Baline Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 164 Novak Collection Pt.2
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 164
December 2, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Here is another selection of items from the Novak collection.
BRENHAM, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found 1882.
Here is a ¼ slice that I sold Mr. Novak some years ago. It is a piece that was cut from the 351 pound piece that was found on a hill. The slices I have had from this piece (which were properly prepared by Marlin Cilz using no water) have been very stable. This one supports that. I have done nothing to it and it looks great! This has 2 cut edges and one long natural edge.
83.1 gram part slice – 55mm x 50mm x 6mm - $290
CAMPO del CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.
This is a lightly etched end piece. The interior shows some light staining (most likely from someone as lousy at as me trying to etch the thing and failing to neutralize the acid completely when done). There is some minor small rust spots around the edges but this is nice overall. The back is fully natural in shape but has been wire-brushed. A nice hand specimen that would be great for a pass-around display piece.
359.1 gram end piece – 90mm x 45mm x 20mm - $70
CHINGA, Russia: Ataxite, Ni-rich (ungrouped). Found 1913.
This is a nice complete individual. It has been somewhat wire-brushed but still retains (mostly0 a nice dark brown patina. This has the usual somewhat flattened “lensoidal” shape that most of the meteorites found from this fall have. A nice clean and solid individual.
908. 5 gram individual – 100mm x 60mm x 30mm - $550
DRONINO, Russia: Ataxite Ni-poor (ungrouped). Found July 2000. Tkw = around 3000 kilograms.
This piece was somewhat surprising. I would expect a slice of this common to rust meteorite completely fall apart. However, this actually in really great shape when I got it. There was a little bit of rusting around the edges (this is a complete slice) but that was it! I am not sure what this was coated with originally. It seemed like some kind of wax – kind of sticky/ slimy. I stripped it of and re-coated the thing. This shows bright polished metal on one side and deeply etched (only bringing out a granular texture) on the other. Both sides show lots of the elongate sulphide inclusions common in this meteorite.
132.0 gram complete slice – 130mm x 30mm x 4mm - $130
GOLD BASIN, Arizona: (L4). Found November 1995. Tkw = over 127 kilograms.
Here are three pieces Gordon had in his collection. The smallest is an end piece and still shows a nice fresh interior. The smaller fragment does appear to be just a fragment (no real crust that I can see) but is all original old surfaces (no fresh breaks), The 238g piece is quite nice. The exterior is all old natural. Much of it is old secondary or fractured surfaces but the top (nearly 50% of the stone) still shows obvious fusion crust.
a) 28.7 gram end piece – 30mm x 30mm x 15mm - $35
b) 39.7 gram fragment (all natural) – 37mm x 35mm x 13mm - $50
c) 238.5 gram individual – 70mm x 55mm x 40mm - $235
d) a large one I had from earlier at a much lower price; 1483 gram individual/ fragment as found - $1100.00. This is the largest I have ever had and is likely close to the largest ever found. The largest reported in the Bulletin is 1520 grams.
NANTAN, China: Medium octahedrite (IAB). Found 1958.
This came with no label. Looking it over though, its colors, surface features and the shiny in areas (like it has been coated with lacquer at one time) tell me it is a Nantan. This surprises me a bit as this piece is quite solid and only needed the lightest of wire-brushing to bring it to top form. It is rare, but there are indeed stable pieces of Nantan that are not just oxide. This appears to be one of them. It may have some oxides yet in some of the deeper recesses (where a wire brush won’t reach) but it is actual iron overall. This is a nice hand specimen and could easily be mistaken for a Canyon Diablo or such.
676 gram iron individual – 70mm x 70mm x 40mm - $100
SHIROKOVSKY, Russia: Fake pallasite.
I vividly remember when this stuff acme out. I lost quite a bit of money on it (as many of us did). It first appeared priced at around $50/g. I did not buy any – too expensive. I was also hesitant as the metal had a man-made granular look to it to me. Regardless, I ended up taking some to sell on consignment (after I was shown the “official” research reports that clearly said this was indeed a meteorite). Dumb. I ended up refunding everybody’s money (and only got partial refund from the seller). None the less, most collectors LIKE being able to have/ show a good counterfeit, as long as they know/ pay for what they are really getting. Once we figured out that this was fake, I tried to get the folks handling this to make/ prepare more of it in mostly thicker slices for cabechons/ lapidary material (I am sure it would sell well, if priced for what it IS not as a “rare” meteorite). No luck there, unfortunately. This is (was) a super thin 4 gram slice. It was already broken when I got the collection in Denver, but I have managed to finish the job in bringing all of this stuff home (should have put it in its own box). Anyway, it is a bag of small (one up to 2cm x 3cm) slices that would be great for the micro seller. These come with 3 different cards; one info card, one hand-written label and the card, apparently, of the original seller.
4.0 grams of slices - $20
TOLUCA, Mexico: Coarse octahedrite. Found 1776.
This one was needing some work when I got it. I went to knocking off the obvious loose fragments and then started to wire-brush the piece. Thankfully I was paying attention. As a rolled the thing over I noticed that I came fairly close to removing a museum number that I had not noticed on my initial inspection of the piece. It turns out that this specimen is a Monig piece! It has a very clear M8.33 painted on it (this likely would have been put on this piece buy Glenn and Margaret Huss when they cataloged the Monig collection. This, unfortunately, does not have a matching Monig label. It does have a Mark Bostic Collection label though. This has the weight as 482 grams, so it seems I only lost a couple grams in cleaning this piece.
479.9 gram Monig labeled individual – 90mm x 45mm x 35mm - $400
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 163- Novak collection pieces 1
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale- List 163- Novak collection pieces 1
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 163
November 18, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Here are some specimens from a collection I bought in Denver last September (well all but one piece – the oriented unstudied NWA is mine). These (and pieces that will fill out future lists) are all from Gordon Novak who lived in Amarillo, Texas and, unfortunately, passed away a few months ago. He bought a number of things from me over the years but the contents of this collection show he bought quite a lot elsewhere as well. I enjoyed chatting with him when he called to place an order. He was a bit of a joker/ smart _ss. I remember one time he visited the Denver show and picked out a number of items to purchase. He then asked “is there any discount for priests?” I said not really and asked “what, you are a priest?”. He said “no, but if there is a discount I’ll go find one”. Classic Gordon. Anyway, this is just an opening selection. I have a few dozen or so other things that will go out on future lists (likely into next year and maybe even beyond Tucson). I may also run a “want it out of inventory offering before the end of the year” list as well. I am in the process of doing inventory right now (grueling and tedious) and will set aside things like this as I go through it all.
ADMIRE, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found 1881.
This is a “natural” fragment that had a bit of a layer of oxide on it when I found it hiding in the corner of the collection box. It was mostly a brown blob but showed a few large obvious somewhat gemmy olivine crystals. Running it on the XRF showed it was definitely a meteorite and had the right Ni content for a pallasite. Though there was no label with it in the collection papers work, this is obviously a piece of Admire. I have since cleaned it (light wire brushing and soda-blasting) and coated it so it has a somewhat shiny metallic look to it. Neat piece and in much better shape than I would have expected for this meteorite being in a somewhat humid environment for years.
41.0 gram cleaned individual – 40mm x 27mm x 15mm - $200
CAMPO del CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.
This is actually a nice, interesting piece. It is kind of a free-form bookend that stands up nicely on its own. It has natural edge around all but one (80mm long) side. One face is flat. The other side of this “slice” is wavy, free-form “cut”. Both cut surfaces have been etched and show half a dozen or so silicate (not graphite or sulfide) inclusions (one whole edge of the flat side is silicate). There are some tiny traces of rust (you have to look closely) but I did not have to do anything to this piece. It is just the way I got it. Clearly, this is from the area of the strewn field that the really silicated pieces (which are very stable) were found.
836.2 gram “slice/ bookend” – 112mm x 75mm x 15mm - $250
CHINESE TEKTITE:
These two large pieces came in a bag with an Indochinite, Thailand, Vietnam label. I can tell from their size, shape and surface features that they are really Chinese tektites. The smaller one is a dumbbell shaped piece and the larger is a flattened oval (though the ends are fatter than the middle quasi- dumbbell like).
a) 120.0 gram dumbbell shaped – 100mm x 30mm x 15mm - $30
b) 180.1 gram flattened oval – 90mm x 48mm x 20mm - $30
COCONINO SANDSTONE, Meteor Crater, Arizona.
This is a natural fragment (almost looks like it has fusion crust) of some of the rock that got blown out of the forming crater. Not rare (there are TONS of it scattered around the crater) but I have not had many pieces over the years (and they always end up selling quickly).
69.2 gram natural fragment – 50mm x 40mm x 20mm - $30 - SOLD
DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942, recognized as distinct in 1950.
Here is a beautiful complete individual, one of the nicest I have seen. It has a pleasing orange brown to chocolate brown color, and obvious primary crust covering over half of the specimen (the remainder likely being secondary crust). It is a very solid piece with only a tiny hint of cracking, and that is on a corner where a plow mark starts (so being hit by a farmer’s plow likely caused this small crack). The only downer of this piece is that it obviously one of the very earliest that TCU turned loose of. I say this because it is clear that this, at one time, had both Monig labels on it: a large one with black background and a smaller one in white lettering (traces of both are still visible on this piece). When they first began releasing material to collectors (well dealers anyway) they required that we remove the labels that would identify where they came from (thankfully, this one did not suffer the indignity of having its labeling removed with a bench-grinder as I have seen done to some pieces). This was partly because, at that time (this was a long time ago folks), it wasn’t figured to be all that important and mostly because they didn’t really want to let folks know that they were willing to part with anything. The second part makes sense. Once the “cat was out of the bag” anyway they (TCU) got slammed with trade/ sales requests (and even angry demands) to the point of shear overload. I seem to recall that they pretty much shut down the release of any material to anyone for quite awhile after that. Thankfully, when they did start to allow a few things out once more, they didn’t require the labels to be removed (they clearly recognized the importance to the collectors of them then). Anyway, this is an early, cleaned label piece but being an earlier one, it is among the nicest.
509.0 gram complete individual – 100mm x 60mm x 50mm - - SOLD
MOLDAVITE:
Here is a really nice and fairly large specimen. It is a elongate tongue- shaped piece that shows really nice, deep in spots, surface etching/ features. Not quite Besednice grade but certainly well above what I usually have (which sells well at $6/g at shows).
17.3 gram individual – 53mm x 25mm x 10mm - $125
NANTAN, China: Medium octahedrite (IAB). Found 1958.
