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Thin Sections

1030.1 grams. 149 x 120 x 11.5-13 mm.   Iron, IIG

TKW 27.4 kg. Fall not observed. First found 1888 in the Atacama desert, Chile.



   

jnmczurich writes:

La Primitiva 'Freiberg'

Classification: Iron, IIG H/Ogg, Schreibersite-rich

During cleanup efforts in the wet cellars of an external storage area of the Bergakademie Freiberg (BAF)/East Germany, a rotten wooden box was found in spring 1994. Inside of the box was an iron mass of about 4.4 kg weight, wrapped in old newsprint paper, but unfortunately without any readable information according to the iron mass. However, the box was found into the stock of Chilean goods, bought and sent to the BAF close to 100 years earlier. After splitting the mass into two halves (1902 g and 2150 g) with a heavy hack saw, the meteoritic origin of the iron mass was confirmed. A chemical analysis of a small cut-off sample of the 2150 g end section was done at MPI Mainz/Germany (March 1995) and confirmed a Ni content <6% and P content >11%.

Later on, the 2150 g half was witnessed by John Wasson and Vagn Buchwald during the Met Soc Meeting in Berlin (July 1996). Both scientists said that the iron probably belongs to the Bellsbank grouplet (today IIG irons). VFB made further structural examination and described it as an "unreported La Primitiva mass, should be named as La Primitiva 'Freiberg'".

The 1030 g slice is the main part of the former 2150 g end section. Most interesting are two lightning stroke-like shock veins (!), visible on the etched front face. The shock veins are dark gray in color. The close-up pictures are 5.5 x 8 mm.