector's piece. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $180
Lot 595		Lizard Tail With Blood Droplets In Madagascar Copal. Although insects are common in amber or copal, larger creatures such as lizards are rarely encountered because they are much bigger and can just walk away out of the gooey tree resin. Copal is just young amber that has not had time to harden. This rare and spectacular .75 inch fossilized Lizard tail with four fossilized blood droplets is contained within a 1.75 inch clear, fully-polished cabochon of two million year old Madagascar copal. This fossil tells a story of a small lizard being trapped in tree resin and then shedding his tail to free himself and in this act leaving four blood droplets which still remain fossilized in this extraordinary specimen. Beautifully preserved with excellent scales and brown color markings, with bright red blood droplets. Both lizard and blood are extremely rare in copal or amber. Complete small lizards have sold for more than $50,000 in amber. Presented in an 8 x 6 inch Riker mount. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $312
Lot 596		Partial Thescelosaurus Dinosaur Foot with Four Claws and Six Toe Phalanges. This partial foot belongs to an 8 to 13 foot long herbivorous dinosaur that weighed between 450-650 pounds named Thescelosaurus. Thescelosaurus was one of the very last dinosaurs alive at the end of the Cretaceous period. It was bipedal with a four toed foot. What makes this lot interesting is that all of the bones were found in the same dig in the 67 million year old Hell Creek Formation of Montana and belong to the same dinosaur, not a composite. The partial foot consists of parts of all four claws and six of the toe phalanges. All four claws would be about one inch long with two of the claws virtually complete except for the ends of the tips and the other two being partials. One toe is four inches long and complete with the best claw and three complete phalanges. The other three phalanges are partial. Thescelosaurus was a hypsilophodont dinosaur famous for the excellently-preserved specimen found in 1993 in South Dakota with a well-preserved heart. Preserved in a 8 x 6.5 inch Riker Mount. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $528
Lot 597		Tarantula Dipluridae and Other Insects in 100 Million Year Old Burmite Amber. Burmite is the early Cretaceous 96-110 million year old amber found in the Huzanne Valley in northern Myanmar (Burma). The tarantula is 5½ mm long with an odd looking beetle and centipede in a 25 X 17 X 9 mm honey colored amber nugget. Tarantula Dipluridae are known as Funner-Web Tarantulas having large and powerful chelicerates (fangs) that are venomous and move up and down in a stabbing motion. The venom gland is contained within the fangs. This rare extinct spider is presented with an enlarged photo in a 8X6 inch Ryker mount. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $504
Lot 598		Rare Large Aegerocioceras Aberrant Ammonite From Germany. Ammonites looked like squid in a shell and became extinct along with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. This large 8 X 6½" aberrant ammonite is 100 million years old from Germany. It is contained a hard stone concretion that when it was cracked in half revealed this spectacular uncoiled ammonite. Aberrant ammonites began to uncoil from the usual coiled ammonite shape from some unknown reason in the Cretaceous. This virtually complete dark brown uncoiled trilobite is rare and interesting. Estimated Value $500 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 599		Three 475 Million Year Old Ampyx Trilobites with Two Hyoliths. This 6X4 inch dark gray slab from Hmar Logdad, Erfoud, Morocco contains three 475 Million year old distinctive dark brown Ampyx trilobites, two are complete with the largest being 2 ¼ inches long. There are also two mysterious Hyolith animals with small conical shells with an operculum cover. This long extinct animal is believed to have been a type of mollusc. Estimated Value $400 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 600		Huge 3 � Inch Carcharodontosaurus Dinosaur Tooth. Huge 3 � inch long by 1 ½ inch wide complete dinosaur tooth of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, the T-Rex of Africa. Even though Carcharodontosaurus was even larger that a T-Rex, most of the teeth found are only 1.5 to 2.5 inches long. This large brown tooth has some chips in the enamel mostly on one side and on the tip which is normal as the enamel is very thin. The steak knife-like serrations are sharp and present on both edges of the tooth. This very large impressive tooth was found in the Sahara desert of Morocco and Carcharodontosaurus was older than a T-Rex at 70-80 million years old. Estimated Value $400 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 601		Large Collection of 16 Fossils from Fossil Lake, Kemmerer, Wyoming. Wonderful collection of 16 fossils from 4 x 4" to 5 x 8". 