Blaine Reed Meteorites List 120 - Mostly Lang Collection pieces

Blaine Reed Meteorites List 120 - Mostly Lang Collection pieces


Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………………LIST 120


May 1, 2012


Dear Collectors,


Here is a list that contains a mix of material from a couple different origins. However, most of these pieces are ex RA Langheinrich Collection (Alan Lang to many of us that have been collecting for a long time) pieces. These have collection labels and are nicely displayed in Riker mount boxes. I'll try to remember to make note of these collection pieces in their brief descriptions, so carefully read the descriptions if you are particularly interested collection pieces that have labels.


This may be the only list this month, thanks to the eclipse travel later (I will be leaving only a couple days after my next scheduled offering should be - which is May 15th). At the very least, any other offering this month would be delayed and on an odd day (I'm thinking Thursday the 24th perhaps, if post travel catch up work permits enough time).


DAR al GANI (331), Libya: (CO3). Found 1997. Tkw = 194 grams.
This is a nice complete slice of a stone that was one of the many that came out of the area (that all got their own number, rather than being grouped together as a strewn field). This shows lots of tiny chondrules in a dark brown matrix (these actually show a lot better on the back, which has not been polished so the overall coloration is much lighter). This has a complete edge of (wind polished) crust. The only down side to this piece is that it is quite wedged, but this is not visible when displayed in the Riker box (this is a Lang Collection piece).
24.1 gram complete slice – 58mm x 28mm x 5mm - $215


DAR al GANI (444), Libya: (LL4-5). Found May 1998, Tkw = 164 grams.
This is a Lang Collection piece. It is a really nice end piece of a rare item as well (there are only 7 listed meteorites classified as LL4-5 in the most recent Meteorites A to Z. There are likely a couple more perhaps, but I did not have time to got through the 111 pages (!) of LL chondrites listed in the full Meteoritical Bulletin). This has a pleasing light orange-brown color with some dark clasts and chondrules visible. The back has nice black crust; some lightly wind-polished but some with its full original texture. Given the small total known for this meteorite, I suspect that this might be the "main mass" for this find.
19.2 gram end piece – 38mm x 37mm x 10mm - $135


DHOFAR (055), Oman: (Eucrite). Found 1999. Tkw = 235 grams.
This is a Lang Collection piece. It is a nice end piece that has a nice brecciated texture (almost howardite like) on the cut face. The back is all natural, showing some wind-polished crust along with what looks to be late atmospheric break/ old impact break perhaps.
20.1 gram end piece – 30mm x 26mm x 15mm - $300


MARALINGA, Australia: (CK4): Found 1974. Tkw = 3.38kg.
This is a Lang collection piece (and likely a David New piece before that). It is a small part slice that has one cut edge and shows some dark chondrules in a mixed greenish gary and brown matrix. This had a price of $350 on it when I got it. I thought that was high but then I have not seen a piece of this material for a very long time (and anything Australia is always in high demand).
1.82 gram slice – 17mm x 13mm x 4mm -  SOLD


NWA (1227): (LL3). Found 1999. Tkw = 1050 grams.
This is a piece that would likely make most collectors say "wow". It has lots of chondrules (of all sizes and colors) in a very light tan matrix (this reminds me a bit of Ragland and Wells this way). What is really interesting (to me anyway) is a 25mm x 18mm clast that is something completely different. It shows fewer chondrules (most being quite indistinct) in a mottled gray and brown matrix. I suspect that this is an LL5 clast, though it could be an L5 clast as it does seem to show distinctly stronger magnetic attraction than the main part of the slice. This is a Lang specimen as well.
72.2 gram complete slice – 100mm x 50mm x 5mm - $450


NWA (1242): (Mesosiderite). Found 1985. Tkw = about 7kilograms.
This is another "wow" specimen. This really looks like a mesosiderite should. It has LOTS of metal that is mostly fine grained but a few larger nodules are present mixed with fragments of silicates of many sizes (including a couple cm sized fragments; one gray green in color and the other looking like an olivine crystal). This is not cheap but it is a superior display piece and much nicer than the NWA mesosiderites I have been offered the past couple years (at $10 to $12/g "out of the field" no less. Things are definitely getting more expensive out o the field these days). This is a Lang specimen as well.
75.2 gram complete slice – 100mm x 50mm x 5mm - $750


NWA (3100): (LL7). Found 2003. Tkw = 136 grams.
I know I am risking getting some people upset over this one. Many researchers feel that there is no such thing as a "type 7" and insist that they be called "primitive achondrite", "meta-chondrites" or such. Personally, if the link to a particular family/ parent body is clear, I prefer the "type 7" myself. This gives an easy identity to the thing. Example – "oh, LL7, OK. That means that it has been metamorphosed to the point of no chondrules remaining but it is a rock from the LL parent body". Simply labeling these things "primitive" or "meta-chondrite" does not tell you anything other than that the thing has been metamorphosed to the point of loosing its chondrules. You then have to locate and dig into the official classification reports to find the parent body connection (If there is one. Things that don't match up to a known parent would obviously have to remain "primitive" or "meta-chondrite"). Regardless of what you want to call these, this is a rare type meteorite and only a handful of (generally small) pieces of this type are known. 
2.17 gram slice – 20mm x 13mm x 3mm - $70


PLAINVIEW (a), Texas: (H5), breccia. Found 1917. Tkw = about 700kilograms.
This famous meteorite likely fell in early spring of 1903. A large fireball was seen in the area then and a large stone (that perfectly matched later "Plainveiw" finds) was found in a horse coral near Cotton Center the next morning. These are a few odd (some a bit wedged) slices I picked up years ago and let set aside forgotten. These show lots of metal and plenty of breccia texture/ fragments (this meteorite is a regolith breccia). The large piece has only one cut edge with the remainder being nice dark brown to black crust
1) Slices:
a) 5.3 gram – 20mm x 14mm 5mm - $16
b) 11.3 grams – 40mm x 35mm x 2mm - $34 
c) 54.9 grams – 55mm x 52mm x 6mm - $165