|
|
|
|
Copyright (c) 2014 fallingrocks.com.
|
244.9 and 306.4 grams. Iron, IAB-sLL
TKW 15 kg. Fall not observed. Found 1926, in Red River County, Texas, US.
Dave writes:
The first cataloged specimen in the Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Collection (note the stamps “1A-“ and “1A.”), which had ostensibly been lost until Blaine Reed acquired it, noticed the peculiar stamp markings and correctly identified its place in meteorite history. To my knowledge, this specimen is the only Deport that Monnig ever cut.
A story that should not be left untold is about the class of Reed, a top meteorite dealer for the past quarter century. Reed offered the 306.4-gram end section at auction in Tucson, February 2011, where I acquired it -- at a premium due to the history it represents. At the time, Reed had no knowledge of the existence of the 244.9-gram specimen, but some three months later he discovered it in a subsequent lot he purchased from the same former friend of Monnig's who had previously sold him the larger end section. It then became clear that the prime "-" symbol on the larger half had been intentionally placed (to indicate the largest portion of the meteorite), and it was also clear that the pieces were meant to be cataloged as one specimen by Monnig. That said, Reed had every right to make the smaller end section available for sale on the open market. But he didn't. He called me immediately and simply said he was shipping it to me right away so that the pieces would be back "together, where they belonged." I look forward to acquiring more specimens from Reed soon, although that isn't why he did what he did. He did it because it was the proper thing to do, and I can only wonder if many others would have done the same. I'll expand on this story after my research on this specimen is complete, but Reed is also responsible for having recognized the provenance of these and some four dozen other stamped specimens from Monnig's earliest collecting days that were offered for sale to him as "Odessa" meteorites. If you're looking for a reputable meteorite dealer beyond reproach, reach out to Blaine Reed in Delta, Colorado, USA.
Visit my Web Site |
Click to view larger photos
#1
|
Found at the arrow (green or red) on the map below
|
|
| |
Bernd Pauli
3/30/2014 4:06:24 PM |
I didn't even know the word 'mensch' existed in English because it is a German word for a 'human being' but a search in my Random House dictionary (2214 pages) immediately shed light on this choice of words: a decent, upright, mature, and responsible person. I certainly agree and concur! Beautiful, interesting story! Thanks for sharing! |
Colonel Pulaerko
3/30/2014 1:01:27 PM |
Thank you for the excellent story Dave. |
Mendy Ouzillou
3/30/2014 10:39:22 AM |
For these two pieces to be brought back together is wonderful.
Blaine is a class act - a real mensch in all his activities. |
Frank Carroll
3/30/2014 7:47:14 AM |
Great story and well said Dave. |
Jim Strope.
3/30/2014 6:53:15 AM |
Great story Dave. A testament to the integrity of Blaine. He was the first dealer that I met many years ago. The Deport specimens look fantastic together, right where they belong. |
Ian Macleod
3/30/2014 4:59:56 AM |
Superb! Iron pair mate. just to add new to the IMCA - member Frank Caroll also has a good collection of Texas Irons also. Great pieces of US meteoritic history! |
Ben Fisler
3/30/2014 2:23:01 AM |
reminds me of a foreign meteorite dealer who acquired a piece... I heard he was deported...
Seriously,those are museum-grade specimens of a classic iron. Beautiful! |
John Hope
3/30/2014 2:18:15 AM |
Thank you for the great picture Dave but special thanks for the information supplied with it. Knowledge is everything in regard to Meteorite history so thank you and Blaine Reed for the information about these two pieces. |
Jarkko Kettunen
3/30/2014 2:12:51 AM |
Nice pair! ...and great story! |
| |
|