Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 49

Manuscript, Collectibles and Aerospace Auction

Meteorites

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 1440		14.5 Pound Campo Del Cielo Meteorite. This large 6 x 5 x 3 inch, 14.5 pound Campo del Cielo fell to Earth over 4,000 years ago in the mountainous region of Gran Chaco, Argentina in one of the largest and undoubtedly most dramatic falls in the last 10,000 years. Meteorites from this fall were scattered over hundreds of square miles of inaccesible terrain. This quintessential large meteorite has three large regmaglypts (thumbprints) resembling the cratering on an asteroid. It was recovered from an area of the Campos site known for yielding specimens with the best shape and surface quality. Add $25.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1441		22.5 Pound Campo del Cielo Meteorite. This large 6.5 x 5.5 x 5.5 inch, 22.5 pound Campo del Cielo iron-nickel meteorite has an aesthetic shape resembling a miniature asteroid with a huge regmaglypt on one side along with many other smaller well-defined regmaglypts that formed when the meteor passed through Earth's atmosphere. First recorded by the Spanish in 1576, the huge fall of Campo del Cielo iron-nickel meteorites occurred up to thousands of years before. The Campo field has been mostly explored and the price of quality Campos is rising dramatically as new specimens are getting to be very difficult to locate and demand for meteorites has been steadily increasing. A 5 pound Campo del Cielo meteorite sold for over $3,000 in a New York auction in September 2007. Add $25.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,750 - 2,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1442		55.75 Pound Campo del Cielo Meteorite. This huge 12 x 7 x 9 inch 55.75 pound iron-nickel meteorite is not only one of the heaviest complete meteorites that we have auctioned, but also one of the most aesthetically pleasing with a plethora of regmaglypts. Resembling thumbprints, regmaglypts form when the meteorite enters the atmosphere at a high velocity, creating very high temperatures that selectively melt the pockets of Troilite (iron sulfide) much more readily than the iron-nickel matrix. Known as Campo del Cielo (Field of the Sky), these meteorites fell over 4,000 years ago in Gran Chaco Gualamba, Argentina and were first written about in 1576 by the Spanish governor who learned about them from the local Indians who believed that the iron stones fell from the sky. A large 60 ton meteorite known as Meson de Fiero (large table of iron) was sent back by ship to Spain and melted down. The best specimens of Campos, such as this one, are known as "New Campos" as they are found higher up in the mountains and have not been worn down by rusting from rain water. This attractively sculpted example can be displayed in several different positions and is highly desirable for both its large size and its beauty. Add $75.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $4,000 - 5,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $3,335
Lot 1443		6 Pound Oriented Sikhote-Alin Meteorite. This extremely large 6 x 5 x 1.75 inch, 6 pound specimen is a very attractive and most interesting example of a shrapnel type Sikhote-Alin iron-nickel meteorite. It shows many features of the huge explosions that took place on Feb. 12, 1947 in the mountains of Siberia after which it was named. This unusually large example shows many signs of the explosive shearing force with many sharp edges, lipping of the melted iron, a distinctive gun metal color, as well as dozens of flow lines on one side. Most meteorite specimens tumble as they fall and thus do not retain the flow lines of an oriented meteorite which stays stationary and melts only on one side. Only the freshest iron-nickel meteorites retain these delicate flow lines as they quickly rust away. Add $25.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,350 - 1,800. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1444		American Pallasite Brenham Meteorite. The Brenham pallasite fell to Earth some 1,000-2,000 years ago in Kiowa County near Haviland, Kansas. It is the most famous of all American pallasites and was perhaps the largest fall of a pallasite in recorded history with over 6 tons of recovered meteorites. Although the local Indians knew of this meteorite, it was not officially discovered until 1882. This large 4 x 3.5 inch, 242 gram section has many olivine crystals, including one large crystal that is translucent and has been cut, polished, and etched on both sides to reveal its beautiful Widmanstatten pattern. The pattern consists of two different alloys of nickel, Taenite and Kamacite, and has fine narrow bands which are distinctive in identifying this meteorite from other iron-nickel and pallasites. This beautiful and quite large section also possesses its original fusion crust on three of its sides and comes in an 8.25 x 6.25 inch Riker mount. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,100 - 1,400. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $949
Lot 1445		Brahin Pallasite Meteorite. Pallasites are the rarest and most beautiful of the three major types of meteorites originating at the core-mantle boundary of a very large asteroid that was destroyed by collision with another large asteroid more than 4 billion years ago. They are stony-iron meteorites composed of an iron nickel matrix filled with crystals of olivine. This is a large 87 gram 5.25 x 2.35 inch gem quality polished slice of the Brahin Pallasite which was found in the Gomel Region of Belorussia in 1810. The extraordinary specimen features many translucent green crystals of olivine, some of which are of gem quality and can be classified as peridot. This rare and large specimen is preserved in a 6 x 5 inch Riker box. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $650 - 850. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1446		Canyon Diablo Meteorite From Crater. This large 3 x 2.75 x 1.6 inch, 2.5+ pound Canyon Diablo iron-nickel meteorite is a good-sized specimen of the most sought after iron meteorites by collectors. Most available Canyon Diablo meteorites are just a few grams in weight. Specimens are hard to come by as the area around Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona has been closed for years. The nearly one mile in diameter crater was created over 50,000 years ago when a 50 foot in diameter meteor exploded high over the desert. This excellent quality specimen possesses all the qualities desired in a Canyon Diablo meteorite: excellent shape, gun metal coloring, and several distinctive regmaglypts. A copy of the Meteor Crater Exploration & Mining Company stock certificate of the failed attempt to retrieve iron from within the crater (there wasn't any) is also included. Estimated Value $600 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1447		Carved Amber Komodo Dragon Sculpture. This exquisitely carved 3 x 2 x 1 inch, 23 gram Komodo Dragon was cut out of a single block of 35-40 million year old Baltic Amber that originated in Estonia. Amber is essentially the fossilized remains of resin from extinct pine trees and while clear amber is generally the most valuable, this sculpture has been cut from a stunning golden yellow piece that is opaque due to the presence of air bubbles. The golden hue and additional brown streaks to the head and tail give the sculpture a dramatic, aesthetically pleasing appeal and it would be a wonderful addition to any collection. Add $10.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $300 - 400. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1448		Complete Uncut Martian Mini-Meteorite. Meteorites from the planet Mars are so rare that only small fragments are available for sale. These rare meteorites have been identified as being from Mars because of their chemical analysis and age. They are younger than most of the meteorites from the asteroid belt that were formed at the same time as the solar system 4.5 billion years ago. It is now believed that most, if not all, of the Martian meteorites originated from one gigantic impact that left the more recent Zumba crater in the Daedalia Planum on Mars. Last year, in the Sahara Desert, 35 small individual meteorites with a total weight of only 82 grams were found and 20% of them were submitted for analysis (named NWA 4880) and found to be a rare Basaltic (volcanic) Martian Shergotite and represent the freshest of their kind found. This specimen weighs 0.947 grams and has about 50% of its original dark brown fusion crust from burning in the Earth's atmosphere. A somewhat larger 4 gram meteorite from this fall recently realized over $17,000 in auction in New York. This is a rare opportunity to acquite a complete marble-sized piece of the planet Mars. Comes with an identification card from the Hupe Collection. Estimated Value $1,300 - 2,300. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1449		Huge Stony Meteorite End Piece With Cut Face. Most stony meteorites are small (under 1 pound) because the larger ones usually break apart before they contact the Earth, but this huge 7 x 5 x 2.5 inch, 7 pound complete specimen is one of the exceptions. Found in the Sahara Desert in Morocco, it is an ordinary chondrite which means that it consists of round silicate grains that formed at the very beginning of the solar system 4.55 billion years ago from molten globs of accreted material. Of added importance is the presence of glistening flecks of iron throughout the meteorite and visible on the dark brown surface where they are reflective much like micro-diamonds. All stony meteorites contain iron and are designated as either low or high iron. This one is definitely high iron with the iron and irregular shaped chondrites being quite distinct on the 5.75 x 2.5 inch cut and polished face. The rest of the meteorite is original as found in the desert, with some fusion crust and natural cracks. Add $20.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,250 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1450		Large Complete Stony Meteorite. This specimen is from NWA 869, the same meteorite fall near Tindouf, Algeria that was used to make all of the stony meteorite jewelry in this auction. Even though over 1,500 Kg of meteorites were found, most were rather small and not very attractive with little to no fusion crust. This large 812 gram (almost 2 lb.) 4 x 2.75 x 2 inch glossy dark brown beauty is the exception with nearly 100% of its fusion crust and just a few traces of desert sand still embedded within. The crust resulted from the stony meteorite ablating through the Earth's atmosphere when it exploded over the Sahara hundreds or thousands of years ago. This beautiful example would be perfect for anyone desiring a complete stony meteorite for their collection or for anyone purchasing our meteorite jewelry that would like to have an example of the original meteorite from which their piece was crafted. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $450 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1451		Lunar Meteorite Moon Rock. Here we have a fairly large 0.2661 gram 15 x 10 mm thin section of the Moon meteorite Dhofar 1180. Lunar meteorites are the most desirable and expensive of all the types of meteorites recovered and are even rarer than meteorites from Mars. All recovered lunar meteorites except one have been small and Dhofar 1180 was a 1115.2 gram dark brown meteorite covered with original fusion crust that was found in the Dhofar region of the Oman desert on Jan. 18, 2005. It has been classified as a Lunar feldspathic basalt-bearing regolith breccia which means that it is a mixture of several different types of Moon rocks with 75% Lunar highlands material and 25% Lunar Mare material. These basaltic Lunar rocks were melted and partially mixed together when a large meteorite crashed into the Moon millions of years ago. This mixture was vaporized and ejected from the Moon and eventually made its way to Earth. This section is large enough to observe the white and black clasts in a dark gray matrix that define the meteorite as a breccia. This very valuable specimen is housed in a clear membrane box and a 5.5 x 4.5 inch Riker box. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $650 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $483
