Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
LIST 213
April 3, 2018
Dear collectors,
A note on the Denver Spring show: April 13-15th.
I don’t set up at this show but I do visit it. I have meetings with a few mineral dealers and such while in Denver for the show and I am happy to meet collectors as well while there. However, I cannot “poach” customers from the dealers that are fully set up and paying for being at the show. I really like to have folks try to let me know if a) they might want to get together during my time in Denver, and b) what kind of items they might like to see. Usually I bring mostly “re-sale” kind of stuff for rock shops and such. I always have some items for collectors as well but it would really help to know a bit more from those I may get together with (your saying you might like to meet does not obligate you to). So, please let me know if any of you out there do possibly want to get together at the show (I have a room at the hotel Friday and Saturday nights – The Crowne Plaza at I-70 and Chambers road – the same place as the fall show) and if there are any kind of things you’d like me to bring along (I have one person that has already requested that I bring my pocket watches for sale – something I likely would have left at home without the request).
Thanks!
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| List 213- Linton Rohr Collection Part 3 |
GEBEL KAMIL, Egypt: Iron. Ni-rich ataxite (ungrouped). Found 2008.
This is a nice little completely natural, left as found shrapnel fragment. It is probably a good thing that this was not cleaned as on its dirtier side (the side that was obviously buried) there a few small patches of dark bubbly melt glass (yep, this is certainly one of the really rare cases where a meteorite was indeed actually really hot when it hit the ground). I have seen this on several piece of this meteorite but it is not real common. This specimen also comes with a “the Lintonius Collection” (Linton Rohr) label and a M. Bandli collection label.
52.7 gram shrapnel fragment that has some melt glass attached – 35mm x 35mm x 12mm - $100
GHUBARA, Oman: Ordinary chondrite (L5), Zenolithic. Found 1954.
I kind of like this stuff for some reason (I have something around 15kg of larger whole pieces in deep storage). It has a bit of a different look to it. Some of this stuff, however, likes to act like a desiccant and pull moisture out of the air for some reason (I have several meteorites that do this). However, this piece is NOT one of those, thankfully. It is pristine, no rust (though there isn’t much in the way of visible metal). An interesting “fact” (??) about this material is that, from a research paper I read some years ago, Ghubara is a regolith breccia from the surface of the ORIGINAL L-parent body. So this was sitting on the very surface of the L-parent before it got bashed apart (supplying the Earth with lots of L-type meteorites in the process) a bit over 500 million years ago! This nice slice comes with a metal information tag (that stands on its own) and a David Deyarmin paper label that says that this is “from a 3kg fragment that was processed for Serge of the Comet Shop on February 20th, 2009”.
102.1 gram slice – 130mm x 48mm x 5mm - $120
NWA (998): Martian (Nakhlite). Found 2001. Tkw = 456 grams.
This is a little (1mm or so) crumb (.004 grams according to the Hupe Collection Label that comes with this) in a round plastic gem stone display container. Nothing real exciting but a cheap way to add a Nakhlite to your collection (I have one piece of this stuff remaining in my sale inventory but it is .110grams and is priced at $165).
.004g crumb in gem stone disk with Hupe label - $20
NWA (5400): Ungrouped achondrite. Found June 2008. Tkw = 4818 grams.
This is the stuff that was rumored to be “Early Earth” or such. Supposedly, it was (and may still be, I am not really certain on this as I have heard nothing since) possibly a piece of the Mars-sized object that hit the early Earth (forming the moon in the process) or material blown off of the early Earth that did not get tied up in making the moon and eventually fell back here as a meteorite billions of years later. This material is brachinite-like (mostly olivine) but its oxygen isotopes are different than other known brachinite type things. This stuff has oxygen isotopes that fall right on the terrestrial (Earth) fractionation line (leading to the “early Earth” hypothesis). This is a slice in a 1 ½” x 1 ½” glass fronted plastic display box and comes with a Hupe Collection label.
2.43 gram slice - 25mm x 15mm x 2mm - $90
NWA (5950): Carbonaceous chondrite (CV3). Found 2009. Tkw = 3.04kg.
This is an end piece that sits to display nicely on its own. It shows lots of darker orange and brown chondrules (most of which looked squished quite a bit) in a dark brown matrix. This is dark mostly because it has a high diamond polish. Polishing most meteorites makes them turn dark. You often loose the texture (chondrules and breccia structure) when sanding at around 600 grit or so. Polishing to a super high diamond polish brings the details back out, but does leave the overall look quite a bit darker. However, being that a diamond polish is a difficult job to accomplish (properly anyway) I certainly would (and did) leave this as it is. This comes with an Aerolite Meteorites (Geoff Notkin) label, which had an original price tag of $150.
21.4 gram end piece – 45mm x 20mm x 12mm - $105
NWA (7075): Ordinary chondrite (L3), S2, W1. Found May 2011. Tkw = 2815 grams.
This is a part end cut (it has one cut edge) that is sealed in a 80mm x 60mm plastic display case that has desiccant and two labels – one on the front giving the meteorite’s basic data and a “certificate of Authenticity” Mirko Graul label on the back. This is nice fresh material. The chondrules are fairly well hidden but numerous ones are visible with more detailed inspection. I think the back- side has fusion crust as there appears to be some on what little of the edges of that side I can see. As this is a sealed display container, I didn’t try to take it apart to find out for sure. Because of this, my “thickness” measurement below is just a reasonable guess.
19.6 gram end piece – 35mm x 28mm x 7mm - $95
ODESSA, Texas: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1922.
This is a polished end piece that has not been etched. In fact, it was not even spray coated when I got it. There were a few tiny rust spots that I buffed off by hand with 600 grit sand paper (took maybe a minute doing it) and coated it. Note: the group photo containing this piece was taken before I cleaned this up and coated it. It is just as received in that picture. This is a nice, solid piece. It does not have cracking or scaling (like oh so many Odessa pieces often do). The front is mostly just bright shiny metal but there are some small inclusions (iron carbides and phosphides), one silicate inclusion and the hints of some etch texture remain. The back is completely natural, has a nice solid patina and, as mentioned above, lacks scaling. A nice little piece!
64.5 gram polished end piece – 40mm x 25mm x 15mm - $65