16 total covering several species of fish. These are from the famed Fossil Lake lake bed that existed during the Eocene period. Countless perfectly preserved specimens have come from this site and have proved collectible and instructional for people of all ages. Included is a copy of information sheet form the Kemmerer, Wyoming Chamber of Commerce that explains the site and a helpful guide identifying the 12 kinds of extinct fish found. Estimated Value $400 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 602		Rare Pre-Cambrian Large Partial Dickinsonia costata Preserved in Quartzite. One of the most important enigmatic animals of the Pre-Cambrian fossils of South Australia is Dickinsonia costata. Preserved in the 560 million year old red Quartzite in the Flinders Range, about half of this rare and important fossil that is quite large at 4 x 3" on a 5½ x 4" red Quartzite matrix. Dickensonia was an ovoid, segmented animal without eyes or a mouth that lived on the ocean floor that fed on algae blooms and was able to move over the algae fields in feeding. It was one of the very first animals that was capable of movement. There is still much debate as to what it was and what it is related to in the modern oceans, everything from some kind of flat worm to some strange quilt-like animal that has no descendants. Estimated Value $400 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $504
Lot 603		Huge 4 ¼ Inch Long Spinosaurus Dinosaur Tooth. Made famous in "Jurassic Park III" as the dinosaur that killed a T-Rex, the enormous 80 million year old theropod dinosaur Spinosaurus with a huge sail on its back was the only aquatic dinosaur spending most of its life in water and eating fish. Spinosaurus is mostly known from its teeth which are fairly common but usually less than two inches long, broken, and ugly. This huge 4 1/4 inch dark brown tooth is the exception being very thick and massive with very good enamel and natural wear on the tip that occurred when the Spinosaurus was alive. This massive dinosaur tooth has no repairs and was found in the Kem Valley near Taouz, Morocco (near the border with Algeria). Estimated Value $350 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $204
Lot 604		Pair of Museum Quality 50 Million Year Old Green River Fish. Some of the best preserved fish fossils come from the famous Green River Formation near Kemmerer, Wyoming. This 13 X 10 inch natural limestone matrix contains two museum quality specimens. The larger 8 inch long Mioplosus labracoides, an extinct member of the perch family was a voracious predator and appears to be ready to consume the 3 ¼ inch Diplomystus dentelus, an extinct member of the herring family. Both brown fish show excellent detail of scales, fins and heads with the predatory Mioplosus showing some of its sharp pointed teeth. Estimated Value $300 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $504
Lot 605		Large Drotops Trilobite with Hexagonal Compound Lenses in Both Eyes. This museum quality Drotops trilobite is 375 million year old from Erfoud, Morocco This large 5.5X3 inch black trilobite has been esthetically cut out of its 5 X 7 inch grey stone matrix and is complete with excellent detail on the head with its bumps (postules), most of the hexagonal lenses in both eyes. Trilobites were very successful surviving for more than 250 million years and were one of the very first animals to have sharp focusing eyes. Their compound eyes are very similar to those of many insects. Estimated Value $300 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $252
Lot 606		Group of Three Very Different Ammonites. 1. Cleoniceras 5 ½ inch cut half 110 million years old from Madagascar showing the detailed beauty of the inner chambers. 2. Two iridescent Scaphites 80 million years old from South Dakota the largest being 2 inches long showing pink and green mother of pearl. 3. Gomphoceras 420 million years old from England 3 ½ inch long bulbous section of a completely straight Orthoceras type ammonite. Estimated Value $300 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $120
