Blaine Reed Meteorites for Sale- List 244

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

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

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 165 - yet more Novak collection items

Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 165 - yet more Novak collection items

Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 165
December 16, 2014

Dear Collectors,

Here is yet another selection of items from the Novak collection. This is also likely my last offering for this year.

BRAHIN, Belarus: (Pallasite). Found 1810.
Here is a surprisingly nice slice that has only one short (about 78mm) cut edge. I wouldn’t call this piece fully pallasitic as it has some large zones of iron (which show a really nice etch). A little over ½ of the slice is pallasitic. The olivines are a little sparse (making up around 1/3 or so of this “pallasitic” area) but generally large. This piece does show a few small areas with some minor rust spotting. However, as nice as it was as I got it, I did not risk trying to clean it up for fear that I might end up making a generally stable piece start rusting by applying all the (generally water-based) chemicals I’d need to use to completely de-rust the thing (and also wrecking the great etch this has in the process). I did, however, re-coat the piece as the original coating had bubbled and peeled in spots (what likely allowed the little bit of rust on this to form in the first place). An aesthetic display piece.
331.1 gram slice – 100mm x 90mm x 7mm - $670

CAMPO del CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.
Here is a nice etched complete slice. It had some rust on it but I cleaned it up using Bill Mason’s miracle cure on it. It turned out quite nice actually, though there are a couple really tiny brown spots visible as I only opened up the coating over and treated the lines and larger areas of rusting. Nice affordable piece for showing a really coarse octahedrite.
358.1 gram complete etched slice – 130mm x 110mm x 4mm - $125 -SOLD

CANYON DIABLO, Arizona: Coarse octahedrite (IAB).
Here is a complete slice that came in with a collection I got over a year ago. The thing was completely black with rust, as it had never been coated. I took it to the wire wheel and polished all of that off. The thing was never sanded flat after is cut (likely MANY decades ago). Not wanting to take the time to completely sand it out (I break out in a bit o a rash when sanding irons for some reason) and etch it (a skill I am still quite lousy at, despite my best efforts) I decided to leave it as it is. It actually has an interesting look to it. It shows a lot of elongate inclusions (troilite, cohenite, etc) in a nice quasi shiny metallic background.
130.7 gram complete wire brushed slice – 70mm x 60mm x 4mm - $75

CHINGA, Russia: Ataxite, Ni-rich (ungrouped). Found 1913.
This is a nice complete slice. One side is highly polished mirror-like and the other = ? It shows the fine saw marks that indicate that this was cut using a wire saw but it is dark brown almost black. I kind of wonder if the person that prepared this tried to etch it (pretty useless with this particular meteorite) and only managed to darken the surface in the process. Nice, clean rust-free piece. I have left it as I got it, which appears to be uncoated. I can spray coat it if you want.
143.8 gram complete slice – 125mm x 35mm x 5mm – $215

DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942, recognized as distinct in 1950.
This is a nice end piece and, thankfully, it still has its large (white lettering on black background – 12AM in this case) Monig label. There also seems to be a hint of some old white lettering along one edge of the back, but it does not appear to be one of the usual white Monig labels (by Glenn Huss). The cut face is the usual dark brown with only a little metal visible (plenty more oxides though) and lots of chindrules (if you really look for them). The back, natural side is quite nice. It is mostly primary crust but the “bottom” that it sits on (this stands up nicely on its own) and the edges are secondary crust.
150.3 gram end piece – 75mm x 55mm x 15mm - $225 -SOLD

GARNET, Sudbury, Canada.
Here, apparently, is a large garnet crystal from the “Sudbury Astrobleme Canada”. Not sure what a meteorite collector had this for (it is a nice crystal regardless) but the label (from FallenStarMeteorites.com) says “Meteorite Genesis” so I suspect that at least someone thinks that the impact brought about its formation. This is not a perfect crystal (it does show a number of good crystal faces though) but it has a nice deep ruby red color that contrasts beautifully with the small amount of light golden colored mica present on one end. Again, not sure it is truly “meteoritic” but nice none the less.
161.5 gram crystal – 40mm x 38mm x 33mm - $40

NWA unstudied:
This stone is likely an H chondrite, at least that is what my Mag-Sus meter is hinting at (I haven’t used the thing enough to sort meteorites reliably yet). It is mostly dark chocolate brown. Some areas (the parts that were obviously buried and suffered less wind) are a bit lighter in color. This is obviously a fragment of a much larger stone. Most of the surfaces are old broken faces (no fresh breaks though). There is a pretty good area (around 90mm x 70mm) that is clearly the original exterior of the meteorite as it shows remnants of crust and obvious thumbprints and rounded edges.
630.2 gram fragment/ individual as found – 90mm x 80mm x 50mm - $160

SIKHOTE-ALIN, Russia: (Coaresest octahedrite (IIB). Fell February 12, 1947.
This stuff has gotten really quite hard to get these days. This is a type piece that has been tough to get at all no matter the time frame. This is a complete etched slice of a fusion crusted individual NOT a slice of a shrapnel fragment. It was rare for anybody to want to cut up a nice thumb-printed individual to produce such slices no matter how available such individuals were. So, this shows the true and proper etch for this type meteorite (not the stretched taffy etch of the much more available shrapnel slices). Not a lot to see on the etch as the bands in this stuff are finger width, but interesting none the less. This also has a complete crusted edge. A neat and rare specimen.
67.8 gram etched complete slice – 100mm x 48mm x 2mm - $170