Blaine Reed
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
July 12, 2021 LIST 244
Dear Collectors:
Here is another offering of an assortment of things that I have managed to (mostly) pick up recently (aside from the Tazwell, which I have had in my collection for well over 30 years). Most of these are larger more special items than I usually have on these kinds of offerings. Many of these I had planned on making their debut at the Denver show this fall (September 10th through the 18th this year). However, I decided to go ahead and offer these neat pieces now. I know, the summer months are generally kind of slow for sales of “collectibles” by e-mail/ mail order (most people are thinking of “family vacation” rather than “add to collection” these months) but things do still sell and I think it good to let people know I am still alive and kicking.
Enjoy!
BRAHIN, Belarus: Stony-iron. (Pallasite). Found 1810.
This was kind of a surprise. I got it along with the Esquel and Gibeon pieces below. Like those, this spent considerable time (like a couple decades or so) in Florida. It did have a fair amount of surface rust, but far, far less than I would have expected being in Florida so long (contrary to popular opinion, there are indeed some pieces of Brahin that are quite stable). It didn’t take me long at all (a few minutes maybe) to polish this back up and re-coat it. I can’t guarantee the long term stability of this piece here on but I can say that it has already been pretty well battle tested.
26.8 gram part slice with one long natural edge – 65mm x 25mm x 4mm - $50
CHELYABINSK, Russia: Ordinary chondrite (LL5). Fell February 15, 2013.
Here is a nice complete (only usual edge chipping present) larger stone of this super famous fall. The shock wave of the fall of this stone injured something like 1500 people (mostly from windows being blown out by the blast). Thankfully, no one died in the event (surprising, considering the severe damage that some of the buildings under the blast zone experienced). This stone does show some minor rusting, so it is clear that this was not picked up immediately after the fall but it is much fresher than many of the pieces of this meteorite I have seen in more recent times. I think this is the second largest piece of this meteorite I have handled.
254.1 gram complete individual – 60mm x 50mm x 40mm - $2500
ESQUEL, Argentina: Stony-iron. (Pallasite). Found 1951. Tkw = about 1500 pounds (680kg).
It has been quite awhile since I have had any of this to offer. These were obtained by a collector in Florida from Robert Haag looong ago (about 30 years ago, or so I was told). One piece (the heavier one) has the classic Esquel appearance – nice large, quite clear crystals and roughly half (a little less in this case) bright fresh metal. The “smaller” piece (this is smaller by weight but larger by surface area) was obviously cut from one of the large almost all olivine zones that existed in the Esquel meteorite. This “smaller” piece is pretty much all olivine with only a few small blebs of fresh metal. Both of these pass light through most of the crystals and both come in a membrane display box (though those are not in the photo).
1) Part slices. Each has one natural edge:
a) 17.1 gram mostly olivine slice – 48mm x 40mm x 3mm - $750
b) 28.0 gram classic Esquel textured slice – 40mm x 30mm x 4mm - $950
GIBEON, Namibia: Iron. (IVA) fine-octahedrite. Found before 1836.
This is a nice complete slice that is etched on both sides. This piece came from the same person as the Esquel and Brahin pieces above. Like the Esquel, this piece was acquired from Robert Haag several decades ago. As the time since its purchase, it was in Florida, this piece does show some minor rusting (but surprisingly little) in a couple spots. I put the “worst” side up in the photo. The other side has far less (like a small ¼ inch or so area) that is on the same side as the “large” spot on the right side of the slice as it sits in the photo.
99.9 gram complete slice, etched on both sides – 130mm x 55mm x 2mm - $200
Dear Collectors:
Here is another offering of an assortment of things that I have managed to (mostly) pick up recently (aside from the Tazwell, which I have had in my collection for well over 30 years). Most of these are larger more special items than I usually have on these kinds of offerings. Many of these I had planned on making their debut at the Denver show this fall (September 10th through the 18th this year). However, I decided to go ahead and offer these neat pieces now. I know, the summer months are generally kind of slow for sales of “collectibles” by e-mail/ mail order (most people are thinking of “family vacation” rather than “add to collection” these months) but things do still sell and I think it good to let people know I am still alive and kicking.
Enjoy!
BRAHIN, Belarus: Stony-iron. (Pallasite). Found 1810.
This was kind of a surprise. I got it along with the Esquel and Gibeon pieces below. Like those, this spent considerable time (like a couple decades or so) in Florida. It did have a fair amount of surface rust, but far, far less than I would have expected being in Florida so long (contrary to popular opinion, there are indeed some pieces of Brahin that are quite stable). It didn’t take me long at all (a few minutes maybe) to polish this back up and re-coat it. I can’t guarantee the long term stability of this piece here on but I can say that it has already been pretty well battle tested.
26.8 gram part slice with one long natural edge – 65mm x 25mm x 4mm - $50
CHELYABINSK, Russia: Ordinary chondrite (LL5). Fell February 15, 2013.
Here is a nice complete (only usual edge chipping present) larger stone of this super famous fall. The shock wave of the fall of this stone injured something like 1500 people (mostly from windows being blown out by the blast). Thankfully, no one died in the event (surprising, considering the severe damage that some of the buildings under the blast zone experienced). This stone does show some minor rusting, so it is clear that this was not picked up immediately after the fall but it is much fresher than many of the pieces of this meteorite I have seen in more recent times. I think this is the second largest piece of this meteorite I have handled.
254.1 gram complete individual – 60mm x 50mm x 40mm - $2500
ESQUEL, Argentina: Stony-iron. (Pallasite). Found 1951. Tkw = about 1500 pounds (680kg).
It has been quite awhile since I have had any of this to offer. These were obtained by a collector in Florida from Robert Haag looong ago (about 30 years ago, or so I was told). One piece (the heavier one) has the classic Esquel appearance – nice large, quite clear crystals and roughly half (a little less in this case) bright fresh metal. The “smaller” piece (this is smaller by weight but larger by surface area) was obviously cut from one of the large almost all olivine zones that existed in the Esquel meteorite. This “smaller” piece is pretty much all olivine with only a few small blebs of fresh metal. Both of these pass light through most of the crystals and both come in a membrane display box (though those are not in the photo).
1) Part slices. Each has one natural edge:
a) 17.1 gram mostly olivine slice – 48mm x 40mm x 3mm - $750
b) 28.0 gram classic Esquel textured slice – 40mm x 30mm x 4mm - $950
GIBEON, Namibia: Iron. (IVA) fine-octahedrite. Found before 1836.
This is a nice complete slice that is etched on both sides. This piece came from the same person as the Esquel and Brahin pieces above. Like the Esquel, this piece was acquired from Robert Haag several decades ago. As the time since its purchase, it was in Florida, this piece does show some minor rusting (but surprisingly little) in a couple spots. I put the “worst” side up in the photo. The other side has far less (like a small ¼ inch or so area) that is on the same side as the “large” spot on the right side of the slice as it sits in the photo.
99.9 gram complete slice, etched on both sides – 130mm x 55mm x 2mm - $200
JIBLET WINSELWAN, Morocco: Carbonaceous chondrite (CM2). Found May 24, 2013. Tkw = about 6 kilograms.
This is a natural fragment I sold to a customer years ago. I think he picked up a larger CM2 specimen recently and decided to let this one go (that probably cost a lot more than this – this is the cheapest per gram of any CM2 meteorite that I am aware of). This shows mostly older natural fractured surfaces but does have a 20mm x 15mm patch of nice fusion crust. This is priced a little higher than what I sold it for years ago when this was readily available but it is still drastically cheaper than any other CM2 available that I am aware of ($100/g plus for Aguas Zarcas, $500/g or so for Murchison, around $1000/g for Sutter’s Mill).
19.35 gram natural fragment with fusion crust – 35mm x 25mm x 20mm - $950
MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Iron. (IIICD). Medium octahedrite. Found 1911.
Here is an assortment of pieces that I got as part of a somewhat large pile of beer-flats full of mostly small specimens. The individuals are pretty typical, though quite a bit smaller than I’ve had in the past and a couple have been wire-brushed (which I have never done to specimens I have had of this meteorite in the past). All of the individuals come with a label. All but the largest piece have Michael Farmer labels and the largest has one I have never seem before: Gold’n Gem, Australia label. I was surprised to find the really neat super thin (like .1 or .2mm thick) complete etched slice in the batch. I have seen very few pieces of this meteorite etched (Blake got an etched end piece that he still loves at one of Alan Lang’s early attempts at auctions in Tucson years ago). The other thing is I cannot figure how the heck this was prepared. As thin as it is, the only possibility I can see is a larger end piece had its face polished and etched and then the super thin slice was taken off with a wire saw leaving a new face to be polished and etched and cut off. Regardless, it was very likely an expensive, difficult process.
