Blaine Reed Meteorites - List 118 - more after Tucson stuff

Blaine Reed Meteorites -  List 118 - more after Tucson stuff

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
………………………………………………………LIST 118

March 9, 2011

Dear Collectors,

Here is a quasi "emergency" list. I was out of town last Tuesday and will be out of town yet again next Tuesday (until the 17th). So, I made the decision to send out an offering now, while I still had a couple days left to pack and ship orders. Blake is out of town until tomorrow as well, so any needed photos my not be able to out until Saturday evening or Sunday (but I will keep the specimens on hold until you get a chance to see a photo if you really are serious about wanting it (I get a lot of "just curios to see what it looks like requests that I sometimes can't oblige quickly) to – even I that means waiting until I get back on Friday).

DAR al GANI (303), Libya: carbonaceous (CO3). Found 1997. Tkw = 365 grams.
I remember back when CO3s first started coming out of Libya. It was not long after that I learned that the finders were putting new numbers on every piece they were recovering (a thought initially "wow, I had only one CO3 before (Colony, OK), now I have 5 or 6 new ones in a couple months!"). Looking more carefully though, I started to realize what was going on. Looking carefully at this piece though it seems that there is a fairly good chance that it is NOT part of that series of CO3s. This has lots of chondrules in a nearly black matrix (the others were more medium brown in color from what I recall). This also still shows some pretty nice fusion crust along about half of the edge (which has one 32mm long cut and the rest being natural). This is a thick slice but comes in a Riker mount and has a Lang label. This could easily be cut into several thinner slices.
21.5 gram slice – 32mm x 21mm x 10mm - $215

DAR al GANI (472), Libya: (LL6). Found 1998. Tkw = 422 grams.
This is a part slice that has one cut edge that is about 40mm long. The remaining edges are natural exterior (mostly the typical wind-polished desert texture, no distinct crust). The interior is a mottled light tan to medium brown and shows numerous fine shock veins. This is in a Riker mount and has a Lang label. Probably a very hard to come by specimen these days.
18.3 gram slice – 47mm x 27mm x 5mm - $100

DHOFAR (007), Oman; achondrite (Eucrite). Found 1999. Tkw = 21.27 kilograms.
This is a nice complete slice of this strange material. Most of it is a nice "salt and pepper" texture (like much of the Millbillillie) BUT it is un diffierent colors – a mix of greenish brown and snow-white instead of black and white. About ¼ of the slice has a nice brecciated texture to it. This is the biggest surface area piece I have ever had of this material (I am tempted to hang on to it for myself if it does not sell here). It is believed that this is not from Vesta, as most eucrites are, but more likely from the mesosidserite parent-body.
69.2 gram complete slice – 107mm x 65mm x 4.5mm - $800

DHOFAR (132), Oman: achondrite (Ureilite). Ound March 18, 2000. Tkw = 5kilograms.
Here are a couple thick slices of this rare stone (this is the first I have had this particular meteorite even though there was a substantial amount recovered). I would guess that, like many ureilites, this has silicon carbides and/ or diamonds in it and was very hard to cut (not really wanting to try and split these in half myself. I made that mistake a few years ago when I had a different NWA ureilite that I obtained in similarly thick slices. It took over 2 hours per square inch (plus a number of saw blades) to split the stuff. It left my fingers numb (the pieces had to be hand-held for cutting) for many weeks afterwards as well). These, however, have been nicely polished (certainly not an easy job to do with most ureilites), are displayed in Riker mounts and have a Lang collection label.
a) 3.1 gram slice – 19mm x 8mm x 6mm - $85
b) 5.2 gram slice – 20mm x 15mm x 6mm - $140

ESTHERVILLE, Iowa: (Mesosiderite). Fell May 10, 1879. Tkw = 318+ kilograms.
I have two pieces of this really nice mesosiderite. Both look pretty much identical when only one side is viewed (as is normal as these are in Riker boxes). The back sides of these though are a bit rough (the lighter a bit less so and the larger is wedged – hence the lower price per gram). Whoever cut these originally did not know what they were doing or were trying to (mistakenly) use a saw that was too small for the job. Regardless, the visible (as displayed) polished side of each is really nice with a really good even amounts mix of metal and silicates.
a)) 126 gram lice – 140mm x 97mm x 3mm - $2500
b) 245 gram slice – 140 x 100 x 5 - $3500

SOMERVELLE COUNTY, Texas: (Pallasite). Found 1919. Tkw = 11.8 kilograms.
This is actually a nice end piece that could probably have several nice slices taken off o the front yet (if one was careful. The cut face shows several nice crystals in fresh metal. The back is a bit shrapnel like, but clearly shows lots of fresh quite large and fairly gemmy crystals. I am really surprised that this did not sell at the show (but then it was in a display case that was stuffed full of material)
54.4 gram end piece – 28mm x 25mm x 20mm - $750

TISSINT, Morocco: Martian (Shergottite). Fell July 18, 2011. Tkw = over 7 kilograms.
Here are a couple pieces of the one that has been in the news a lot lately (came out right before the show. Unfortunately for us dealers this had the effect of pulling a LOT of money out of the buyer's pockets before we could offer our stuff to them at the show). These are nice fragments (no crust, unfortunately) in nice plastic display boxes that have a picture of the fall area. These are taped shut (with the label that has their weight), so I have had to do a rough guess on their thickness measurement (the last number).
a) .21 gram fragment – 7mm x 6mm x 4mm - $145
b) .28 gram fragment – 8mm x 6.5mm x 4mm - $195

WILLAMETTE, Oregon: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1902. Tkw = 14.1 tones.
Here are a couple thin slices of this super famous and controversial iron. It seems that the controversy (of the native Americans in the find area claiming ownership and demanding its return) has only made this material more famous and valuable. I am REALLY reluctant to offer any iron in the hundreds (!) of dollars per gram pricing. But, I did sell several pieces in a big hurry when I put them out on display at the show.
a) .93 gram slice – 11mm x 7mm x 1.5mm - $190
b) 6.181 gram slice – 34mm x 19mm x 1.5mm - $1250 – about 2/3 edge is natural!