Goldberg Coins and Collectibles

Sale 56

Manuscript, Collectibles and Aerospace Auction

Meteorites

Lot	Photo	Description	Realized
Lot 472		CARBONADO- A BLACK DIAMOND FROM SPACE. The rarest and hardest diamonds on earth come from outer space. Carbonados, dark and uncrystalized diamonds do not look like any other diamonds on earth because they were created by an exploding star before the formation of our solar system and delivered to Earth by an asteroid over two billion years ago. These rare diamonds are only found on the east coast of Brazil and the west coast of the Central African Republic which were joined together at the time of the meteorite impact over two billion years ago. Because of the lack of crystal structure there are no shear planes in which to facet these fascinating black diamonds. (the color can vary from black to dark grey and dark green depending on their trace elements). The proof of an extraterrestrial origin is the presence of nitrogen and hydrogen in their matrix. The presence of hydrogen in Carbonados indicates that an origin in a hydrogen-rich interstellar space and formed from a supernova explosion of a star several times larger than our sun. Carbonados are never found in any diamond mines anywhere else in the world which is consistent with their origin from a single asteroid impact over two billion years ago with all other traces of the meteorite long weathered away with only the few small black diamonds remaining. Most Carbonado black diamonds recovered have been small weighing 3 carats or less. This huge 15mm x 15mm, 26.73 carat shiny black stone is certainly the exception. It is completely original with a microscopic pebbly appearance of the individual diamond crystals being compressed together within the star during formation and is both beautiful and rare being older than any other rocks found on earth (older than 4.55 billion years). Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,300 - 1,600. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,410
Lot 473		DIECAST MARS ROVER WITH METEORITES. This limited edition diecast 1:18 scale model(6.5 x 6.5 x 4.5 inches) of the Spirit and Opportunity Martian exploration rovers has been set in a simulated Martian landscape with a surface consisting of pure iron-nickel meteorite dust, 6 boulders that are complete NWA 869 stony meteorites(about 20 grams total weight) and an engraved plague that has been polished from a 26 gram section of a Campo del Cielo iron-nickel meteorite. The Martian rovers have been providing unbelievable photographs from the Martian surface for over two years and have found a couple of meteorites on the surface of Mars. This sun star model has moveable parts, is an exact scale model and can be removed from the base if so desired. Included is a description card describing the instruments on the rovers and a certificate of authenticity on the real meteorites on the simulated Martian surface. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $350 - 450. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $294
Lot 474		MARTIAN METEORITE END CUT. Meteorites from the planet Mars are so rare that only small fragments are available for sale. These rare meteorites have been identified as being from Mars because of their chemical analysis and age. They are younger than most of the meteorites from the asteroid belt that were formed at the same time as the solar system 4.5 Billion Years Ago. It is now believed that most if not all the Martian meteorites originated from one gigantic meteorite impact that left the more recent Zumba crater in the Daedalia Planum on Mars. In November of 2005 a number of small complete meteorites (a total weight of only about a Kilogram) from Mars were found in the Sahara desert. The reason there were only small individual meteorites is that the original larger meteorite broke up high in the Earth�s atmosphere and the small pieces continued to burn as they hit the Earth. These meteorites are rare Basaltic Martian Shergotites from an ancient lava flow on Mars with vesicular glass pockets visible as flecks of glass in this specimen and trapped melt inclusions from the large impact that occurred on Mars millions of years ago. This 10mmX8mm .8gram end cut designated as NWA 2987 is actually half of a complete 2.01 gram meteorite(about .4 grams lost in cutting) and is one of the freshest Shergotite Martian meteorites ever found. It is a light gray in color with dark grey crystallized igneous melt inclusions within iron-titanium oxide grains along with shiny patches of shock-produced vesicular glass. A somewhat larger 4 gram meteorite from this fall (NWA 2987, NWA 2986, NWA 4766,NWA 4783, NWA 4857 and NWA 4880 are all meteorites from this one fall) recently realized over $17,000 at auction in New York. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $900 - 1,200. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $823