1) Individuals (labels not in photograph):
a) 6.7 grams brushed – 20mm x 10mm x 7mm - $7 - M. Farmer label.
b) 14.4 grams natural – 28mm x 14mm x 9mm - $15 - M. Farmer label.
c) 15.7 grams brushed – 24mm x 12mm x 10mm - $16 - M. Farmer label.
d) 16.9 grams natural – 20mm x 20mm x 12mm - $17 - Gold’n Gem Australia label.
2) Super thin etched on one side complete slice in membrane box:
33mm x 23mm x .2mm - $45
TAZWELL, Tennessee: Iron. (IAB). Finest octahedrite. Found 1853. Tkw = 27.2 kilograms.
Here is a rectangular part slice (with one natural edge) that I have had in my collection for well over 30 years. This was my first (and only) finest octahedrite. I sold a few pieces of this waaaaay back in the early days and it, being a very rare finest octahedrite as well as a fairly early/ historic US iron, sold rapidly at several tens of dollars per gram. I recently picked up a more recent not nearly as rare/ historic finest octahedrite specimen for my collection (my “micro” collection is about type, not rarity of the name). So, I decided to offer this special piece as I am sure a collector of historic specimens will want to have this rarity in their collection. I am surprised how rare this type of meteorite is overall. In all my 35 years of business, I don’t think I have handled more than a few (as in single digits) pieces of finest octahedrite.
15.0 gram part slice, one natural edge – 20mm x 16mm x 5mm - $750
This is a natural fragment I sold to a customer years ago. I think he picked up a larger CM2 specimen recently and decided to let this one go (that probably cost a lot more than this – this is the cheapest per gram of any CM2 meteorite that I am aware of). This shows mostly older natural fractured surfaces but does have a 20mm x 15mm patch of nice fusion crust. This is priced a little higher than what I sold it for years ago when this was readily available but it is still drastically cheaper than any other CM2 available that I am aware of ($100/g plus for Aguas Zarcas, $500/g or so for Murchison, around $1000/g for Sutter’s Mill).
19.35 gram natural fragment with fusion crust – 35mm x 25mm x 20mm - $950
MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Iron. (IIICD). Medium octahedrite. Found 1911.
Here is an assortment of pieces that I got as part of a somewhat large pile of beer-flats full of mostly small specimens. The individuals are pretty typical, though quite a bit smaller than I’ve had in the past and a couple have been wire-brushed (which I have never done to specimens I have had of this meteorite in the past). All of the individuals come with a label. All but the largest piece have Michael Farmer labels and the largest has one I have never seem before: Gold’n Gem, Australia label. I was surprised to find the really neat super thin (like .1 or .2mm thick) complete etched slice in the batch. I have seen very few pieces of this meteorite etched (Blake got an etched end piece that he still loves at one of Alan Lang’s early attempts at auctions in Tucson years ago). The other thing is I cannot figure how the heck this was prepared. As thin as it is, the only possibility I can see is a larger end piece had its face polished and etched and then the super thin slice was taken off with a wire saw leaving a new face to be polished and etched and cut off. Regardless, it was very likely an expensive, difficult process.
1) Individuals (labels not in photograph):
a) 6.7 grams brushed – 20mm x 10mm x 7mm - $7 - M. Farmer label.
b) 14.4 grams natural – 28mm x 14mm x 9mm - $15 - M. Farmer label.
c) 15.7 grams brushed – 24mm x 12mm x 10mm - $16 - M. Farmer label.
d) 16.9 grams natural – 20mm x 20mm x 12mm - $17 - Gold’n Gem Australia label.
2) Super thin etched on one side complete slice in membrane box:
33mm x 23mm x .2mm - $45
TAZWELL, Tennessee: Iron. (IAB). Finest octahedrite. Found 1853. Tkw = 27.2 kilograms.
Here is a rectangular part slice (with one natural edge) that I have had in my collection for well over 30 years. This was my first (and only) finest octahedrite. I sold a few pieces of this waaaaay back in the early days and it, being a very rare finest octahedrite as well as a fairly early/ historic US iron, sold rapidly at several tens of dollars per gram. I recently picked up a more recent not nearly as rare/ historic finest octahedrite specimen for my collection (my “micro” collection is about type, not rarity of the name). So, I decided to offer this special piece as I am sure a collector of historic specimens will want to have this rarity in their collection. I am surprised how rare this type of meteorite is overall. In all my 35 years of business, I don’t think I have handled more than a few (as in single digits) pieces of finest octahedrite.
15.0 gram part slice, one natural edge – 20mm x 16mm x 5mm - $750