Lot 1452		Meteorite Rare Aubrite Stony. Aubrite stony meteorites are one of the rarest type of meteorites known with only about 10 different Aubrie meteorites known. Aubrites are a type of achondrite (lacking the spherical chondrites present in most sony meteorites). Instead, they are composed mostly of enstatite (magnesium silicate). Analyzing reflective spectra they match up with asteroid 44 Nysa, the brightest asteroid known and also a smaller near Earth asteroid 3103 Eger. This very large encut (one of the largest specimens auctioned) Al Haggounia 001 was found in 2007 near Al Haggounia, Morocco, weighs over 3 pounds and is 4.5 x 3.75 x 2.25 inches. The cut face has several shades of brown and many long darker metallic chock lines attesting to the violent impact that ejected them from their parent asteroid millions of years ago. There is even some dark fusion crust remaining from its fiery entry into the Earth's atmosphere. This is an excellent opportunity to add a rare type museum specimen meteorite to your collection at a very favorable price as Aubrites are usually sold by the gram and realize $3-$6 per gram. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $575 - 800. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1453		Meteorite Silicated Campo Del Cielo. Campo del Cielo is a famous iron-nickel meteorite from Argentina which when etched reveals its distinctive Widmanstatten pattern. This lot contains a 4.5 x 1.75 inch 361 gram end cut that has been etched and polished to reveal the normal wide ban pattern. Also included is a 2.75 x 2 inch 148 gram end cut that is mostly silicated with a little bit of the normal pattern although much thinner. This mix of iron-nickel and solid fragments of silicate rocks is known as a mesosiderite which is a stony-iron meteorite. Mesosiderites contain part of the stony asteroid and part of the iron-nickel asteroid mixed together. The silicated Campo slice clearly shows the mix of silicates with one silicate inclusion measuring .75 inches and interspersed with areas of iron-nickel metal including one section of a fine Widmanstatten pattern indicative of a higher nickel content than is normally found in Campo del Cielo meteorites. This rare silicated Campo was found in a new strewfield in the Province of Formosa, Argentina, several hundred miles away from the main field. Both end cuts are preserved in a 8.25 x 6.25 Riker Mount. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $500 - 700. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1454		One Half Inch River Gold Nugget. This nugget weighs 13 grams. Estimated Value $700 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $748
Lot 1455		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 surface are their native rocks ejected into space and only a very few of those ever make their way to Earth. Most meteorites that fall to Earth are as old as the solar system itself, 4.55 billion years. Meteorites from the Moon and Mars are much younger. Aside from their age, various isotopes can determine which meteorites emanated from the Moon and which from Mars. These 2 x 2 mm sections were cut, polished, and placed in a 4 x 3 inch Riker mount. The entire Moon meteorite from which this specimen was sliced weighed only 1 ounce and was found on April 22, 2001 in the Sahara Desert in Oman and comes certified by the Institute of Planetary Physics at UCLA. The Mars specimen came from a meteorite that weighed just over 4 pounds and was found in the same region and is certified by the Vernadsky Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Both specimens come with certificates of authenticity and detailed information on their composition, as well as color photos of the whole meteorite from which they originated. Add $20.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $300 - 500. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1456		Set Of Four Indochinite Tektites. Tektikes are glass-like objects that formed when a very large meteorite impacted the Earth, vaporizing itself and melting rocks to over 2,000 degrees F. Tektites get their shape based on the speed of rotation of the molten rock as it quickly cools after being ejected high into the atmosphere. If there is no rotation as the molten rock solidifies it will form a sphere, a slow rotation will form a flattened disc, fast rotation will form a rod or dumbbell shape, and very fast rotation will form a teardrop shape. This lot contains four sizeable specimens of each of the four shapes: 1) a 2x2 inch sphere weighing 109 grams; 2) a 3x2.5 inch flattened disc weighing 138 grams; 3) a 4x1.25 inch dumbbell weighing 121 grams, and 4) a 3x1 inch teardrop weighing 52 grams. These specimens are larger than most found tektites and all have excellent character with craters and pits that occurred when air escaped as they quickly cooled in the atmosphere. Contained in an 8x6 inch Riker mount. Add $15.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $250 - 350. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 1457		Seymchan Pallasite Meteorite. Two meteorites weighing 323 Kg were found in 1967 in Seymchan, a Magadan district in far eastern Russia. Originally, Seymchan was believed to be just an iron-nickel meteorite, but just recently olivine crystals were found in some of the specimens which makes it a far rarer Pallasite. This huge 9.5 x 8.5 inch, 10.75 pound section has been polished and etched on one side to display the lovely and distinctive Widmanstatten pattern found on a Seymchan as well as a few olivine crystals that distinguish it as a Pallasite. Only the rare Glorietta Mountain Pallasite shares a similar pattern and presence of olivine crystals. This is a museum size and quality section of a huge iron-nickel meteorite that has its original fusion crust on three sides. Pallasites normally sell for $10 a gram or more. Add $30.00 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $3,000 - 4,000. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold