Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………..LIST 181
November 24, 2015
Dear Collectors,
I have been back from the Socorro trip for not quite a week. I almost forgot about putting out an e-mail offering (as it should have gone out last week) but then realized I have not sent out any offering this month. Also I had a couple nice new things to offer – I really nice large Chelyabinsk and a beautifully etched part slice of Glorietta. I already have a couple photos loaded in the computer ready to go of the Chelyabinsk for those that are interested (other items I’ll get photos of as needed – as usual).
AUMALE, Algeria: (L6). Fell August 25, 1865. Tkw = 50 kilograms.
Here is a part slice (2 cut edges) that obviously came from me at some point many years ago. The info written on the bag is clearly my writing. The interior of this is quite fresh – with only minor amounts of orange near some of the metal grains (in a light gray matrix). Oddly, the crust (30mm of one edge) looks quite weathered, but this is probably mostly from fine- grained yellow soil stuck in the cracks and crevices. Nice piece regardless.
10.3 gram part slice – 30mm x 18mm x 6mm - $150 – 30mm edge crusted. -SOLD
CAMPO del CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.
Here is a part slice that the previous owner bought from Robert Haag in 1986. On the plus side, this still has its original Robert Haag information card with it. On the minus, this thing has rusted pretty badly. However, the rusting seems to be mostly stringers across the surface of the piece so it can probably be salvaged fairly easily (I didn’t want to mess with it as it will likely need to be re-etched afterwards – something that, quite frankly, I stink at). I’m going to offer it in all of its original glory here (where much of the value is probably in the label. The jewelry box it is still in also looks to be a Robert Haag item). I’ll consider attempting some voodoo on it later (when we have nice weather again) if it doesn’t sell as is.
68 gram etched slice with surface rust – 47mm x 47mm x 5mm - $40
 |
| Click to Enlarge CHELYABINSK, Russia: (LL5). Fell February 15, 2013 725.9gr |
Here is, by far, the largest individual I have ever handled of this extremely famous and popular meteorite. Even better, this piece is really fresh. There is some brownish/ purplish areas that my, at first glance, look like after the fall oxidation but I am told that it this is really a form of fusion crust that oxidized during its fall formation. I have seen this on other meteorites (Allende is good for having these “oxidized” areas). Regardless, this is also probably THE most complete stone that I have seen in this size range. This has only a tiny 15mm x 11mm broken area in the crust (that neatly shows black shock veins in a nearly white LL5 matrix). The remainder is completely crusted – pretty much completely with thick primary crust and only a couple 3mm to 5mm secondary crust covered late in the fall chips. One of the neatest features though is the deep (nearly a cm in one area) fusion crusted grove on one end. Obviously, there is a vein of soft material here (there is even some signs of deeper erosion spots along this vein on two other faces). It is interesting to see that the fusion crust still managed to completely (and quite thickly) form all the way to the bottom of this groove. I am pretty certain that if the ablation phase of this fall lasted much longer, this end would have broken off and we’d be seeing a secondary crust covered surface on this end of the stone.
725.9 gram complete individual – 90mm x 75mm x 75mm - $10,000
GLORIETTA MOUNTAIN, New Mexico: (Pallasite). Found 1884.
At one time, I had lots of these wonderful etched Glorietta slices and for relatively cheap (around $3/g I think). These were all cut from a 135 kilogram all iron specimen that was found in May of 2007 (just days after I spent some time in the area. All I found was how to bung up my wrist by swinging a metal detector to vigorously for to long). I though that this stuff would never run out. Turns out, it all went away after a couple years. I haven’t had pieces of this for quite awhile. I got this one during the Denver show and am happy to have it (wish I had it a month or so earlier as I have a customer at the Creede show that pretty much buys all the Glorietta I have ever had there – next year maybe, if it is still around, which I highly doubt). This is a triangular shaped piece that has two cut edges and one natural edge. There are some minor hints of brown rust) spotting along the natural edge (slices of this like to do that but rarely does it turn into a problem) but shows a bright and beautiful etch otherwise. A great piece that is only slightly more expensive than when this material was commonly available.
123.8 gram etched part slice – 90mm x 65mm x 3mm - $500
HUGHES (004) or (005), Australia: (howardite). Found 1991. Tkw: (004) = 304 g, (005) = 284g
This is a nice small piece as it has crust along its longest edge and clearly shows a howardite texture (with a couple obvious green hypersthene chunks in a white and gray matrix). Unfortunately, it was not recorded as to which one this is from. It has the info for both, as they were originally reported to the Meteoritical Bulletin. It may not matter though, as it is noted that these two “different” meteorites may be paired.
.3 gram part slice with crust – 8mm x 5mm x 4mm - $25
MONROE, North Carolina: (H4), brecciated. Fell October 31, 1849. Tkw = 8.6 kilograms.
One stone was recovered near the Flows post office (explaining why the handwritten label that came with this piece says “Flows” but has “Monroe” in parenthesis written below). I know I have had a few small pieces of this in the past. I think a roughly .3g piece that sold for $80 was the largest. This piece is large enough to show the texture. Lots of chondrules and metal visible in this slice.
1.09g slice – 11mm x 10mm x 3mm - $100 -SOLD
NWA 2986: Martian. Basaltic shergottite. Found 2006. Tkw = over 200 grams.
Here are a few basically complete individuals. These do have quite a bit of wind polishing that has removed some areas of crust but they still have the rounded complete individual shape with patches of crust on all surfaces. I’ve had lots of fragments of this (or one of its pairings) over the years but not many pieces that were individuals (I do still have one from earlier that still has completely intact shiny black crust - .694 grams - $750).
1) Individuals as found:
a) .174 grams - 7mm x 5mm x 3mm - $125
b) .266 grams – 7mm x 6mm x 4mm - $185
c) .884 grams – 12mm x 8mm x 6mm - $600
