Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 66

The Manuscript, Space, Stamp & Collectibles Auction

Meteorites

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 852		HED Meteorites From Vesta, Meteorties 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 other known meteorites. Vesta with a diameter of over 325 miles is the second largest and brightest asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It is 1.7 billion miles from Earth. There is a small group of achondrite (no chondrules) stony meteorites called HED that have a matching spectral analysis to the surface composition of Vesta and originate from a huge crater on the south pole of Vesta that we now have pictures of thanks to the Dawn Spacecraft currently photographing its surface. HED stands for Howardite which is a brecciated mix of both Eucrite and Diagenite material, Eucrite which is igneus in composition similar to terrestrial basalts and represents lave flow on Vesta, and Diagenite which a coarse grain magnesium rich orthopyroxine cumulate that comes from the upper mantle or lower crust of Vesta. This lot contains a 3.4 gram NWA 3117 Howardite, a 4.9 gram NWA2126 Eucrite and a 4.6 gramNWA 2795 Diagenite housed in a 8 x 6 inch Ryker mount with a photograph of the south pole of Vesta. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $300 - 400 View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 853		Meteorite Brahin Pallasite, Pallasites are the rarest and most beautiful of the three major types of meteorites, stony, stony-iron and iron-nickel originating at the core-mantle boundary of a very large asteroid that was destroyed by collision with another large asteroid more that 4 billion years ago. Pallasites are stony-iron meteorites composed of an iron nickel matrix filled with crystals of olivine which is known as Peridot in its gem form. This is a large 61.7 gram 3 x 2.75 inch gem quality polished slice of the Brahin Pallasite which was found in the Gomel Region of Belorussia in 1810. This extraordinary slice has many yellow-green translucent crystals of olivine. This rare pallasite comes with a 2.5 inch diameter illusion stand for display. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $550 - 700 View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 854		Meteorite Campo Del Cielo 16.5 Pounds, Most iron-nickel meteorites are just hunks of metal without an interesting shape. This large 6.75 x 6 x 4 inch 16.75 pound new Campo del Cielo iron-nickel meteorites is the exception having an esthetic shape that looks like a small mountain with its iron-nickel surface covered with desirable regmaglypts (thumbprints) that formed when the meteor passed through Earth's atmosphere and the troilite in the meteorite melted. First recorded by the Spanish in 1576, the huge fall of Campo del Cielo (Valley of the Sky) iron-nickel meteorites occurred thousands of years before. The best quality Campos such as this splendid specimen were recovered high in the mountains where their surface was not rusted away by ground water. 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 five pound Campo del Cielo meteorite sold for over $3000 in a New York auction in September, 2007. Allow $25 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,500 - 1,800 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,200
Lot 855		Meteorite Etched Gibeon Slice, Gibeon iron-nickel meteorites are in very high demand as they are only available when collections are sold and possess the most beautiful internal crystalline structure when cut and etched. Gibeon meteorites were found in the Kalahari desert of Namibia, Africa from a fall the occurred thousands of years ago. This large 4.8 x 3.8 inch 70 gram section has been etched on both sides revealing an extremely detailed beautiful fine octahedral Widmanstatten pattern. This interesting geometric pattern resulted from the separation of two alloys of nickel, taenite and kamicite that occurred on the large parent asteroid before it was blown apart early in the formation of the solar system. This crystalline pattern does not exist on any rocks on earth and only forms when the iron core of the asteroid cools very slowly at no more than one degree Celsius per million years. Comes with a 2.5 x 3.5 inch illusion stand for display. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $300 - 400 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $180
Lot 856		Meteorite From Meteor Crater, This 3.25 x 2 inch over 1 pounds (490grams) Canyon Diablo iron-nickel meteorite is a palm sized specimen of one of the most sought after iron meteorites by collectors. Most currently available Canyon Diablo meteorites are just a few grams in weight. Any 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 Arizona desert. This excellent quality meteorite possesses all of the qualities desired in a Canyon Diablo meteorite, excellent shape with several sharp edges, gunmetal color and one deep distinctive regmaglypt (thumbprints). Since no specimens are available from the source at Meteor Crater, the only way to acquire a specimen is when specimens are made available from collections. Comes on a magnetic stand for display. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $400 - 500 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $480
Lot 857		Meteorite Jewelry Necklace With Large Silver Spacer Beads, This 23 inch long handmade meteorite necklace is made up of 45 8mm round NWA 869 stony meteorite beads as well as 8 interspersed large sterling silver spacer beads and a sterling silver lobster-claw clasp. At 3.57 billion years old, these meteorite beads are older than any rocks or gemstones on Earth and have small pieces of chondrites in the medium brown matrix that authenticate them as being from a meteorite as no rocks on Earth today have chondrites in them as the chondrites that were present when the Earth formed have been lost to volcanic activity over the last 3.57 billion years. Allow $15 for domestic ahipping. Estimated Value $350 - 450 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $252
Lot 858		Meteorite Jewelry Round Beads With 14 Carat Gold Spacer Beads, This handmade designer necklace is 21 inches long and is made up of 45 8mm NWA 869 meteorite round beads and eight 14 carat gold large spiral spacer beads ending in a 14 carat gold spiral bead clasp. Each of the 8mm round meteorite beads has been individually formed and polished and each one has its own individual designs that show flecks of metal (iron) as well as chondrites. Chondrites are the very first material that formed out of the hot solar gases that formed the solar system and are currently being studied by scientists to learn what the original building blocks of the solar system were composed of. Each sphere looks like a miniature planet. Also included is a limited edition of only 1,000 large 1.9 inch diameter bronze medal with and actual piece of the NWA meteorite embedded in the obverse. Allow $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $600 - 800 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $408
Lot 859		Meteorites From the Moon and Mars, The two most desirable meteorites come from the Moon and Mars. The only way to own a piece of the Moon and Mars is to acquire a part of one of the rare meteorites that originated when a very large meteorite impacted their surface ejecting small rocks out into space that eventually made their way to Earth as a meteorite. As you might expect these lunar and Martian meteorites are quite rare. This lot contains a small 3mm x 2mm section Martian meteorite DAG 476 that was found in the Libyan desert in May 1998 and a 2mm x 2mm section of the Lunar meteorite Dhofar 461 that was found in the Sahara desert in Oman on April 22, 2001. Both meteorite sections come with certificates of authenticity with pictures of the entire meteorite and are protected in 4 x 3 inch Riker boxes. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $350 - 500 View details and enlarged photo	Realized $312