Of the pieces of this meteorite that came in the collection, this is the one that needed the most help. Thankfully, it didn’t need a tremendous amount of work. I wire-brushed the back side and did what I could to gently clean off what rust there was on the cut face. There wasn’t all that much but the work I did (brushing with the softest wire wheel I could find) did pretty much wipe out what little (weak) etch the piece had. I didn’t want to risk trying to re-etch it. Partly as I am lousy at this, partly the effort and time involved doing this to a piece that will sell so cheap but mostly because hitting potentially unstable meteorites with acid can set off the rusting process. Anyway, the results are a nice hand specimen iron end piece that may not clearly show an etch structure but does have some interesting inclusions.
257.1 gram end piece – 70mm x 38mm x 30mm - $50
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NWA unstudied:
Here is a dark chocolate brown pointed mountain-like specimen. It is very clearly oriented and shows elongate thumb-printing down all sides of the front. It is clear, from the shape and texture of the sides, that this was a much larger piece at one point a long time ago (why oh why don’t the guys picking these things up keep the pieces of oriented stones together?). I put this out on display around the mid-point of the show in Denver and almost got it sold a couple different times (I should have set it out a bit earlier, before many collectors had already spent their money – next time).
930 gram oriented individual/ fragment – 130mm x 90mm x 60mm - $1500
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 163
November 18, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Here are some specimens from a collection I bought in Denver last September (well all but one piece – the oriented unstudied NWA is mine). These (and pieces that will fill out future lists) are all from Gordon Novak who lived in Amarillo, Texas and, unfortunately, passed away a few months ago. He bought a number of things from me over the years but the contents of this collection show he bought quite a lot elsewhere as well. I enjoyed chatting with him when he called to place an order. He was a bit of a joker/ smart _ss. I remember one time he visited the Denver show and picked out a number of items to purchase. He then asked “is there any discount for priests?” I said not really and asked “what, you are a priest?”. He said “no, but if there is a discount I’ll go find one”. Classic Gordon. Anyway, this is just an opening selection. I have a few dozen or so other things that will go out on future lists (likely into next year and maybe even beyond Tucson). I may also run a “want it out of inventory offering before the end of the year” list as well. I am in the process of doing inventory right now (grueling and tedious) and will set aside things like this as I go through it all.
ADMIRE, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found 1881.
This is a “natural” fragment that had a bit of a layer of oxide on it when I found it hiding in the corner of the collection box. It was mostly a brown blob but showed a few large obvious somewhat gemmy olivine crystals. Running it on the XRF showed it was definitely a meteorite and had the right Ni content for a pallasite. Though there was no label with it in the collection papers work, this is obviously a piece of Admire. I have since cleaned it (light wire brushing and soda-blasting) and coated it so it has a somewhat shiny metallic look to it. Neat piece and in much better shape than I would have expected for this meteorite being in a somewhat humid environment for years.
41.0 gram cleaned individual – 40mm x 27mm x 15mm - $200
CAMPO del CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.
This is actually a nice, interesting piece. It is kind of a free-form bookend that stands up nicely on its own. It has natural edge around all but one (80mm long) side. One face is flat. The other side of this “slice” is wavy, free-form “cut”. Both cut surfaces have been etched and show half a dozen or so silicate (not graphite or sulfide) inclusions (one whole edge of the flat side is silicate). There are some tiny traces of rust (you have to look closely) but I did not have to do anything to this piece. It is just the way I got it. Clearly, this is from the area of the strewn field that the really silicated pieces (which are very stable) were found.
836.2 gram “slice/ bookend” – 112mm x 75mm x 15mm - $250
CHINESE TEKTITE:
These two large pieces came in a bag with an Indochinite, Thailand, Vietnam label. I can tell from their size, shape and surface features that they are really Chinese tektites. The smaller one is a dumbbell shaped piece and the larger is a flattened oval (though the ends are fatter than the middle quasi- dumbbell like).
a) 120.0 gram dumbbell shaped – 100mm x 30mm x 15mm - $30
b) 180.1 gram flattened oval – 90mm x 48mm x 20mm - $30
COCONINO SANDSTONE, Meteor Crater, Arizona.
This is a natural fragment (almost looks like it has fusion crust) of some of the rock that got blown out of the forming crater. Not rare (there are TONS of it scattered around the crater) but I have not had many pieces over the years (and they always end up selling quickly).
69.2 gram natural fragment – 50mm x 40mm x 20mm - $30 - SOLD
DIMMITT, Texas: (H3.7). Found 1942, recognized as distinct in 1950.
Here is a beautiful complete individual, one of the nicest I have seen. It has a pleasing orange brown to chocolate brown color, and obvious primary crust covering over half of the specimen (the remainder likely being secondary crust). It is a very solid piece with only a tiny hint of cracking, and that is on a corner where a plow mark starts (so being hit by a farmer’s plow likely caused this small crack). The only downer of this piece is that it obviously one of the very earliest that TCU turned loose of. I say this because it is clear that this, at one time, had both Monig labels on it: a large one with black background and a smaller one in white lettering (traces of both are still visible on this piece). When they first began releasing material to collectors (well dealers anyway) they required that we remove the labels that would identify where they came from (thankfully, this one did not suffer the indignity of having its labeling removed with a bench-grinder as I have seen done to some pieces). This was partly because, at that time (this was a long time ago folks), it wasn’t figured to be all that important and mostly because they didn’t really want to let folks know that they were willing to part with anything. The second part makes sense. Once the “cat was out of the bag” anyway they (TCU) got slammed with trade/ sales requests (and even angry demands) to the point of shear overload. I seem to recall that they pretty much shut down the release of any material to anyone for quite awhile after that. Thankfully, when they did start to allow a few things out once more, they didn’t require the labels to be removed (they clearly recognized the importance to the collectors of them then). Anyway, this is an early, cleaned label piece but being an earlier one, it is among the nicest.
509.0 gram complete individual – 100mm x 60mm x 50mm - - SOLD
MOLDAVITE:
Here is a really nice and fairly large specimen. It is a elongate tongue- shaped piece that shows really nice, deep in spots, surface etching/ features. Not quite Besednice grade but certainly well above what I usually have (which sells well at $6/g at shows).
17.3 gram individual – 53mm x 25mm x 10mm - $125
NANTAN, China: Medium octahedrite (IAB). Found 1958.
Of the pieces of this meteorite that came in the collection, this is the one that needed the most help. Thankfully, it didn’t need a tremendous amount of work. I wire-brushed the back side and did what I could to gently clean off what rust there was on the cut face. There wasn’t all that much but the work I did (brushing with the softest wire wheel I could find) did pretty much wipe out what little (weak) etch the piece had. I didn’t want to risk trying to re-etch it. Partly as I am lousy at this, partly the effort and time involved doing this to a piece that will sell so cheap but mostly because hitting potentially unstable meteorites with acid can set off the rusting process. Anyway, the results are a nice hand specimen iron end piece that may not clearly show an etch structure but does have some interesting inclusions.
257.1 gram end piece – 70mm x 38mm x 30mm - $50
--------------------------------------
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| NWA unstudied: 930 gram oriented individual "click on image to enlarge" |
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| NWA unstudied: 930 gram oriented individual |
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| NWA unstudied: 930 gram oriented individual |
Here is a dark chocolate brown pointed mountain-like specimen. It is very clearly oriented and shows elongate thumb-printing down all sides of the front. It is clear, from the shape and texture of the sides, that this was a much larger piece at one point a long time ago (why oh why don’t the guys picking these things up keep the pieces of oriented stones together?). I put this out on display around the mid-point of the show in Denver and almost got it sold a couple different times (I should have set it out a bit earlier, before many collectors had already spent their money – next time).
930 gram oriented individual/ fragment – 130mm x 90mm x 60mm - $1500
Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 162 - American Meteorite Lab specimens
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 162 - American Meteorite Lab specimens
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 162
October 20, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Note: I am sending this out a day early as I just realized that I will be leaving town Thursday afternoon through Sunday.
Here is an amazing batch of old American Meteorite Lab specimens that I recently received. I had planned on offering these over a couple lists. However, I will not be doing an early November list (as I will be off to Socorro for the Mineral Symposium and its associated show the day after that should be sent out). So, rather than stretch this out into late November and early December (I usually put 7 or 8 items on a typical list, so this lot would normally cover 3 offerings) I decided to simply let it all fly now. I hope this rather large offering does not overwhelm too many (financially, if they want specimens or the extra long length for those that might simply read it). Anyway, These are all American Meteorite Lab pieces with their original labels! Most of these are Nininger labeled pieces but some of these are the later Huss labeled specimens. When Glenn (Nininger’s son in law) took over, he changed to a “new” numbering system for AML specimens such that they would have an H at the start, showing that they were “Huss” specimens. In the list of specimens and their descriptions I’ll make note of what number is on the specimen. Strait numbers are Nininger pieces and those that are H and then a number are Huss pieces. It is a very rare day anymore that I get even one AML specimen (and usually the paper label that is supposed to be with it is missing ) but it is truly special to end up with close to 20 different to offer now. Note, the “find” dates on some of these are slightly different than what is officially reported in the Catalog of Meteorites. I am using the dates and TKW that are on the cards (prepared by Dr. Nininger or Glenn Huss) that are with the specimen. So don’t freak out if, while doing a little research on some of these, you see dates or total knowns that are a bit different, these are indeed the ones listed in the catalog, Met Bulletin.
BONDOC, Philippines: (Mesosiderite). Found 1957, recognized 1959. Tkw = 888.6kilograms.
This piece is one of the mostly silicate specimens, though there are a couple metal flakes visible in it. This has a little bit of surface rusting, mostly on the “natural” edges. I left it alone for fear that in trying to clean up this tiny bit of stuff I might accidentally end up damaging the Nininger number painted on this thing which is (2)684.223. I don’t know what the (2) is for but the 684 is certainly the right number for Bondoc.
11.1 gram slice – 25mm x 15mm x 10mm - $100SOLD
BLEDSOE, Texas: (H4). Found 1970. Tkw = 30.56 kilograms.
I remember getting a few pieces of this one from Mr. Huss, likely back around the time I first met him. This isn’t real pretty, unfortunately. It doesn’t show any metal but it does have some chondrules and fragments visible (best on the unpolished side that also has the specimen number – H121.15 on it). This is a complete slice of a fragment – no cut edges.
12.8 grams slice – 50mm x 19mm x 6mm - $125 SOLD
BRENHAM, Kansas: (pallasite). Found 1885. Tkw = 4400 kilograms.
Not surprisingly, this one is a bit of a mess. It still shows quite a lot of bright metal but some of the (surprisingly clear and colorful) crystals have popped out (I think they are all still in the box). This is a Huss piece and is numbered 49.76, though the number is not completely clear as there is some rusting hiding the last part a bit. Based on its fairly low number (for a meteorite that I know he had LOTS of) this is one of Glenn’s early Brenham specimens.
26.9 gram slice – 42mm x 20mm x 8mm - $100SOLD
BROWNFIELD (1937), Texas: (H3.7). Found 1937. Tkw = 22 kilograms.
The total weight is a bit higher in reality (around 44kg now I think). I know I had a several kilo piece of this stuff I bought from a farmer years ago. This is a “complete” slice (no cut edges) but it does look like it was a natural fragments as only around ½ of the edge of this looks like a crusted surface. This is an early Huss piece and numbered 15.25.
17.8 gram slice – 42mm x 30mm x 4mm - $200SOLD
CALLIHAM, Texas: (L6). Found 1958. Tkw = 40.1 kilograms.
This is a long, skinny slice of a natural fragment. Its quite weathered (no fresh metal visible) but it is solid (no cracking). A fairly big piece of this was found, but I have not seen a lot of this one available over the years. This is a Nininger piece and is numbered 670.70.
21.5 gram slice – 85mm x 17mm x 5mm - $225 SOLD
EDMONSON, Texas: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1965. Tkw = 12kilograms.
This one came to me broken apart unfortunately. It arrived in 3 large pieces and a couple small fragments. Thankfully, the largest piece (which weighs 6.6 grams and measures 33mm x 14mm x 5mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H31.19) on it.
9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD
GRASSLAND, Texas: (L4). Found 1964. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
This one, like the Edmonson, arrived in pieces. This one is quite a bit more broken up though. It came as 4 or 5 “larger” pieces and a bunch of small fragments. Thankfully, like the Edmonson, the largest piece (3.0 grams – 18mm x 18mm x 4mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H23.55) on it. I have had pieces of this in the distant past, but not many. It seems the bulk of this one is tied up in museum collections.
9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD
HUGHOTON, Kansas: (H5). Found 1935. Tkw = 325 kilograms.
Interesting, the first piece I have had of this in years (a 9.2 g piece) I just offered a month or so ago. Now I suddenly have another! I sold the last one (really quickly) at $250. I had several people wanting that one. I suspect that this one may be the same, though it is a bit more expensive overall. This is numbered 280.336.
20.8 gram cut fragment – 28mm x 15mm x 25mm - $400 SOLD
LADDER CREEK, Kansas: (L6). Found 1935. Tkw = 35.0 kilograms.
Weathered fragment with cut and polished face (and a much smaller polished area at the other end). Some metal is still visible on the polished faces. Nininger specimen number 280.336
16.4 gram cut fragment – 25mm x 20mm x 13mm - $200SOLD
LAKEWOOD, New Mexico: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1966. Tkw = 46.5 kilograms.
This is an end piece or really a cut fragment (it doesn’t have anything I would call a crusted surface on the back side). It is weathered and shows some cracks but it seems to be quite solid. This is a Huss piece and is numbered H53.121.
38.1 gram cut fragment – 60mm x 40mm x 8mm - $250SOLD
LITTLE RIVER, Kansas: (H6). Found 1965, recognized 1968. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
The card with this says tkw = 16.1 kilograms. Two pieces were found and it seems that they were really two different meteorites. The smaller one, the 4.4kg Little River (a) stone is an H6 and the larger Little River (b) is an H4/5. This piece is pretty clearly an H6 (no visible chondrules, a crystalline almost achondritic look) so this is a piece of the Little River (a) stone. About half of this is locked up in museum collections so there is not much of this meteorite available. I can’t recall ever having a piece. This is a Huss specimen and is numbered H83.30.
8.1 gram slice – 25mm x 20mm x 5mm - $200SOLD
NORCATUR, Kansas: (L6). Recognized 1948. Tkw = 3.2 kilograms.
Unfortunately, this one is the ONLY specimen that came in this collection that didn’t have a specimen card for it. This (to me) is REALLY unfortunate as, after digging through my old Nininger Collection catalog to figure out what this little piece was, I think it is probably the rarest (hardest to get a sample of, certainly not classification) piece in the entire lot. I don’t recall ever having a piece. The list of museum collection pieces seems to show that the weight in collections is indeed pretty much the total weight known. This “rarity” may also be supported by its specimen number (525.9). Being such a small piece and having a low number, being the 9th piece “cataloged” there may indeed be very little in private hands. This is a small fragment that has one (largest) side with obvious fusion crust (but brown from minor weathering).
1.9 gram crusted fragment - $100 SOLD
PLAINVIEW (1917), Texas: (H5) brecciated. Found 1917. Tkw = 700 kilograms.
This is a Nininger specimen (numbered 92.1291). It is a part slice (one cut edge) of a slightly weathered stone. It still shows quite a bit of metal but is a darker brown than some of the Plainview slices I have had recently (but none of those had a number and card).
34.3 grams slice – 50mm x 32mm x 6mm - $275SOLD
POTTER, Nebraska: (L6). Found 1941. Tkw = 261 kilograms.
This is a complete slice of a very weathered fragment. No metal left in this but a few obvious chondrules are visible in the light brownish gray matrix. Nininger specimen number 476.229.
33.3 gram slice – 60mm x 30mm x 7mm - $200SOLD
SHIELDS, Kansas: (H5). Found 1968. Tkw = 9.8 kilograms.
I know I have had a piece or two of this one in the past but it seems that most of it (a bit over 7kg) is in museum collections so there probably isn’t a lot of this one floating around. This is a complete slice of a fragment (no cut edges. It is a Huss piece and is numbered H90.57.
9.0 gram slice – 28mm x 17mm x 8mm - $100SOLD
TEKTITES:
I don’t recall ever buying tektites from the AML (I don’t recall Glenn ever really having any to offer for some reason), so I am unfamiliar with their numbering. The numbering on these is definitely different than the meteorite cataloging. These have letters (abbreviations really) indicating what kind of tektite it is and then a number (so I suppose it might be possible to accidentally confuse a AML labeled Moldavite for a Monig piece if one were not paying attention). Thankfully, these all have the likely Nininger AML label with them so there is no chance of confusion.SOLD
AUSTRALITE:
This elongate core has the label AU375 painted on it. The AML card that comes with gives the locality as “Williams Creek, South Australia”.
7,0 grams – 25mm x 17mm x 12mm - $100SOLD
BEDIASITE: Tektite from Texas.
The label that comes with this piece has the locality as “Somerville, Texas”. The number on this individual is B95.
4.0 grams – 22mm x 12mm x 11mm - $100 _SOLD
INDOCHINITE:
The label for this piece gives the locality as Dalat, Vietnam. The specimen is numbered IC513.
3.5 grams – 32mm x 10mm x 7mm - $75SOLD
SOLD
MOLDAVITE:
This piece is labeled M43 and the card gives the locality as “Lhenice, Sudbohmen”.
7.1 grams – 23mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100SOLD
PHILIPPINITE:
This small round piece is labeled R1194. The card gives the locality as Luzon, Philippines and the “class” as Tektite (rizalite).
7.3 grams – 21mm x 18mm x 14mm - $100SOLD
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
…………………………………………………………….LIST 162
October 20, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Note: I am sending this out a day early as I just realized that I will be leaving town Thursday afternoon through Sunday.
Here is an amazing batch of old American Meteorite Lab specimens that I recently received. I had planned on offering these over a couple lists. However, I will not be doing an early November list (as I will be off to Socorro for the Mineral Symposium and its associated show the day after that should be sent out). So, rather than stretch this out into late November and early December (I usually put 7 or 8 items on a typical list, so this lot would normally cover 3 offerings) I decided to simply let it all fly now. I hope this rather large offering does not overwhelm too many (financially, if they want specimens or the extra long length for those that might simply read it). Anyway, These are all American Meteorite Lab pieces with their original labels! Most of these are Nininger labeled pieces but some of these are the later Huss labeled specimens. When Glenn (Nininger’s son in law) took over, he changed to a “new” numbering system for AML specimens such that they would have an H at the start, showing that they were “Huss” specimens. In the list of specimens and their descriptions I’ll make note of what number is on the specimen. Strait numbers are Nininger pieces and those that are H and then a number are Huss pieces. It is a very rare day anymore that I get even one AML specimen (and usually the paper label that is supposed to be with it is missing ) but it is truly special to end up with close to 20 different to offer now. Note, the “find” dates on some of these are slightly different than what is officially reported in the Catalog of Meteorites. I am using the dates and TKW that are on the cards (prepared by Dr. Nininger or Glenn Huss) that are with the specimen. So don’t freak out if, while doing a little research on some of these, you see dates or total knowns that are a bit different, these are indeed the ones listed in the catalog, Met Bulletin.
BONDOC, Philippines: (Mesosiderite). Found 1957, recognized 1959. Tkw = 888.6kilograms.
This piece is one of the mostly silicate specimens, though there are a couple metal flakes visible in it. This has a little bit of surface rusting, mostly on the “natural” edges. I left it alone for fear that in trying to clean up this tiny bit of stuff I might accidentally end up damaging the Nininger number painted on this thing which is (2)684.223. I don’t know what the (2) is for but the 684 is certainly the right number for Bondoc.
11.1 gram slice – 25mm x 15mm x 10mm - $100SOLD
BLEDSOE, Texas: (H4). Found 1970. Tkw = 30.56 kilograms.
I remember getting a few pieces of this one from Mr. Huss, likely back around the time I first met him. This isn’t real pretty, unfortunately. It doesn’t show any metal but it does have some chondrules and fragments visible (best on the unpolished side that also has the specimen number – H121.15 on it). This is a complete slice of a fragment – no cut edges.
12.8 grams slice – 50mm x 19mm x 6mm - $125 SOLD
BRENHAM, Kansas: (pallasite). Found 1885. Tkw = 4400 kilograms.
Not surprisingly, this one is a bit of a mess. It still shows quite a lot of bright metal but some of the (surprisingly clear and colorful) crystals have popped out (I think they are all still in the box). This is a Huss piece and is numbered 49.76, though the number is not completely clear as there is some rusting hiding the last part a bit. Based on its fairly low number (for a meteorite that I know he had LOTS of) this is one of Glenn’s early Brenham specimens.
26.9 gram slice – 42mm x 20mm x 8mm - $100SOLD
BROWNFIELD (1937), Texas: (H3.7). Found 1937. Tkw = 22 kilograms.