Lot 475		METEORITE 42 POUND CAMPO DEL CIELO. This extremely large 9 x 7 x 7 inch 42 pound Campo del Cielo fell to the earth over 4,000 years ago in the mountainous region of Gran Chaco, Argentina, 500 miles north-northwest of Buenos Aries, in one of the largest and undoubtedly most dramatic falls in the last 10,000 years. Meteorites from this fall were scattered over hundreds of square miles of inaccessible terrain. This quintessential large meteorite has several very large regmaglypts and a couple of sharp peaks and a solid base that can be positioned in several different ways. It was recovered from the mountainous new Campo sight that yields meteorites with the best shape and surface quality. Most of the large meteorites have been recovered from this field and are becoming quite difficult to locate. A 5 pound Campo sole for over $3000 in a New York auction in September 2007. Add $45 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $2,400 - 2,800. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 476		METEORITE BRAHIN PALLASITE. Pallasites are the rarest and most beautiful of the three major types of meteorites, stony, stony-iron and iron-nickel originating at the core-mantle boundary of a very large asteroid that was destroyed by collision with another large asteroid more that 4 billion years ago. Pallasites are stony-iron meteorites composed of an iron nickel matrix filled with crystals of olivine which is known as Peridot in its gem form. This is a large 87 gram 5.25 x 2.35 inch gem quality polished slice of the Brahin Pallasite which was found in the Gomel Region of Belorussia in 1810. This extraordinary slice has many green translucent crystals of olivine some of which are of gem quality and thusly called Peridot. This rare and large pallasite is preserved in a 6 x 5 inch Riker box. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $700 - 900. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 477		METEORITE ETCHED GIBEON SLICE. Gibeon iron-nickel meteorites are in very high demand as they are hard to find and possess the most beautiful internal crystalline structure when cut and etched. Gibeon meteorites were found in the Kalahari desert of Namibia, Africa from a fall the occurred thousands of years ago. This large 4.75 x 3 inch 70 gram section has an extremely detailed beautiful fine octahedral Widmanstatten pattern and has been etched on both sides. This interesting geometric pattern resulted from the separation of two alloys of nickel, taenite and kamicite that occurred on the large parent asteroid before it was blown apart early in the formation of the solar system. This crystalline pattern does not exist on any rocks on earth and only forms when the iron core of the asteroid cools very slowly at no more than one degree Celsius per million years. This slice has original fusion crust on the side that formed a really large regmaglypt before the meteorite was cut and is protected in a 8 x 6 inch Riker mount. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $250 - 350. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 478		METEORITE FROM METEOR CRATER. This fairly large 3 x 2.5 x 1.5 inch over 1.5 pounds (688grams) Canyon Diablo iron-nickel meteorite is a hard-to-palm-sized specimen of the most sought after iron meteorites by collectors. Most currently available Canyon Diablo meteorites are just a few grams in weight. Any specimens are hard to come by as the area around Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona has been closed for years. The nearly one mile in diameter crater was created over 50,000 years ago when a 50 foot in diameter meteor exploded high over the Arizona desert. This excellent quality meteorite possesses all of the qualities desired in a Canyon Diablo meteorite, excellent shape with several sharp edges, gunmetal color and several distinctive regmaglypts (thumbprints). A copy of the Meteor Crater Exploration & Mining Company stock certificate of the failed attempt to retrieve iron from within the crater(there wasn�t any) is also enclosed. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 479		METEORITE SIKHOTE-ALIN WITH FLOW LINES. This large 74 x 2.25 x 1.25 inch 468 gram (over one pound) Sikhote-Alin Iron-Nickel meteorite is a very attractive and most interesting example of a shrapnel type Sikhote-Alin meteorite. It shows many features of the huge explosion that took place on Feb. 10, 1947 high above the Sikhote-Alin mountains of Siberia. The enormous explosion tore the meteorite into thousands of smaller pieces and knocked people off their feet several miles away from the blast. The first explosion was high up in the atmosphere and the meteorites from this initial explosion exhibit regmaglypts(thumbprints) from melting for a longer time in the earth�s atmosphere. The secondary explosions occurred much closer to the ground and these meteorites show the ripping force of the explosion resulting in sharp edges and there was not enough time to form the regmaglypts. This distinctive meteorite shows signs of the explosive shearing force with many sharp edges, distinctive attractive gun metal color, metal flowing over the edges and myriads of delicate flow lines on all sides of the meteorite. These delicate flow lines are only visible because of the freshness of this fall and flow in all kinds of directions reflecting the meteorite tumbling in the atmosphere before striking the ground. With a magnifying glass delicate feather-like and crisscrossing patterns can be easily seen. This Sikhote-Alin meteorite was saved by the meteorite hunter that found it due to these special surface conditions. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 480		METEORITE SIKHOTE-ALIN WITH REGMAGLYPTS. This good sized, 3.5 x 2 x 2 inch, 415 gram(nearly one pound), Sikhote-Alin iron nickel meteorite is the rarer of the two types possessing regmaglypts, small crater-like impressions that formed by ablation of Troilite when the meteorite was streaking through the sky at high temperature. The large meteorite body broke up twice during its fall to earth with only the higher breakup creating the meteorites with the regmaglypts, the lower breakup creating the shrapnel type meteorites. Having fallen on Feb. 12, 1947 in Siberia, Sikhote-Alin iron-nickel meteorites are the best preserved of all known iron-nickel meteorites. It is quite rare to find such a large esthetic specimen as the meteorite field has been well searched with only small specimens still being found. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $700 - 900. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $558
Lot 481		METEORITE THREE PIECE TYPE SET. There are three major types of meteorites, stony, stony-iron and iron-nickel. This lot contains a sizeable polished section from each type of meteorite. The stony meteorite which comes from the surface rocks of its parent asteroid is a 3.5 x 2 inch complete section of Dfofar 195 an ordinary chondrite from Oman. This meteorite has a dark brown surface with roundish chondrites and flecks of iron distributed throughout. The stony-iron specimen is a Pallasite, Pallosovka from Volgograd, Russia. Pallasites are literally gemstones from space with translucent olive crystal interspersed in an iron-nickel matrix. This large 2.3 x 2.3 inch 55 gram section has been polished to show the beautiful yellow-green olivine crystals with several being translucent. The third meteorite section is from an iron-nickel meteorite Muonionalusta which is from the artic circle of Norrbotten, Sweden. It is 3 x 2.5 inches weighing a heavy 100 grams and has been polished and etched revealing the distinctive fine octohedrite Widmanstatten pattern. This collection is housed in a 12 x 8 inch Riker Mount. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $500 - 700. View details and enlarged photo	Unsold
Lot 482		Meteorite, 1964, Nigerian, MARS Stone Meteorite Fragment (2.2 grams) Discovered from a meteorite that landed near the village of Zagami, Katsina Province, Nigeria in 1964, this stone fragment is technically composed of "Shergottite, Eucrite Achondrite". It consists of young volcanic rock and contains trapped gases in the same percentages as the material tested by the Viking probe. A Bethany Sciences, New Haven, CT. COA is included. Estimated Value $500 - 750. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $294
Lot 483		MOON ROCK FROM A LUNAR METEORITE. Lunar meteorites are the most desirable and expensive of all the types of meteorites recovered and are even rarer than meteorites from Mars. For some reason, all of the recovered lunar meteorites except one are small and NWA 3163 is the second largest lunar meteorite found and it only weighed 1.634 Kg. It was found in the Sahara Desert in 2005 and has been classified as an extremely rare Feldspathic Granulite Lunar meteorite. This light gray meteorite has an unusual appearance compared to most other lunar meteorites being an almost uniform gray color laced with shock veins from the meteorite impact that caused it to be ejected from the Moon. This sizeable 14X13mm specimen weighs .750 gram has one edge of original dark brown fusion crust from its entry into the Earth�s atmosphere and clearly displays the shocked veins of maskelynite (shocked plagioclase) and also is composed of lesser amounts of pyroxene, olivine and chromite. This rare meteorite is similar to clasts in rock samples brought back by Apollo 15,16 and 17 astronauts. This very valuable meteorite comes with a Hupe Collection provenance and is housed in a clear membrane box and a 5.5 x 4.5 inch Riker box. Add $15 for domestic shipping. Estimated Value $1,200 - 1,500. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,293
Lot 484		Sikhote-Alin Meteorite. Weighing approximately 2 lbs. 5 oz., and 3½ in x 3 in. x 2 in., from the Maritime Territory Russian Federated. Sikhote-Alin meteorites are coarse, Octahedrite IIB, iron meteorites. The largest shower in historical time occurred in Eastern Siberia on Feb. 12, 1947. The debris covered an elliptical area of 1.6 km and the diameter of the bolide was estimated to be 600 m. The probable mass was about 70 tons. It split into thousands of ragged fragments resembling bombshell fragments. The small area over which specimens scattered suggests that the meteorite broke up very late in the atmosphere. Estimated Value $500 - 1,000. View details and enlarged photo	Realized $1,234