Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 38

Manuscript and Collectibles Auction

Meteorites

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1222		A Mixed Pallasite & Mesodiderite Meteorite. An iron-nickel meteorite named Seymchan was found in the Magadan district of far east Russia in 1967. A 312 kg meteorite was found and when it was cut and polished it looked to be just an iron-nickel meteorite. But in 2004 several more Seymchan meteorites were found in the same location; when they they were examined closer, some unique properties were discovered. They were not just an iron-nicket meteorite but small parts of their internal structure contained crystals of olivine, making them a much rarer Pallasite or stony-iron meteorite. Pallasites are known as gem stones from space because of the beautiful yellow and green olivine crystals, also known as Peridot. The story does not end there. A very small percentage of Seymchan meteorites also contain much silicate, which also makes them a Mesosiderite meteorite, which could only have been formed from a collision between two differentiated asteroids. This beautiful and impressive full section of Seymchan is 21x10" and weighs an unbelievables 57.8 pounds and has been etched on both sides to show the widmanstatten pattern that is distinctive of iron-nickel meteorites. This large section has it all: areas of olivine crystals around the edge, large graphite and silicate inclusions, and the original fusion crust around the edges. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase such a large, important meteorite section that would be a highlight specimen in any museum. Pallasites are normally sold by the gram, not by the pound. Allow $175 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $5,500 - 6,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1223		Complete Set Of Three Types of Meteorites From The Asteroid Vesta. Meteorites have been identified as having originated from the moon, Mars, and the asteroid Vesta. No other asteroid or planet has been identified positively as the source of any known meteorite. Vesta is a very large asteroid with a diameter of over 326 miles and shows evidence of once having lava flow with a distinctive light and dark surface somewhat similar to our moon. It also has a gigantic impact crater that is so deep that it exposes the asteroid�s interior. There is a small group of stony meteorites called H.E.D.�s that show a similar spectral analysis to the surface composition of Vesta. H.E.D. stands for Howardite, Eucrite and Dragenite-three different types of chondrite, igneous basaltic rocks that formed from the huge collision that took place many millions of years ago. This collection consists of a 3.4 gm polished section of NUA 3117 which has partial fusion crust on one side and a mixture of rocks (breccia) from its formation. The Eucrite is represented by a 4.9 gm section cut and polished on both sides with a pale gray matrix and white and brown brecciated clasts. Lastly, the Diagenite which formed within the deep regions of Vesta�s crust is represented by a 4.6 gm polished section with a gray background and sizeable green pyrovene crystals and brownish-gray clasts. This important meteorite grouping was part of the Hupe collection of meteorites and is housed in a 6" x 5" Ryker mount. Add $20 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $250 - 350. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1224		Large 10½ Lb. Campo del Cielo Iron-Nickel Meteorite. This 7x4½" iron-nickel meteorite weighs a hefty 10½ lbs. and possesses an esthetically sculpted shape with many regmaglypts (fingerprints), some as large as 2x1½" and deep as well as sharp edges to give it character. Campo del Cielo translates as "Valley of the Sky." These meteorites fell more than 4000 years ago in Gran Chaco, Argentina; they were written about by Spanish explorers in 1576 and a huge 60 ton meteorite was taken back to Spain and melted down for its iron. The best specimens of Campos such as this superlative specimen have been found higher up the mountains and are in much better condition than those found down in the valley. Add $25 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $600 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $748
Lot 1225		Large 3 Pound Meteorite From Meteor Crater. This 3 pound 4½x3" Canyon Diablo iron-nicket meteorite is a good-sized example of the most sought after iron meteorite by collectors. Coming from the elliptical field around Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona, this area has been closed to collectors for many years and single meteorites over one pound in size are in great demand. Most specimens offered are just small fragments weighing less than 100 grams. This 3 pound specimen has all the qualities desired in a Canyon Diablo meteorite, excellent shape, sharp edges and beautiful gunmetal color. The sharp edges resulted from the tremendous explosion that occurred several miles above the actual crater several thousands of years ago. Initially it was believed that the main mass of this enormous meteorite was buried in the crater and a mining company was established to excavate it for profit. A copy of the Meteor Crater Exploration & Mining Company stock certificate is included with this lot. Brandon Barringer and his mining company soon went out of business when no meteorites were found within the mile wide crater. This is a rare chance to acquire a good size Canyon Diablo meteorite for your collection. Add $25 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $800 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1226		Large, Heavy 6.2 Pound Meteorite Sphere. Large etched iron-nickel meteorite spheres are highly sought after by both meteorite collectors and also collectors of mineral spheres. This 3½" diameter 6.2 pound Campo del Cielo sphere has a lovely widmanstatten pattern from the etching, as well as darker areas of graphite and troilite inclusions as found in this meteorite. The interesting-looking widmanstatten pattern results from two different alloys of nickel which have separated from each other by the asteroid core where this meteorite originated form cooling very slowly over