The total weight is a bit higher in reality (around 44kg now I think). I know I had a several kilo piece of this stuff I bought from a farmer years ago. This is a “complete” slice (no cut edges) but it does look like it was a natural fragments as only around ½ of the edge of this looks like a crusted surface. This is an early Huss piece and numbered 15.25.
17.8 gram slice – 42mm x 30mm x 4mm - $200SOLD
CALLIHAM, Texas: (L6). Found 1958. Tkw = 40.1 kilograms.
This is a long, skinny slice of a natural fragment. Its quite weathered (no fresh metal visible) but it is solid (no cracking). A fairly big piece of this was found, but I have not seen a lot of this one available over the years. This is a Nininger piece and is numbered 670.70.
21.5 gram slice – 85mm x 17mm x 5mm - $225 SOLD
EDMONSON, Texas: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1965. Tkw = 12kilograms.
This one came to me broken apart unfortunately. It arrived in 3 large pieces and a couple small fragments. Thankfully, the largest piece (which weighs 6.6 grams and measures 33mm x 14mm x 5mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H31.19) on it.
9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD
GRASSLAND, Texas: (L4). Found 1964. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
This one, like the Edmonson, arrived in pieces. This one is quite a bit more broken up though. It came as 4 or 5 “larger” pieces and a bunch of small fragments. Thankfully, like the Edmonson, the largest piece (3.0 grams – 18mm x 18mm x 4mm) is the one that has the Huss number (H23.55) on it. I have had pieces of this in the distant past, but not many. It seems the bulk of this one is tied up in museum collections.
9.1 gram broken slice - $100SOLD
HUGHOTON, Kansas: (H5). Found 1935. Tkw = 325 kilograms.
Interesting, the first piece I have had of this in years (a 9.2 g piece) I just offered a month or so ago. Now I suddenly have another! I sold the last one (really quickly) at $250. I had several people wanting that one. I suspect that this one may be the same, though it is a bit more expensive overall. This is numbered 280.336.
20.8 gram cut fragment – 28mm x 15mm x 25mm - $400 SOLD
LADDER CREEK, Kansas: (L6). Found 1935. Tkw = 35.0 kilograms.
Weathered fragment with cut and polished face (and a much smaller polished area at the other end). Some metal is still visible on the polished faces. Nininger specimen number 280.336
16.4 gram cut fragment – 25mm x 20mm x 13mm - $200SOLD
LAKEWOOD, New Mexico: (L6). Found 1955, recognized 1966. Tkw = 46.5 kilograms.
This is an end piece or really a cut fragment (it doesn’t have anything I would call a crusted surface on the back side). It is weathered and shows some cracks but it seems to be quite solid. This is a Huss piece and is numbered H53.121.
38.1 gram cut fragment – 60mm x 40mm x 8mm - $250SOLD
LITTLE RIVER, Kansas: (H6). Found 1965, recognized 1968. Tkw = 4.4 kilograms.
The card with this says tkw = 16.1 kilograms. Two pieces were found and it seems that they were really two different meteorites. The smaller one, the 4.4kg Little River (a) stone is an H6 and the larger Little River (b) is an H4/5. This piece is pretty clearly an H6 (no visible chondrules, a crystalline almost achondritic look) so this is a piece of the Little River (a) stone. About half of this is locked up in museum collections so there is not much of this meteorite available. I can’t recall ever having a piece. This is a Huss specimen and is numbered H83.30.
8.1 gram slice – 25mm x 20mm x 5mm - $200SOLD
NORCATUR, Kansas: (L6). Recognized 1948. Tkw = 3.2 kilograms.
Unfortunately, this one is the ONLY specimen that came in this collection that didn’t have a specimen card for it. This (to me) is REALLY unfortunate as, after digging through my old Nininger Collection catalog to figure out what this little piece was, I think it is probably the rarest (hardest to get a sample of, certainly not classification) piece in the entire lot. I don’t recall ever having a piece. The list of museum collection pieces seems to show that the weight in collections is indeed pretty much the total weight known. This “rarity” may also be supported by its specimen number (525.9). Being such a small piece and having a low number, being the 9th piece “cataloged” there may indeed be very little in private hands. This is a small fragment that has one (largest) side with obvious fusion crust (but brown from minor weathering).
1.9 gram crusted fragment - $100 SOLD
PLAINVIEW (1917), Texas: (H5) brecciated. Found 1917. Tkw = 700 kilograms.
This is a Nininger specimen (numbered 92.1291). It is a part slice (one cut edge) of a slightly weathered stone. It still shows quite a bit of metal but is a darker brown than some of the Plainview slices I have had recently (but none of those had a number and card).
34.3 grams slice – 50mm x 32mm x 6mm - $275SOLD
POTTER, Nebraska: (L6). Found 1941. Tkw = 261 kilograms.
This is a complete slice of a very weathered fragment. No metal left in this but a few obvious chondrules are visible in the light brownish gray matrix. Nininger specimen number 476.229.
33.3 gram slice – 60mm x 30mm x 7mm - $200SOLD
SHIELDS, Kansas: (H5). Found 1968. Tkw = 9.8 kilograms.
I know I have had a piece or two of this one in the past but it seems that most of it (a bit over 7kg) is in museum collections so there probably isn’t a lot of this one floating around. This is a complete slice of a fragment (no cut edges. It is a Huss piece and is numbered H90.57.
9.0 gram slice – 28mm x 17mm x 8mm - $100SOLD
TEKTITES:
I don’t recall ever buying tektites from the AML (I don’t recall Glenn ever really having any to offer for some reason), so I am unfamiliar with their numbering. The numbering on these is definitely different than the meteorite cataloging. These have letters (abbreviations really) indicating what kind of tektite it is and then a number (so I suppose it might be possible to accidentally confuse a AML labeled Moldavite for a Monig piece if one were not paying attention). Thankfully, these all have the likely Nininger AML label with them so there is no chance of confusion.SOLD
AUSTRALITE:
This elongate core has the label AU375 painted on it. The AML card that comes with gives the locality as “Williams Creek, South Australia”.
7,0 grams – 25mm x 17mm x 12mm - $100SOLD
BEDIASITE: Tektite from Texas.
The label that comes with this piece has the locality as “Somerville, Texas”. The number on this individual is B95.
4.0 grams – 22mm x 12mm x 11mm - $100 _SOLD
INDOCHINITE:
The label for this piece gives the locality as Dalat, Vietnam. The specimen is numbered IC513.
3.5 grams – 32mm x 10mm x 7mm - $75SOLD
SOLD
MOLDAVITE:
This piece is labeled M43 and the card gives the locality as “Lhenice, Sudbohmen”.
7.1 grams – 23mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100SOLD
PHILIPPINITE:
This small round piece is labeled R1194. The card gives the locality as Luzon, Philippines and the “class” as Tektite (rizalite).
7.3 grams – 21mm x 18mm x 14mm - $100SOLD
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 161
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 161
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail.
…………………………………………………………….LIST 161
October 7, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Sorry this is getting out a little later than I had planned. I got tied up with a few things today.
Here is the e-mail version of my mailed “after Denver”/ fall list. Many if you (those that are current customers anyway) have or will be receiving this in the mail (likely today, if I timed my mailing properly). I think I may have said this in the past but many of you have said “remove me from the physical mailing list and send e-mail only”. I do indeed do that for some, mostly a few overseas customers and people that are buyers of very specific things (like I have customers who buy ONLY etched iron slices for making guitar picks or “New Age” shops that buy only Moldavite and Libyan glass). I don’t mind sending out paper lists to the bulk of you though. They really are not that expensive and it saves me the trouble of trying to figure out who is on the mailing list and who is not when I go through my customer files. However, the biggest reason is simply ugly old-fashioned marketing. When I send out an e-mail offering, I get orders in a matter of minutes but then after a couple hours – NOTHING. I may have 90% of the items left, but the sales are gone, finished , over (I do get an order the next day on rare occasions, but they are very rare occasions). E-mal is so very ephemeral. They only “last” mere minutes to hours. If they are not noticed/ acted upon in mere minutes, they simply disappear by getting buried under new, now more important, e-mails needing attention. A paper list, however has SOME lasting power. Until the receiver makes the active motion of tossing it out, it still has the chance to “sell something”. And this does seem to happen. Granted, the bulk of my orders from a mailed list are in the first week or two, but I have had orders come in weeks (and sometimes even months) later from a mailed list (and usually I can satisfy the request. Though there are some items, like the Acosta Gneiss last time that sell out and the NWA 8457 here is likely to be an issue later). Anyway, if you absolutely hate “junk mail” I can remove you from the mailing list. But, don’t feel bad that I spent a little sending a list to you otherwise. Who knows, it might be you that notices something a couple weeks later that didn’t register on the first look over contacting me for an item.
Enjoy!
HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
I used to have quite a lot of this famous meteorite. I had only a small not even handful of small pieces I’d set out at small shows as it is the only completely natural iron meteorite I have and it has a pleasing look. I just got a few “larger” pieces in as part of a collection. I decided to offer up all sizes I have here. This material has gotten hard to come by and the few pieces I have seen coming out of Australia these days are priced at (or above) $2/g. I have only one each of the two largest pieces, unfortunately.
1)Natural individuals as found:
a) 5.4 grams - 12mm x 12mm x 6mm - $10
b) 11.4 grams - 22mm x 11mm x 10mm - $20
c) 19.0 grams - 26mm x 18mm x 11mm - $32
d) 39.4 grams - 28mm x 28mm x 11mm - $63-SOLD
e) 71.5 grams - 45mm x 28mm x 12mm - sold-SOLD
NWA 6434: Ordinary chondrite. (H6) anomalous, S3,W3. Found before Feb 2009. Tkw = 423 grams.
This is another item that took some time (and a couple tries) to finally get classified. I was told it was an “H7” when I bought it (and paid quite high to get it). Unfortunately, thin-section work showed some indistinct chondrules remaining, making this an H6. However, this research work also showed that the pyroxene iron content (Fs #) was outside of and below the H-chondrite range. The Meteoritical Society Nomenclature Committee decided to label this meteorite as an “H6-anomalous” because of this strange and interesting feature. I believe that, at this point, this is the ONLY meteorite labeled as such. This is not much to look at visually though. It shows very little metal and a few faint chondrules in a medium to dark chocolate brown matrix.
1) Slices:
a) 1.0 grams - 13mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $15
b) 2.3 grams - 25mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $34
c) 4.2 grams - 23mm x 20mm x 3mm - $60
d) 8.0 grams - 35mm x 20mm x 3.5mm - $110
2) End pieces/ cut fragments:
a) 7.2 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 12mm - $85
b) 11.0 grams - 23mm x 18mm x 17mm - $130
c) 18.4 grams - 30mm x 30mm x 8mm - $200-SOLD
NWA 8193: Ordinary chondrite. (LL6), S3, W2. Found before February 2010. Tkw = 1.16kilograms.
This is one Matt picked up and I later got. He called it an LL even though I thought it was more likely just an L (it looks quite similar to NWA (869) in texture but does have less metal/ magnetic attraction). Obviously, Matt got this one right. This is brecciated and does show various recrystallized chondriotic clasts, lithic fragments and glassy fragments in a mottled gray, tan and brown matrix. I have surprisingly few pieces of even the sizes listed here as much of this stuff broke up on cutting (Matt got that fun job). Not sure why that happened, cracking from freeze-thaw action in some areas of the stone is my guess.
1) Slices:
a) 5.3 grams - 24mm x 14mm x 6mm - $19-SOLD
b) 10.2 grams - 30mm x 18mm x 6mm - $36
c) 14.2 grams - 37mm x 22mm x 6mm - $50
d) 26.1 grams - 60mm x 28mm x 5mm - $90
e) 42.5 grams - 70mm x 35mm x 6mm - $140
NWA 8457: Ordinary chondrite. (LL3.2). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 54.6 grams.
Here is one I was not going to get classified (too small). However Dr. Love in North Carolina wanted to work on a true type 3 meteorite. This little stone was all I had that I could pretty much guarantee was a type 3. Not only was it a type three though, it was a really low numbered (primitive) one! There are 19 total meteorites of this type known in the world. This is weathered (W3) but it shows LOTS of chondrules (of many colors and sizes) in a medium brown matrix. I have only these two pieces.
1) Cut fragments
a) 13.5 grams - 25mm x 22mm x 11mm - $200-SOLD
b) 23.6 grams - 40mm x 29mm x 9mm - $350-SOLD
ISHEYEVO, Russia: Carbonaceous chondrite (CH/CBb). Found October 2003. Tkw = 16 kilograms.
This is odd stuff. It pretty much looks like an iron or an enstatite perhaps but is really a carbonaceous. This is around 60%
metal! However, it does contain small (around .02 to 1.0mm diameter) chondrules and CAIs, clearly showing it is neither an iron or enstatite chondrite. This was found in October of 2003 by a tractor driver. It was September of 2004 before a piece was delivered for research. That work showed that not only was this a strange carbonaceous chondrite but that it was a unique one having features of both the CH and CBb (Bencubbin like but with tiny chondrules). As such, this is the ONLY meteorite in the world classified as a CH/CBb type! Neat stuff. I only have 40grams total available though (wish I had more).
1) Slices:
a) .52 grams - 8mm x 5mm x 2mm - $47
b) 1.26 grams - 10mm x 7mm x 3mm - $110
c) 2.4 grams - 17mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $205-SOLD
d) 5.3 grams - 22mm x 17mm x 3mm - $440-SOLD
e) 10.1 grams - 35mm x 23mm x 3mm - $800-SOLD
NWA 8386: Achondrite. (Howardite). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 1002 grams.
I got a box of, frankly, really ugly fragments in Tucson towards the end of the show. These didn’t even look like meteorites but my XRF hinted that they were though. Cutting, however, revealed a really nice Moon rock looking brecciated interior. There are white, green and gray clasts of all sizes in a medium gray matrix. This is quite shocked and hard to cut (and impossible to break cleanly), a rare feature among HEDs but fairly common in lunars. Research showed this to be an HED meteorite composed of roughly 30% diogenite, 60% basaltic eucrite and 10% cumulate eucrite. This is likely a regolith breccia sample from the surface of the asteroid Vesta. The pieces listed here are all cut fragments/ end pieces but I do have a few slices available for those of you that prefer more of the interior over the natural exterior.
1) Cut fragments/ end pieces:
a) 2.1 grams - 22mm x 13mm x 5mm - $25
b) 4.3 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 7mm - $50
c) 9.2 grams - 25mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100
d) 15.1 grams - 40mm x 25mm x 10mm - $160-SOLD
e) 22.5 grams - 45mm x 38mm x 8mm - $237-SOLD
f) 33.3 grams - 50mm x 40mm x 10mm - $350
SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931. Tkw = about 200 kilograms.
Originally, only 68kg in three pieces were found. It was not until 2009 that the strewn filed was located and more pieces were found by using high-power deep seeking metal detector equipment. The pieces listed here are nice complete slices (and a nice end piece) from stones found during this second recovery. They are all cut really thin and pass light through most of the crystals. One side is polished to show bright shiny metal between the crystals and the other has been etched. Beautiful pieces and very rare, as few complete pallasite slices are available (at least in “affordable” sizes). I have several of the smaller size, but only one each of the large slice and end piece.
1) Complete slices: polished one side, etched on the other:
a) 17.4 grams - 55mm x 47mm x 1.5mm - $330-SOLD
b) 230.3 grams - 205mm x 130mm x 2mm - $4000
2) End piece:
a) 201 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 30mm - $3000
STRELLEY POOL STROMATOLITE: Some of the oldest “fossils”/ evidence of early life known.
Stromatolite “fossils” are clearly layered sediments that are formed by microbial mats living in shallow waters. These bio-films trap and bind sediments as the colony builds, giving broken pieces of the resulting rocks a bit of a tree-ring appearance. Storamtolites provide the most ancient records of life, with some dating to more than 3.5 billion years ago. These particular specimens are roughly 3.4 billion years old and come from Western Australia.
Roughly 20mm x 20mm x 10mm plus specimen in plastic display box - $25
NOTE: For those of you that missed out on pieces of the Acasta Gneiss last list, I have a few more specimens available now. If you asked for a piece but did not get one, I already have a piece set aside for you. I have maybe half a dozen more available in addition to those.
Please note:
The post office keeps increasing shipping rates (despite the government’s official claim is that there is no inflation). For small US orders $3 should still be fine for now. Larger orders are now $12 (insurance is extra if desired – I’ll look it up if you want it). The real increases came in overseas (or even Canada) shipping. These prices pretty much doubled from what they were a couple years ago. Now small overseas orders are around $9 (I’ll have to custom quote any larger items/ orders). Thankfully, it seems that the rate for registration (recommended on more valuable overseas orders) is still around $12.
I do have a new fax machine that seems to work (but I have to answer it and manually turn it on), so overseas people can contact me that way if they must However, for overseas orders, it probably is best to go ahead and use my brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail.
…………………………………………………………….LIST 161
October 7, 2014
Dear Collectors,
Sorry this is getting out a little later than I had planned. I got tied up with a few things today.
Here is the e-mail version of my mailed “after Denver”/ fall list. Many if you (those that are current customers anyway) have or will be receiving this in the mail (likely today, if I timed my mailing properly). I think I may have said this in the past but many of you have said “remove me from the physical mailing list and send e-mail only”. I do indeed do that for some, mostly a few overseas customers and people that are buyers of very specific things (like I have customers who buy ONLY etched iron slices for making guitar picks or “New Age” shops that buy only Moldavite and Libyan glass). I don’t mind sending out paper lists to the bulk of you though. They really are not that expensive and it saves me the trouble of trying to figure out who is on the mailing list and who is not when I go through my customer files. However, the biggest reason is simply ugly old-fashioned marketing. When I send out an e-mail offering, I get orders in a matter of minutes but then after a couple hours – NOTHING. I may have 90% of the items left, but the sales are gone, finished , over (I do get an order the next day on rare occasions, but they are very rare occasions). E-mal is so very ephemeral. They only “last” mere minutes to hours. If they are not noticed/ acted upon in mere minutes, they simply disappear by getting buried under new, now more important, e-mails needing attention. A paper list, however has SOME lasting power. Until the receiver makes the active motion of tossing it out, it still has the chance to “sell something”. And this does seem to happen. Granted, the bulk of my orders from a mailed list are in the first week or two, but I have had orders come in weeks (and sometimes even months) later from a mailed list (and usually I can satisfy the request. Though there are some items, like the Acosta Gneiss last time that sell out and the NWA 8457 here is likely to be an issue later). Anyway, if you absolutely hate “junk mail” I can remove you from the mailing list. But, don’t feel bad that I spent a little sending a list to you otherwise. Who knows, it might be you that notices something a couple weeks later that didn’t register on the first look over contacting me for an item.
Enjoy!
HENBURY, Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
I used to have quite a lot of this famous meteorite. I had only a small not even handful of small pieces I’d set out at small shows as it is the only completely natural iron meteorite I have and it has a pleasing look. I just got a few “larger” pieces in as part of a collection. I decided to offer up all sizes I have here. This material has gotten hard to come by and the few pieces I have seen coming out of Australia these days are priced at (or above) $2/g. I have only one each of the two largest pieces, unfortunately.
1)Natural individuals as found:
a) 5.4 grams - 12mm x 12mm x 6mm - $10
b) 11.4 grams - 22mm x 11mm x 10mm - $20
c) 19.0 grams - 26mm x 18mm x 11mm - $32
d) 39.4 grams - 28mm x 28mm x 11mm - $63-SOLD
e) 71.5 grams - 45mm x 28mm x 12mm - sold-SOLD
NWA 6434: Ordinary chondrite. (H6) anomalous, S3,W3. Found before Feb 2009. Tkw = 423 grams.
This is another item that took some time (and a couple tries) to finally get classified. I was told it was an “H7” when I bought it (and paid quite high to get it). Unfortunately, thin-section work showed some indistinct chondrules remaining, making this an H6. However, this research work also showed that the pyroxene iron content (Fs #) was outside of and below the H-chondrite range. The Meteoritical Society Nomenclature Committee decided to label this meteorite as an “H6-anomalous” because of this strange and interesting feature. I believe that, at this point, this is the ONLY meteorite labeled as such. This is not much to look at visually though. It shows very little metal and a few faint chondrules in a medium to dark chocolate brown matrix.
1) Slices:
a) 1.0 grams - 13mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $15
b) 2.3 grams - 25mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $34
c) 4.2 grams - 23mm x 20mm x 3mm - $60
d) 8.0 grams - 35mm x 20mm x 3.5mm - $110
2) End pieces/ cut fragments:
a) 7.2 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 12mm - $85
b) 11.0 grams - 23mm x 18mm x 17mm - $130
c) 18.4 grams - 30mm x 30mm x 8mm - $200-SOLD
NWA 8193: Ordinary chondrite. (LL6), S3, W2. Found before February 2010. Tkw = 1.16kilograms.
This is one Matt picked up and I later got. He called it an LL even though I thought it was more likely just an L (it looks quite similar to NWA (869) in texture but does have less metal/ magnetic attraction). Obviously, Matt got this one right. This is brecciated and does show various recrystallized chondriotic clasts, lithic fragments and glassy fragments in a mottled gray, tan and brown matrix. I have surprisingly few pieces of even the sizes listed here as much of this stuff broke up on cutting (Matt got that fun job). Not sure why that happened, cracking from freeze-thaw action in some areas of the stone is my guess.
1) Slices:
a) 5.3 grams - 24mm x 14mm x 6mm - $19-SOLD
b) 10.2 grams - 30mm x 18mm x 6mm - $36
c) 14.2 grams - 37mm x 22mm x 6mm - $50
d) 26.1 grams - 60mm x 28mm x 5mm - $90
e) 42.5 grams - 70mm x 35mm x 6mm - $140
NWA 8457: Ordinary chondrite. (LL3.2). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 54.6 grams.
Here is one I was not going to get classified (too small). However Dr. Love in North Carolina wanted to work on a true type 3 meteorite. This little stone was all I had that I could pretty much guarantee was a type 3. Not only was it a type three though, it was a really low numbered (primitive) one! There are 19 total meteorites of this type known in the world. This is weathered (W3) but it shows LOTS of chondrules (of many colors and sizes) in a medium brown matrix. I have only these two pieces.
1) Cut fragments
a) 13.5 grams - 25mm x 22mm x 11mm - $200-SOLD
b) 23.6 grams - 40mm x 29mm x 9mm - $350-SOLD
ISHEYEVO, Russia: Carbonaceous chondrite (CH/CBb). Found October 2003. Tkw = 16 kilograms.
This is odd stuff. It pretty much looks like an iron or an enstatite perhaps but is really a carbonaceous. This is around 60%
metal! However, it does contain small (around .02 to 1.0mm diameter) chondrules and CAIs, clearly showing it is neither an iron or enstatite chondrite. This was found in October of 2003 by a tractor driver. It was September of 2004 before a piece was delivered for research. That work showed that not only was this a strange carbonaceous chondrite but that it was a unique one having features of both the CH and CBb (Bencubbin like but with tiny chondrules). As such, this is the ONLY meteorite in the world classified as a CH/CBb type! Neat stuff. I only have 40grams total available though (wish I had more).
1) Slices:
a) .52 grams - 8mm x 5mm x 2mm - $47
b) 1.26 grams - 10mm x 7mm x 3mm - $110
c) 2.4 grams - 17mm x 10mm x 2.5mm - $205-SOLD
d) 5.3 grams - 22mm x 17mm x 3mm - $440-SOLD
e) 10.1 grams - 35mm x 23mm x 3mm - $800-SOLD
NWA 8386: Achondrite. (Howardite). Found before February 2014. Tkw = 1002 grams.
I got a box of, frankly, really ugly fragments in Tucson towards the end of the show. These didn’t even look like meteorites but my XRF hinted that they were though. Cutting, however, revealed a really nice Moon rock looking brecciated interior. There are white, green and gray clasts of all sizes in a medium gray matrix. This is quite shocked and hard to cut (and impossible to break cleanly), a rare feature among HEDs but fairly common in lunars. Research showed this to be an HED meteorite composed of roughly 30% diogenite, 60% basaltic eucrite and 10% cumulate eucrite. This is likely a regolith breccia sample from the surface of the asteroid Vesta. The pieces listed here are all cut fragments/ end pieces but I do have a few slices available for those of you that prefer more of the interior over the natural exterior.
1) Cut fragments/ end pieces:
a) 2.1 grams - 22mm x 13mm x 5mm - $25
b) 4.3 grams - 25mm x 15mm x 7mm - $50
c) 9.2 grams - 25mm x 20mm x 10mm - $100
d) 15.1 grams - 40mm x 25mm x 10mm - $160-SOLD
e) 22.5 grams - 45mm x 38mm x 8mm - $237-SOLD
f) 33.3 grams - 50mm x 40mm x 10mm - $350
SPRINGWATER, Canada: (Pallasite). Found 1931. Tkw = about 200 kilograms.
Originally, only 68kg in three pieces were found. It was not until 2009 that the strewn filed was located and more pieces were found by using high-power deep seeking metal detector equipment. The pieces listed here are nice complete slices (and a nice end piece) from stones found during this second recovery. They are all cut really thin and pass light through most of the crystals. One side is polished to show bright shiny metal between the crystals and the other has been etched. Beautiful pieces and very rare, as few complete pallasite slices are available (at least in “affordable” sizes). I have several of the smaller size, but only one each of the large slice and end piece.
1) Complete slices: polished one side, etched on the other:
a) 17.4 grams - 55mm x 47mm x 1.5mm - $330-SOLD
b) 230.3 grams - 205mm x 130mm x 2mm - $4000
2) End piece:
a) 201 grams - 65mm x 60mm x 30mm - $3000
STRELLEY POOL STROMATOLITE: Some of the oldest “fossils”/ evidence of early life known.
Stromatolite “fossils” are clearly layered sediments that are formed by microbial mats living in shallow waters. These bio-films trap and bind sediments as the colony builds, giving broken pieces of the resulting rocks a bit of a tree-ring appearance. Storamtolites provide the most ancient records of life, with some dating to more than 3.5 billion years ago. These particular specimens are roughly 3.4 billion years old and come from Western Australia.
Roughly 20mm x 20mm x 10mm plus specimen in plastic display box - $25
NOTE: For those of you that missed out on pieces of the Acasta Gneiss last list, I have a few more specimens available now. If you asked for a piece but did not get one, I already have a piece set aside for you. I have maybe half a dozen more available in addition to those.
Please note:
The post office keeps increasing shipping rates (despite the government’s official claim is that there is no inflation). For small US orders $3 should still be fine for now. Larger orders are now $12 (insurance is extra if desired – I’ll look it up if you want it). The real increases came in overseas (or even Canada) shipping. These prices pretty much doubled from what they were a couple years ago. Now small overseas orders are around $9 (I’ll have to custom quote any larger items/ orders). Thankfully, it seems that the rate for registration (recommended on more valuable overseas orders) is still around $12.
I do have a new fax machine that seems to work (but I have to answer it and manually turn it on), so overseas people can contact me that way if they must However, for overseas orders, it probably is best to go ahead and use my brmeteorites@yahoo.com e-mail.
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 160 - yet more small rarities
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 160 - yet more small rarities
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
brmeteorites@yahoo.com
…………………………………………………LIST 160
September 23, 2014
Dear collectors,
Here is yet another selection of small, hard to get witnessed falls from an old research collection. I got these right before leaving for the Denver show and did not have time to process them until I got back. I have also added a few tiny little scraps I got at the show.
ATARRA, India: (L4), black. Fell December 23, 1920. Tkw = 1.28 kilograms.
I think I had a few much smaller crumbs of this some months ago (they would have been from the same source). This is a small part slice that has black crust along one edge. The interior is fresh and and shows metal and chondrules quite clearly.
.48 gram part slice – 7mm x 5mm x 5mm - $100 -SOLD
BILANGA, Burkina Faso: (Diogenite). Fell October 27, 1999. Tkw = 25+ kilograms.
This is some fragments (about 3mm x 3mm x 2mm) in a capsule in a small labeled plastic box.
Crumbs in a capsule - $10
HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6): Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a somewhat weathered fragment from a research collection. It appears that a substantial portion of the piece was used up in what ever work was being done on it as the label indicates that it originally weighed around 9.8 grams. The label also indicates that this piece was found November 8th, 1968. Nothing special, but interesting in its history.
2.6 gram fragment – 14mm x 11mm x 10mm - $40
MERUA, India: (H5). Fell February 2, 1945. Tkw = 71.4 kilograms.
This is a bottle that contains three fragments (two around 4mm x 3mm and one closer to 7mm x 4mm) and some dust. I recall, from an earlier offering of a few pieces of this meteorite, that all but a tiny hand full of this meteorite is tied up in museum collections.
1.2 grams fragments and dust in bottle - $100
NEWPORT, Arkansas: (Pallasite). Found 1923. Tkw = 5.6 kilograms.
This is a small cut fragment that is mostly metal but shows some bits of olivine (this was an old research collection piece and I suspect the “work” was done on the olivine from this piece). Regardless, this is a very difficult to find meteorite. I suspect that many (most?) pallasite collectors have not gotten a piece of this name yet.
.36 gram cut fragment – 10mm x 5mm x 4mm - $100 -SOLD
OURIQUE, Portugal: (H4). Fell December 28, 1998. Tkw = 20+ kilograms.
I don’t think I ever have had any of this. I know the few pieces that made into collector’s hands were quite high priced. Unfortunately, this is just a few small fragments (probably equivalent to around 3mm x 3mm x1mm or so) in a capsule. Nothing special, but a cheap way to add a “new” fall to a collection.
Small fragments in capsule - $10
PEACE RIVER, Canada: (L6). Fell March 31, 1963. Tkw = 45.76 kilograms.
These are all fragments with out crust, unfortunately. BUT then these are the only pieces I have had of this
meteorite in any form for many years. I think the piece that was in the “micro” collection I out together years ago was also a no crust fragment like these. Crust or not, this is hard material to come by.
1.0 gram fragment – 10mm x 9mm x 7mm - $30 -SOLD
1.4 gram fragment – 12mm x 11mm x 6mm - $42 -SOLD
4.8 gram fragment – 16mm x 16mm x 8mm - $140 -SOLD
ST. MICHEL, Finland: (L6). Fell July 12, 1910. Tkw = 16.452 kilograms.
This is a wedge part slice that I received just before going to Denver for the show. This has one natural edge (no crust, unfortunately). The interior though shows a really nice breccia texture with lighter mottled
tan and gray clasts in a dark gray matrix. Looks nice fo an old chopped up research specimen.
13.5 gram part slice – 40mm x 20mm x 5mm - $270 -SOLD
SHALKA, India: (Diogenite). Fell November 30, 1850.
Here is a small crumb (around 2mm x 1mm x 1mm) in a capsule in a box with a M Blood Meteorites label.
Crumb in capsule - $10
VACA MUERTA, Chile: (mesosiderite). Found 1861.
This is a small part slice that had a label (that says Vaca Muerta, 9.5 grams, Me1300) taped to it (well, now with it as the tape has torn free). The natural edge of the piece has all kinds of numbers marked/ painted on it. I can make out 255, 215. And Me 1300. I have no clue, unfortunately, what these numbers are or what old collections they might represent.