Lot 607		Partial Plioplatecarpus ictericus Mosasaur Jaw With Nine Teeth. Mosasaurs were the T-Rex of the Cretaceous seas. This excellent 6¾ inch partial jaw of Plioplatecarpus ictericus is 70 million years old and was found in Fall River County, South Dakota. It has nine sharp conical teeth. Mosasaurs were the apex predators of the late Cretaceous seas and fed on fish, squid and ammonites. Plioplatecarpus ictericus was discovered and named in 1871 by Othniel Marsh during the Yale expedition along the banks of the Smoky Hill River. Estimated Value $300 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 608		Three Large Mosasaur Teeth in Matrix. Mosasaurs were the T-Rex of the late Cretaceous oceans, being the top predator. They were huge marine reptiles 40-60 feet long and related to lizards and snakes. This 7¾ X 7 inch sandstone matrix contains three large Mosasaur teeth. The largest two teeth are 4 ¼ inches long, including their original root, with the third tooth at 1¼ inch long with no root. All the teeth have lovely brown enamel teeth contrasting with the tan colored original roots. These Mosasaur teeth are 70 million years old from Khourigba, Morroco. Estimated Value $300 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 609		Large 9 ½ Inch Mioplosus from Green River. Mioplosus labracoides was an extinct relative of modern day perch. It is over 50 million years old from the famous Green River Formation near Kemmerer, Wyoming. Mioplosus was a voracious predatory fish that had two dorsal fins and a fan-like tail. This light brown 9 ½ inch long fish on a 11 X 6 ½ inch limestone matrix is large for this species and is virtually complete with excellent detail in the head, body and fins. Estimated Value $250 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $120
Lot 610		Large 4 Inch Edmontosaurus Dinosaur Claw. Edmontosaurus annectens was one of the largest Duckbill dinosaurs and was a favorite food choice for T-Rex. This large 4 inch long claw is complete except for one chip on the tip and one chip on its side. It is 65-67 million years old and was found on a private ranch in the Lance Creek Formation of Niobrara county Wyoming. It is exactly as found with no restoration. Estimated Value $250 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 611		Museum Quality Ctenothrissa Fish From Lebanon. Some of the best preserved fossil fish come from the 97 million year old fossil beds of Lebanon. This 3 inch long Ctenothrissa vesillifer is a rare extinct finned fish only know as a fossil. The lovely chocolate brown fish has excellent scale and fin detail on a 4 1/2X 3 inch limestone matrix. Estimated Value $250 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $120
Lot 612		Thescelosaurus Dinosaur Foot Claw with Three Phalanges. Thescelosaurus was the largest of the fast running Hypsilophodontid dinosaurs at over 11 feet long. The dark brown foot claw and three phalanges measure over 3.6 inches long and are nearly complete. The good quality dinosaur bones come from the 70 million year old Hell Creek Formation of Dawson County, Montana. Estimated Value $250 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 613		Carcharodontosaurus Theropod Dinosaur Tooth. 1.6 X 1.2 inch complete dinosaur tooth of Carcharodontosaurus saharicus, the T-Rex of Africa. This complete light brown shed tooth has very good enamel with only minor enamel chipping which almost always occurs, some sharp serrations and no restoration. Found in the Sahara desert of Morocco, Carcharodontosaurus was older than a T-Rex at 70-80 million years old. Carcharodontosaurus teeth are much thinner than T-Rex teeth and were excellent for cutting through flesh whereas the much thicker T-Rex teeth could easily bite through bone. housed in a 5X4 inch Riker mount. Estimated Value $200 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 614		Trio of Pyritized Russian Ammonites. This trio of 1 1/2 -2 inch 160 million year ole Kosmoceras ammonites come from the Volga River in the Ulianosk area of Russia. They have been cut in half showing the entire ammonite replaced with pyrite including many of the chambers that are filled with glittering crystals of pyrite. In addition smaller complete ammonites have been placed in the center of each polished ammonite for an esthetic display on the 6 ½ X 3 ½ black slate matrix with a light gray interior. Estimated Value $200 - UP View details and enlarged photo	Realized $120