Carved from a fossiliferous stone, a larger Goniatite sp. specimen set on one side. 912 grams, 98 mm



From Atlas Mountains, Morocco, North Africa. From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Two horned ammonites with regularly disposed spines to the outer shell; repaired. 1.99 kg, 17 cm wide



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

A Carcharocles megalodon tooth displaying some enamel and serrations. 59 grams, 74 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

Displaying dark banding to the centre with some bark detailing to the outer surfaces. 3.43 kg, 24 cm



From Madagascar. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.

Comprising two Mosasaur prognathodon sp. teeth set on matrices. 735 grams total, 12.4-12.6 cm



From Morocco, North Africa. From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

The Mosasaur is an extinct, large marine reptile dinosaur with an elongated body, long snout and paddle-like limbs. Found worldwide, they competed with other well-known sea predators of the Late Cretaceous, such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, for food, existing primarily on a diet of ammonoids, cuttlefish and fish.

A coarse octahedrite class IIB iron meteorite; cleaned. 28.4 grams, 32 mm



From a Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Sikhote-Alin is an iron meteorite that fell on February, 13, 1947 on the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in eastern Siberia. Though large iron meteorite falls had been witnessed previously and fragments recovered, never before in recorded history had a fall of this magnitude been observed. An estimated 70 tonnes of material survived the fiery passage through the atmosphere and reached the Earth. The strewn field for this meteorite covered an elliptical area of about 1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi). Some of the fragments made impact craters, the largest of which was about 26 m (85 ft) across and 6 m (20 ft) deep. Fragments of the meteorite were also driven into the surrounding trees. The Soviet Union issued a stamp for the 10th anniversary of the Sikhote-Alin meteorite shower and this reproduces a painting by P. J. Medvedev, a Soviet artist who witnessed the fall: he was sitting in his window starting a sketch when the fireball appeared, so he immediately began drawing what he saw.

Carved from a brown veined stone as a standing goat with large curving horns, fleece detailing to the back. 82 grams, 79 mm



Ex S.M. London collection, UK, 1970-1990s.

Polished specimen showing attractive pattern formation. 180 grams, 92 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

A trio of unopened rounded geodes. 320 grams total, 45-66 mm



From Brazil. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.

A nickel-iron meteorite (IAB) with a suspension loop and cord for wearing. 8.35 grams total, stone: 20 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

A crater field of roughly 26 craters was found in the vicinity of this crater, which is estimated to date to 4-5 thousand years BP. The age of the meteorite itself is thought to be c.4.5 billion years, formed as part of the development of this solar system. The largest two fragments, the 30.8 ton Gancedo and 28.8 ton El Chaco, are among the heaviest meteorite masses ever recovered on Earth. In 1576, the governor of a province in Northern Argentina commissioned the military to search for a large mass of iron, which it was believed the local people claimed had fallen from the sky and which they used for their weapon production. The expedition discovered a large mass of metal which was assumed to be an iron mine and brought back a few samples, which were described as being of unusual purity. Following the legends, in 1774 Don Bartolomé Francisco de Maguna rediscovered the iron mass. He himself did not believe that the stone had fallen from the sky and assumed that it had formed by a volcanic eruption. However, he sent the samples to the Royal Society of London. In 1990 it became protected by law.

Comprising lacquered porphyry slices of irregular shape, cut and polished on both sides, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th century A.D. 176 grams total, 37-97 mm



From Egypt. Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.

Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost some time in the 5th century, and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarry men, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food.

Comprising one hundred opaque colourless topaz pebbles. 1.06 kg total, 17-35 mm



Ex Mineral Imports, London, UK. Gregory, Bottley & Lloyd (Gregory's), Harwich, UK.