Lot 643
Meteorite Campo Del Cielo 15.5 Pounds, Most iron-nickel meteorites are just hunks of metal without an interesting shape. This large 7.25 x 5.5 x 2.5 inch 15.5 pound new Campo del Cielo iron-nickel meteorites is the exception having an esthetic shape that looks something like a "sea fan" with a 3X2.5 inch natural base fanning up to 7.5 x 2.5 inches at the top. The meteorite stands upright on this natural flat base which makes for an impressive display. Its iron-nickel surface is covered with desirable medium to large regmaglypts (thumbprints) that formed when the meteor passed through Earth's atmosphere and the troilite in the meteorite melted. First recorded by the Spanish in 1576, the huge fall of Campo del Cielo (Valley of the Sky) iron-nickel meteorites occurred thousands of years before. The best quality Campos such as this splendid specimen were recovered high in the mountains where their surface was not rusted away by ground water. The Campo field has been mostly explored and the price of quality Campos is rising dramatically as new specimens are getting to be very difficult to locate and demand for meteorites has been steadily increasing. A five pound Campo del Cielo meteorite sold for over $3000 in a New York auction in September, 2007.
Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500
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