9.6 gram part slice with old numbers – 20mmx 15mm x 11mm - $50-SOLD
VIGARANO, Italy: Carbonaceous (CV3.3). Fell June 22, 1910.
Here is a sample of the meteorites that give the CVs the V in their type name. This is bottle (with an old label) that contains one large fragment a couple smaller and a bit of dust.
.36 grams of fragments and dust in bottle - $50 -SOLD
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
brmeteorites@yahoo.com
…………………………………………………LIST 160
September 23, 2014
Dear collectors,
Here is yet another selection of small, hard to get witnessed falls from an old research collection. I got these right before leaving for the Denver show and did not have time to process them until I got back. I have also added a few tiny little scraps I got at the show.
ATARRA, India: (L4), black. Fell December 23, 1920. Tkw = 1.28 kilograms.
I think I had a few much smaller crumbs of this some months ago (they would have been from the same source). This is a small part slice that has black crust along one edge. The interior is fresh and and shows metal and chondrules quite clearly.
.48 gram part slice – 7mm x 5mm x 5mm - $100 -SOLD
BILANGA, Burkina Faso: (Diogenite). Fell October 27, 1999. Tkw = 25+ kilograms.
This is some fragments (about 3mm x 3mm x 2mm) in a capsule in a small labeled plastic box.
Crumbs in a capsule - $10
HOLBROOK, Arizona: (L/LL6): Fell July 19, 1912.
This is a somewhat weathered fragment from a research collection. It appears that a substantial portion of the piece was used up in what ever work was being done on it as the label indicates that it originally weighed around 9.8 grams. The label also indicates that this piece was found November 8th, 1968. Nothing special, but interesting in its history.
2.6 gram fragment – 14mm x 11mm x 10mm - $40
MERUA, India: (H5). Fell February 2, 1945. Tkw = 71.4 kilograms.
This is a bottle that contains three fragments (two around 4mm x 3mm and one closer to 7mm x 4mm) and some dust. I recall, from an earlier offering of a few pieces of this meteorite, that all but a tiny hand full of this meteorite is tied up in museum collections.
1.2 grams fragments and dust in bottle - $100
NEWPORT, Arkansas: (Pallasite). Found 1923. Tkw = 5.6 kilograms.
This is a small cut fragment that is mostly metal but shows some bits of olivine (this was an old research collection piece and I suspect the “work” was done on the olivine from this piece). Regardless, this is a very difficult to find meteorite. I suspect that many (most?) pallasite collectors have not gotten a piece of this name yet.
.36 gram cut fragment – 10mm x 5mm x 4mm - $100 -SOLD
OURIQUE, Portugal: (H4). Fell December 28, 1998. Tkw = 20+ kilograms.
I don’t think I ever have had any of this. I know the few pieces that made into collector’s hands were quite high priced. Unfortunately, this is just a few small fragments (probably equivalent to around 3mm x 3mm x1mm or so) in a capsule. Nothing special, but a cheap way to add a “new” fall to a collection.
Small fragments in capsule - $10
PEACE RIVER, Canada: (L6). Fell March 31, 1963. Tkw = 45.76 kilograms.
These are all fragments with out crust, unfortunately. BUT then these are the only pieces I have had of this
meteorite in any form for many years. I think the piece that was in the “micro” collection I out together years ago was also a no crust fragment like these. Crust or not, this is hard material to come by.
1.0 gram fragment – 10mm x 9mm x 7mm - $30 -SOLD
1.4 gram fragment – 12mm x 11mm x 6mm - $42 -SOLD
4.8 gram fragment – 16mm x 16mm x 8mm - $140 -SOLD
ST. MICHEL, Finland: (L6). Fell July 12, 1910. Tkw = 16.452 kilograms.
This is a wedge part slice that I received just before going to Denver for the show. This has one natural edge (no crust, unfortunately). The interior though shows a really nice breccia texture with lighter mottled
tan and gray clasts in a dark gray matrix. Looks nice fo an old chopped up research specimen.
13.5 gram part slice – 40mm x 20mm x 5mm - $270 -SOLD
SHALKA, India: (Diogenite). Fell November 30, 1850.
Here is a small crumb (around 2mm x 1mm x 1mm) in a capsule in a box with a M Blood Meteorites label.
Crumb in capsule - $10
VACA MUERTA, Chile: (mesosiderite). Found 1861.
This is a small part slice that had a label (that says Vaca Muerta, 9.5 grams, Me1300) taped to it (well, now with it as the tape has torn free). The natural edge of the piece has all kinds of numbers marked/ painted on it. I can make out 255, 215. And Me 1300. I have no clue, unfortunately, what these numbers are or what old collections they might represent.
9.6 gram part slice with old numbers – 20mmx 15mm x 11mm - $50-SOLD
VIGARANO, Italy: Carbonaceous (CV3.3). Fell June 22, 1910.
Here is a sample of the meteorites that give the CVs the V in their type name. This is bottle (with an old label) that contains one large fragment a couple smaller and a bit of dust.
.36 grams of fragments and dust in bottle - $50 -SOLD
Monday, 1 September 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites - Denver show and new meteorite announcement
Blaine Reed Meteorites - Denver show and new meteorite announcement
Dear Collectors,
Happy Labor Day to those of us that get a holiday to celebrate working by taking the day to goof off!
This is not an offering (too little time before I leave town) but a couple announcements.
DENVER SHOW: September 7th-14th. Ramada Plaza (4849 Bannock St.), room 224.
I'll be out of town September 5th through the 16th. I will try to check e-mail from time to time, but don't expect much action (it is rare that I have a good enough connection and rarer still when I have the time). You can try calling the hotel phone number (303) 292-9500, room 224 during the show days, which might be best if possible for you.
Thanks to the “Colleseum” show opening ever earlier, our show has now been extended to several days earlier as well. It had been optional to show up “early” (the official opening day had been Wednesday which would have been the 10th this year) but it was not required. It now seems that we are required to be open sometime on Sunday the 7th. Not pleasant for me. More days and likely no more sales to make up for it (Denver is big but not a REALLY BIG show and it does bring people, but not LOTS of people from all over the world like Tucson does). I did show up “early” last year (I think I actually did opened on Sunday afternoon) and overall sales certainly did not cover the higher motel expenses for the extra days (well, there was lots of flooding that didn’t help matters any). Anyway, I plan to be open on Sunday the 7th but it will likely be mid-day (noon or so) before I can kick the door open. It seems that the rooms have been completely re-modeled. This has always been a fear of mine as I open the door for the first time each year. I have learned over the past 25 plus years how to set up around and use the furniture that has been in this room all these years. Now they have removed some things I used (“desk” table and chairs) and have added a HUGE (9 feet long, several hundred pound) TV stand and “desk” unit. I heard several people broke this monstrosity in attempting to move it (and incurred high “damage” charges because of it) during the April spring show. So, my usual, know how to work with the furniture set-up was usually 9 or 10 hours. Now that I have to re-learn how to jig-saw into the room (I am having to bring and borrow many different tables of different sizes as I am not sure what will end up fitting any more) it will likely take MUCH longer this year. However, once I am set up, I do plan my usual schedule: open at 10AM and open until around 10pm. The 10PM closing my end up being earlier some nights if there is very little foot traffic (no people visiting, other rooms near by all closed) as there are some extra (and odd) potential security issues/ threats I need to be concerned about these days. If that is the case some night you show up late (but before 10 – I do need to get some sleep), just knock and we’ll let you in/ open the door. The only night I know I will be closing “early” is Friday the 12th for the COMETS party and auction. I’ll be open until 6pm that night (or a bit longer if I still have customers) – which I think is the usual scheduled show closing time.
NEW METEORITE:
At the show I will have on display Colorado’s newest (and possible the US’s newest) recognized meteorite! And even better yet, it is NOT a desert or dry lake bed find. AND it is NOT a cracked old weathered chondrite. It turns out that a REAL meteorite has indeed been found in the Montrose area (well, relatively close anyway). And it turns out that the thing is a Ureilite (this has not been probed yet, but the texture, XRF chemistry and the presence of amazing bright metallic blue gray graphite grains in the thing shows that it can’t be anything but a Ureilite). It was found by a guy rock-hounding on a friends property about 11 miles south of the city of Gunnison (the naming of this is going to be tricky. Gunnison and Blue Mesa, the names I would have liked to use are in Gunnison County but this was found a couple miles into Saguache County in a remote area with only a few creek names showing on the maps). He was looking for potential fossils in an out-cropping of shale. He noticed this black rock (yep, it is fresh enough to still show pretty much complete black crust) sitting on top of some rocks of this outcrop and took it home (this was 8 years ago). He ended up dropping it off at Mr. Detector in Montrose (the same store that Mr. Curry dropped off some of his “meteorites” with for my inspection 4 or 5 years ago). I looked at it about a month ago and had to bring it home to run on the XRF (it sure looked like a meteorite but then there are plenty of terrestrial rocks that can look like these things). After determining that I was around 95% certain it was a meteorite, I made an offer to buy it and asked that the owner bring in the end they had managed to cut off of it if they could still find it. That piece was unpolished and really showed the graphite that made it 100% clear that this was a meteorite. No word until a week ago. I assumed they were going to simply toss it in a bank safe-deposit box and make it a “family heirloom” once they found it was indeed likely a meteorite. Thankfully, the finder was really pleased and willing to sell his find (it was a substantial amount but NOT the millions of dollars the other supposed finder of “meteorites” in the area would think its worth). This, unfortunately, is not real big. It is only 216 grams. However, it is oriented. I’ll have this on display for those that want to see the US’s 4th Urelite and Colorado’s first. I am not really trying to sell any of it until it gets through full research and reporting, but I am certainly willing to make note of people who think they may want a piece once that is done. I am also thinking about taking this thing after the show to the folks at the Montrose Daily Press – the paper that did all the huge stories (and they were, unfortunately, just stories) about Curry and his “meteorites”. I am pretty certain they won’t publish anything about this (probably to embarrassing to have a news report on a REAL local meteorite after spending years reporting multiple times on ones that weren’t). But it would be nice to show them, personally, that the Curry accusations of conspiracy to lie about, hide new meteorites and keep them from the market was (and is) indeed complete BS.
Blaine
Dear Collectors,
Happy Labor Day to those of us that get a holiday to celebrate working by taking the day to goof off!
This is not an offering (too little time before I leave town) but a couple announcements.
DENVER SHOW: September 7th-14th. Ramada Plaza (4849 Bannock St.), room 224.
I'll be out of town September 5th through the 16th. I will try to check e-mail from time to time, but don't expect much action (it is rare that I have a good enough connection and rarer still when I have the time). You can try calling the hotel phone number (303) 292-9500, room 224 during the show days, which might be best if possible for you.
Thanks to the “Colleseum” show opening ever earlier, our show has now been extended to several days earlier as well. It had been optional to show up “early” (the official opening day had been Wednesday which would have been the 10th this year) but it was not required. It now seems that we are required to be open sometime on Sunday the 7th. Not pleasant for me. More days and likely no more sales to make up for it (Denver is big but not a REALLY BIG show and it does bring people, but not LOTS of people from all over the world like Tucson does). I did show up “early” last year (I think I actually did opened on Sunday afternoon) and overall sales certainly did not cover the higher motel expenses for the extra days (well, there was lots of flooding that didn’t help matters any). Anyway, I plan to be open on Sunday the 7th but it will likely be mid-day (noon or so) before I can kick the door open. It seems that the rooms have been completely re-modeled. This has always been a fear of mine as I open the door for the first time each year. I have learned over the past 25 plus years how to set up around and use the furniture that has been in this room all these years. Now they have removed some things I used (“desk” table and chairs) and have added a HUGE (9 feet long, several hundred pound) TV stand and “desk” unit. I heard several people broke this monstrosity in attempting to move it (and incurred high “damage” charges because of it) during the April spring show. So, my usual, know how to work with the furniture set-up was usually 9 or 10 hours. Now that I have to re-learn how to jig-saw into the room (I am having to bring and borrow many different tables of different sizes as I am not sure what will end up fitting any more) it will likely take MUCH longer this year. However, once I am set up, I do plan my usual schedule: open at 10AM and open until around 10pm. The 10PM closing my end up being earlier some nights if there is very little foot traffic (no people visiting, other rooms near by all closed) as there are some extra (and odd) potential security issues/ threats I need to be concerned about these days. If that is the case some night you show up late (but before 10 – I do need to get some sleep), just knock and we’ll let you in/ open the door. The only night I know I will be closing “early” is Friday the 12th for the COMETS party and auction. I’ll be open until 6pm that night (or a bit longer if I still have customers) – which I think is the usual scheduled show closing time.
NEW METEORITE:
At the show I will have on display Colorado’s newest (and possible the US’s newest) recognized meteorite! And even better yet, it is NOT a desert or dry lake bed find. AND it is NOT a cracked old weathered chondrite. It turns out that a REAL meteorite has indeed been found in the Montrose area (well, relatively close anyway). And it turns out that the thing is a Ureilite (this has not been probed yet, but the texture, XRF chemistry and the presence of amazing bright metallic blue gray graphite grains in the thing shows that it can’t be anything but a Ureilite). It was found by a guy rock-hounding on a friends property about 11 miles south of the city of Gunnison (the naming of this is going to be tricky. Gunnison and Blue Mesa, the names I would have liked to use are in Gunnison County but this was found a couple miles into Saguache County in a remote area with only a few creek names showing on the maps). He was looking for potential fossils in an out-cropping of shale. He noticed this black rock (yep, it is fresh enough to still show pretty much complete black crust) sitting on top of some rocks of this outcrop and took it home (this was 8 years ago). He ended up dropping it off at Mr. Detector in Montrose (the same store that Mr. Curry dropped off some of his “meteorites” with for my inspection 4 or 5 years ago). I looked at it about a month ago and had to bring it home to run on the XRF (it sure looked like a meteorite but then there are plenty of terrestrial rocks that can look like these things). After determining that I was around 95% certain it was a meteorite, I made an offer to buy it and asked that the owner bring in the end they had managed to cut off of it if they could still find it. That piece was unpolished and really showed the graphite that made it 100% clear that this was a meteorite. No word until a week ago. I assumed they were going to simply toss it in a bank safe-deposit box and make it a “family heirloom” once they found it was indeed likely a meteorite. Thankfully, the finder was really pleased and willing to sell his find (it was a substantial amount but NOT the millions of dollars the other supposed finder of “meteorites” in the area would think its worth). This, unfortunately, is not real big. It is only 216 grams. However, it is oriented. I’ll have this on display for those that want to see the US’s 4th Urelite and Colorado’s first. I am not really trying to sell any of it until it gets through full research and reporting, but I am certainly willing to make note of people who think they may want a piece once that is done. I am also thinking about taking this thing after the show to the folks at the Montrose Daily Press – the paper that did all the huge stories (and they were, unfortunately, just stories) about Curry and his “meteorites”. I am pretty certain they won’t publish anything about this (probably to embarrassing to have a news report on a REAL local meteorite after spending years reporting multiple times on ones that weren’t). But it would be nice to show them, personally, that the Curry accusations of conspiracy to lie about, hide new meteorites and keep them from the market was (and is) indeed complete BS.
Blaine
Tuesday, 19 August 2014
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 159
Blaine Reed Meteorites For Sale - List 159
Blaine Reed
P.O. Box 1141
Delta, CO 81416
Ph/fax (970) 874-1487
brmeteorites@yahoo.com
…………………………………………………LIST
159
August 19, 2014
Dear collectors,
Here is the second batch of pieces that came in with the
“old collection”. I also got a few more of the rare witnessed fall fragments/
crumbs in as well and have listed them here to have a more typical 7 or 8 piece
offering.
ARCHIE,
Missouri: (H6). Fell August 10, 1932. Tkw = 5.1 kilograms.
This is yet another of my small scraps that seems that very
little is “out”. In the Catalog of Meteorites, it seems that a little over 4860
grams of this is listed as being tied up in museum collections.
.038 gram fragment in capsule –
4mm x 2mm x 2mm - $20
.13
gram fragment – 8mm x 5mm x 2mm - $50
CANAKKALE,
Turkey: (L6). Fell July 1964. Tkw = 4+ kilograms.
This is listed as “several pieces found, the largest
weighing 4kg”, implying that a fair amount of this might be out there. However,
the collections lists in the Catalog of Meteorites shows that only about 600 grams
is preserved in museum collections. I don’t recall ever seeing this name
before, so I don’t think that much of the “missing material” has made it into
collector’s hands.
Small
fragment in capsule – about 2.5mm x 2mm x 1.5mm - $20
.058
gram fragment – 5mm x 3mm x 2mm - $40
GLORITTA MOUNTAIN,
New Mexico: (Pallasite). Found 1884.
Here is a nice complete individual as found. It has some
nice pitting but I cannot distinctly make out any olivine so I’d be hesitant to
call this anything more than an iron individual. Regardless, this does have
some nice areas of still fresh and flow-lined fusion crust. I remember before
Sikhote-Alin came out, this meteorite was the ONLY way a collector could have
honest real iron fusion crust for their collections. The previous owner got
this piece from Bethany Sciences in January of 1994. This particular specimen
is actually the piece Ron used as the picture piece in his catalog at the time.
I have a copy of this catalog that will go with this specimen. This also comes
with the original Bethany Sciences “Certificate of Authenticity”, though this
has been (long ago) hand corrected from a weight of 54.6 grams to 45.6 grams
which still seems to be a bit wrong as I keep coming up with 45.1 grams for
this specimen.
45.1
gram complete individual – 45mm x 18mm x 16mm - $650
HENBURY,
Australia: Medium octahedrite (IIIAB). Found 1931.
Here is a somewhat larger than I typically get specimen. It
is nothing special, unfortunately, being mostly a roughly flattened oval shape
with only soft thumb-prints. It still has its “as found” appearance - a nice
orange brown color. Not a bad piece, just not a sculpture, and priced
accordingly.
71.5
gram natural individual – 45mm x 30mm x 12mm - $110
MOUNT VERNON,
Kentucky: (Pallasite). Found 1868, Tkw = 159 kilograms.
The Murchison on my last offering was my big plus surprise
in the collection, this one was my big minus surprise unfortunately. I was told
it was 13.5 grams and measured 43mm x 36mm x 2mm and was “fresh”. Well, I got
6.4 grams measuring roughly 30mm x 20mm x 2mm that is quite rusty. I think that
this would be repairable BUT it came to me in 4 pieces that don’t seem to fit
back together completely (and I am usually pretty good at puzzles). This does
still have some large crystals that pass light nicely (one looks like it might
produce a couple nice but small faceted gems if one were so inclined). I’m
selling this one at a loss but someone out there will be able to add a new
tough name to their pallasite collection for fairly cheap. The previous owner
purchased this specimen from Robert Haag in January of 1994.
6.4
gram broken, oxidized slice - $100-SOLD
ST. MICHEL,
Finland: (L6). Ell July 12, 1910. Tkw = 17 kilograms.
After the last piece I had sold in seconds and many people
wanted it (guess I priced it too cheap), I asked the source of that if they had
any more. This is what I got. Not a “large” slice like the last one, more like
the fragments of other rare falls I have been getting. Anyway, this is a lot of
fragments from small crumbs up to around 9mm x 4mm x 2mm. Most of the bigger
pieces show nice shock veining as well.
.42
grams of fragments and crumbs - $15 -SOLD
SIKHOTE-ALIN,
Russia: Coarsest octahedrite (IIB). Fell February 12, 1947.
This is a complete fusion crusted individual that also
happens to be oriented. It is not the perfect dome type of oriented but well
oriented none the less. This has a general conical shape (obviously pointed
front, generally flat back) that shoes a few elongated (some call “flower
petal”) thumbprints on the front and a distinct sharp roll-over rim running
completely around the back.
30.3
gram oriented individual – 30mm x 22mm x 12mm - $75
TISSINT,,
Morocco: Martian (Shergottite). Olivine-phyric. Fell July 18, 2011. Tkw = over
7 kilograms.
Here is an amazing piece I got from Matt for a potential
customer a month or so ago (that person decided to take a sliced Martian
instead of this fragment). It was the Viking lander’s readings of the Martian
atmosphere back in the 1970’s that gave us the biggest clue that these
meteorites (the SNCs) were from Mars. Those readings showed that gasses trapped
inside melt pockets in shock veins of these stones isotopically matched the
Martian atmosphere. This particular specimen is incredible for showing these
melt pockets. Probably better than 30% of this piece is melt vein material.
Even better still, this melt veining is full of gas pockets. Many of these can
be easily seen with your eye as the interiors of these pockets is super shiny,
compared to the duller black of the general melt material. I am quite certain
that this specimen has many more unbroken melt pockets (that likely still
contain Martian atmosphere inside them) are yet hiding in the interior of this
piece.
1.6
gram fragment with heavy shock melt veins – 13mm x 11mm x 7mm - $1200
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