Tuesday 21 October 2014

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 162 - American Meteorite Lab specimens

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale  -  List 162 - American Meteorite Lab specimens

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 162
October 20, 2014

Dear Collectors,

Note: I am sending this out a day early as I just realized that I will be leaving town Thursday afternoon through Sunday.  

Here is an amazing batch of old American Meteorite Lab specimens that I recently received. I had planned on offering these over a couple lists. However, I will not be doing an early November list (as I will be off to Socorro for the Mineral Symposium and its associated show the day after that should be sent out). So, rather than stretch this out into late November and early December (I usually put 7 or 8 items on a typical list, so this lot would normally cover 3 offerings) I decided to simply let it all fly now. I hope this rather large offering does not overwhelm too many (financially, if they want specimens or the extra long length for those that might simply read it). Anyway, These are all American Meteorite Lab pieces with their original labels! Most of these are Nininger labeled pieces but some of these are the later Huss labeled specimens. When Glenn (Nininger’s son in law) took over, he changed to a “new” numbering system for AML specimens such that they would have an H at the start, showing that they were “Huss” specimens. In the list of specimens and their descriptions I’ll make note of what number is on the specimen. Strait numbers are Nininger pieces and those that are H and then a number are Huss pieces. It is a very rare day anymore that I get even one AML specimen (and usually the paper label that is supposed to be with it is missing ) but it is truly special to end up with close to 20 different to offer now. Note, the “find” dates on some of these are slightly different than what is officially reported in the Catalog of Meteorites. I am using the dates and TKW that are on the cards (prepared by Dr. Nininger or Glenn Huss) that are with the specimen. So don’t freak out if, while doing a little research on some of these, you see dates or total knowns that are a bit different, these are indeed the ones listed in the catalog, Met Bulletin.

BONDOC, Philippines: (Mesosiderite). Found 1957, recognized 1959. Tkw = 888.6kilograms.
This piece is one of the mostly silicate specimens, though there are a couple metal flakes visible in it. This has a little bit of surface rusting, mostly on the “natural” edges. I left it alone for fear that in trying to clean up this tiny bit of stuff I might accidentally end up damaging the Nininger number painted on this thing which is  (2)684.223. I don’t know what the (2) is for but the 684 is certainly the right number for Bondoc.
    11.1 gram slice – 25mm x 15mm x 10mm - $100SOLD

BLEDSOE, Texas: (H4). Found 1970. Tkw = 30.56 kilograms.
I remember getting a few pieces of this one from Mr. Huss, likely back around the time I first met him. This isn’t real pretty, unfortunately. It doesn’t show any metal but it does have some chondrules and fragments visible (best on the unpolished side that also has the specimen number – H121.15 on it). This is a complete slice of a fragment – no cut edges.
    12.8 grams slice – 50mm x 19mm x 6mm - $125  SOLD

BRENHAM, Kansas: (pallasite). Found 1885. Tkw = 4400 kilograms.
Not surprisingly, this one is a bit of a mess. It still shows quite a lot of bright metal but some of the (surprisingly clear and colorful) crystals have popped out (I think they are all still in the box). This is a Huss piece and is numbered 49.76, though the number is not completely clear as there is some rusting hiding the last part a bit. Based on its fairly low number (for a meteorite that I know he had LOTS of) this is one of Glenn’s early Brenham specimens.
    26.9 gram slice – 42mm x 20mm x 8mm - $100SOLD

BROWNFIELD (1937), Texas: (H3.7). Found 1937. Tkw = 22 kilograms.
The total weight is a bit higher in reality (around 44kg now I think). I know I had a several kilo piece of this stuff I bought from a farmer years ago. This is a “complete” slice (no cut edges) but it does look like it was a natural fragments as only around ½ of the edge of this looks like a crusted surface. This is an early Huss piece and numbered 15.25.
    17.8 gram slice – 42mm x 30mm x 4mm - $200SOLD

CALLIHAM, Texas: (L6). Found 1958. Tkw = 40.1 kilograms.
This is a long, skinny slice of a natural fragment. Its quite weathered (no fresh metal visible) but it is solid (no cracking). A fairly big piece of this was found, but I have not seen a lot of this one available over the years. This is a Nininger piece and is numbered 670.70.
    21.5 gram slice – 85mm x 17mm x 5mm - $225 SOLD

EDMONSON, Texas: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1965. Tkw = 12kilograms.
This one came to me broken apart unfortunately. It arrived in 3 large pieces and a couple small fragments. Thankfully, the largest piece (which weighs 6.6 grams and measures 33mm x 14mm x 5mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H31.19) on it.
    9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD

GRASSLAND, Texas: (L4). Found 1964. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
This one, like the Edmonson, arrived in pieces. This one is quite a bit more broken up though. It came as 4 or 5 “larger” pieces and a bunch of small fragments. Thankfully, like the Edmonson, the largest piece (3.0 grams – 18mm x 18mm x 4mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H23.55) on it. I have had pieces of this in the distant past, but not many. It seems the bulk of this one is tied up in museum collections.
    9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD

HUGHOTON, Kansas: (H5). Found 1935. Tkw = 325 kilograms.
Interesting, the first piece I have had of this in years (a 9.2 g piece) I just offered a month or so ago. Now I suddenly have another! I sold the last one (really quickly) at $250. I had several people wanting that one. I suspect that this one may be the same, though it is a bit more expensive overall. This is numbered 280.336. 
    20.8 gram cut fragment – 28mm x 15mm x 25mm - $400 SOLD

LADDER CREEK, Kansas: (L6). Found 1935. Tkw = 35.0 kilograms.
Weathered fragment with cut and polished face (and a much smaller polished area at the other end). Some metal is still visible on the polished faces. Nininger specimen number 280.336
    16.4 gram cut fragment – 25mm x 20mm x 13mm - $200SOLD

LAKEWOOD, New Mexico: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1966. Tkw = 46.5 kilograms.
This is an end piece or really a cut fragment (it doesn’t have anything I would call a crusted surface on the back side). It is weathered and shows some cracks but it seems to be quite solid. This is a Huss piece and is numbered H53.121.
    38.1 gram cut fragment – 60mm x 40mm x 8mm - $250SOLD

LITTLE RIVER, Kansas: (H6). Found 1965, recognized 1968. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
The card with this says tkw = 16.1 kilograms. Two pieces were found and it seems that they were really two different meteorites. The smaller one, the 4.4kg Little River (a) stone is an H6 and the larger Little River (b) is an H4/5. This piece is pretty clearly an H6 (no visible chondrules, a crystalline almost achondritic look) so this is a piece of the Little River (a) stone. About half of this is locked up in museum collections so there is not much of this meteorite available. I can’t recall ever having a piece. This is a Huss specimen and is numbered H83.30.
    8.1 gram slice – 25mm x 20mm x 5mm - $200SOLD

NORCATUR, Kansas: (L6). Recognized 1948. Tkw = 3.2 kilograms.
Unfortunately, this one is the ONLY specimen that came in this collection that didn’t have a specimen card for it. This (to me) is REALLY unfortunate as, after digging through my old Nininger Collection catalog to figure out what this little piece was, I think it is probably the rarest (hardest to get a sample of, certainly not classification) piece in the entire lot. I don’t recall ever having a piece. The list of museum collection pieces seems to show that the weight in collections is indeed pretty much the total weight known. This “rarity” may also be supported by its specimen number (525.9). Being such a small piece and having a low number, being the 9th piece “cataloged” there may indeed be very little in private hands. This is a small fragment that has one (largest) side with obvious fusion crust (but brown from minor weathering).
    1.9 gram crusted fragment - $100 SOLD
    

PLAINVIEW (1917), Texas: (H5) brecciated. Found 1917. Tkw = 700 kilograms.
This is a Nininger specimen (numbered 92.1291). It is a part slice (one cut edge) of a slightly weathered stone. It still shows quite a bit of metal but is a darker brown than some of the Plainview slices I have had recently (but none of those had a number and card).
    34.3 grams slice – 50mm x 32mm x 6mm - $275SOLD

POTTER, Nebraska: (L6). Found 1941. Tkw = 261 kilograms.
This is a complete slice of a very weathered fragment. No metal left in this but a few obvious chondrules are visible in the light brownish gray matrix. Nininger specimen number 476.229.
    33.3 gram slice – 60mm x 30mm x 7mm - $200SOLD

SHIELDS, Kansas: (H5). Found 1968. Tkw = 9.8 kilograms.
I know I have had a piece or two of this one in the past but it seems that most of it (a bit over 7kg) is in museum collections so there probably isn’t a lot of this one floating around. This is a complete slice of a fragment (no cut edges. It is a Huss piece and is numbered H90.57.
    9.0 gram slice – 28mm x 17mm x 8mm - $100SOLD

TEKTITES:
I don’t recall ever buying tektites from the AML (I don’t recall Glenn ever really having any to offer for some reason), so I am unfamiliar with their numbering. The numbering on these is definitely different than the meteorite cataloging. These have letters (abbreviations really) indicating what kind of tektite it is and then a number (so I suppose it might be possible to accidentally confuse a AML labeled Moldavite for a Monig piece if one were not paying attention). Thankfully, these all have the likely Nininger AML label with them so there is no chance of confusion.SOLD

AUSTRALITE
This elongate core has the label AU375 painted on it. The AML card that comes with gives the locality as “Williams Creek, South Australia”.
    7,0 grams – 25mm x 17mm x 12mm - $100SOLD

BEDIASITE: Tektite from Texas.
The label that comes with this piece has the locality as “Somerville, Texas”. The number on this individual is B95.
    4.0 grams – 22mm x 12mm x 11mm - $100 _SOLD

INDOCHINITE:
The label for this piece gives the locality as Dalat, Vietnam. The specimen is numbered IC513.
    3.5 grams – 32mm x 10mm x 7mm - $75SOLD
SOLD
MOLDAVITE
This piece is labeled M43 and the card gives the locality as “Lhenice, Sudbohmen”. 
    7.1 grams – 23mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100SOLD

PHILIPPINITE:
This small round piece is labeled R1194. The card gives the locality as Luzon, Philippines and the “class” as Tektite (rizalite). 
    7.3 grams – 21mm x 18mm x 14mm - $100SOLD