several million years. Campo del Cielo meteorites fell 3,000-5,000 years ago in Chaco, Argentina. They are extremely difficult to cut because of the many silicate and graphite inclusions which break the cutting lathes.; large spheres are rare because more than 70% of the original meteorite is lost in the cutting process. the meteorite from which this sphere was produced weighed more than 20 pounds before it was cut. Add $30 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1227		Meteorite Dagger Made From A Gibeon Meteorite. The blade of this large, heavy 10¾" long dagger has been crafted from a Gibeon iron-nickel meteorite that fell in the Kalahari desert of Namibia, Africa during a huge meteorite shower that occurred several thousand years ago. They are considered to be one of the most beautiful of iron-nicket meteorites when they are etched to reveal their widmanstatten pattern that forms an intricate geometric pattern from the two different alloys of nickel present. The Gibeon blade of this dagger weighs 250 grams, is 5½" long, 1½" wide and .215 inches thick and has been carefully ground down to a sharp point and etched. The guard was cast from a mold made from a Diamondback snake rattle using 3¼ oz. of sterling silver. The handle was made from aged Tiger Stripe Maple, the same material that was used to make fine violins in Europe during the 1800s. A fine addition to any meteorite or dagger collection. Add $25 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,250. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,208
Lot 1228		Own A Piece of the Moon and Mars. The rarest of all meteorites are those that originate from the Moon and Mars. Only when extremely large asteroids explode into their surfaces are rocks from the Moon and Mars ejected into space, and only a very few ever make their way to Earth. Most meteorites that fall to Earth are as old as the solar system itself, 4.55 billion years old. Meteorites from the Moon and Mars are much younger. Various isotopes can determine which meteorites emanated from the Moon and which from Mars. These 2x2mm sections were cut, polished, and placed in a custom frame measuring 13x7" with a description of each piece, along with details of their certification. The entire Moon meteorite from which this specimen was sliced weighed on 1 oz. and was found on April 22, 2001 in the Sahara Desert of Oman. The Mars specimen came from a meteorite that weighed just over 2 lbs. and was also found in the Sahara Desert of Oman. The Moon meteorite was certified by the Institute of Planetary Physics at UCLA, while the Mars meteorite was certified at the Vernadsky Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This remarkable display item is ready to hand. Add $20 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $312
Lot 1229		Polished Section Of A Brand New Pallasite Meteorite. Pallasites are by far the rarest of the major types of meteorites and are thought to have originated at the mantle-core boundary of a very large differentiated asteroid that was destroyed during the early formation of the solar system. They are a combination of iron-nickel and olivine crystals. The gemstones of olivine known as peridot are mixed in the iron-nickel matrix. One large 1003 kg. meteorite was recovered near Fukang, China in 2000. This valuable meteorite was sold to a consortium of buyers for millions of dollars and most of it remains intact and will not be sold. What makes this meteorite so special is that the crystals of olivine are huge compared to the other known pallasites. This large 3x2¾" specimen weighs 50 grams and has been thinly cut at great loss of metal to make for a dramatic specimen when viewed through a light source. This rare gemstone from space is housed in a 5½x4½" Ryker mount. Add $25 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1230		Sikhote-Alin Meteorite With Regmaglypts. At 10:30 AM on February 12, 1947, an enormous fireball exploded several miles above the Sikhote-Alin mountains of Siberia. Two distinctly different type of meteorites resulted from this explosion: sharp-edged, shrapnel-like pieces, and the much rarer and more desirable, gently-sculpted pieces with many small thumbprint-like depressions known as regmaglypts. Regmaglypts resulted from the melting of the iron sulfide inclusions in the iron-nicket matrix during the meteorite's descent through the earth's atmosphere. This spectacular 6½x3x2", 5.28 pound esthetic iron-nickel meteorite is somewhat of a combination of the two types with many large regmaglpyts, as well as some signs of the shearing force of the tremendous explosion. Larger Sikhote-Alin meteorites such as this over-5-pound specimen are in high collector demand. This meteorite has that fresh gun-medal gray color that defines the best quality meteorites from this famous fall and stands naturally on its own flat base. This is a rare opportunity to acquire such a large meteorite from a famous fall. Accompanied by a 4" high golden display stand. Add $30 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,300. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,620
Lot 1231		Whole 3 Pound Stony Meteorite From The Sahara Desert. This complete, intact stony meteorite is 5 ½" x 4" x 2 ½" and weights a hefty 1,418 gms. It was recovered from the Sahara desert of Morocco and it is in surprisingly pristine condition with 100% of its all-important fusion crust still intact. The dark brown fusion crust forms when the meteorite has its short, violent trip through the earth�s atmosphere. This fusion crust is very thin and quickly erodes away in most environments, but the Sahara desert preserves this delicate fusion crust. Such a pristine meteorite gives us a lot of information about its descent. One side is smooth with regmaglypt indentations and the other sides are rough from the tremendous explosion that occurred several miles up in the atmosphere, breaking the much-larger meteorite into smaller pieces. This whole meteorite is an unclassified stony and would have to be cut up to determine which class of stony meteorite into which it falls. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $500 - 750. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold