Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

A nickel-iron meteorite (IAB). 72 grams, 51 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.

A textured matrix set with Orthoceras specimens. 1.49 kg, 27 cm



Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Triangular section of a young Mammuthus primigenius tooth with a cut and polished underside; repaired. 381 grams, 13.5 cm



Acquired on the UK art market. Property of a Suffolk, UK, gentleman.

Rounded nodule half with a Dactylioceras ammonite. 541 grams, 10.2 cm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

From Carcharodontosaurus saharicus exhibiting brown enamel and serrated edges. 9.52 grams, 50 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

The Carcharodontosaurus saharicus was one of the largest predators (larger than its distant North American T-Rex cousin) of all time and is also related to Allosaurus and the South American Giganotosaurus.

Lidded box carved from fossiliferous stone with Orthoceras fossils, a goniatite set on the lid. 725 grams, 11 cm wide



Ex Cambridgeshire, UK, collection.

Cluster of opaque prismatic crystals with a vug lined with translucent vibrant blue prismatic crystals. 19.3 grams, 47 mm



From the collection of Mr Carlos Bahamonde, Manchester, UK.

The aquatic arthropod showing good detail in the carapace, resting on an irregular matrix. 167 grams, 65 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

Cleoniceras sp. specimen cut in two halves and having the internal faces polished. 144 grams total, 86 mm each



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

Translucent orange amber with a fly inclusion. 2.6 grams, 31 mm



From a UK collection formed in the 1980s. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.

Comprising three oval matrices with Knightia alta specimens, one with two specimens. 246 grams total, 8.5-10 cm



From Green River formation, Wyoming, USA. From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.

In southwest Wyoming (and parts of Colorado and Utah), in the Green River Formation, are found some of the world's most outstanding specimens of fossil fish. The Green River system was composed of three lakes: Lake Uinta, Lake Gosiute and Fossil Lake. These Eocene lakes lay in a series of intermountain basins formed by geological events that uplifted the Rocky Mountains during the early Tertiary period. The climate was much different from the desert-like climate of this area today. Both the fauna (crocodiles, alligators, boa constrictors and some subtropical fish families) and the flora (such as large palm trees) indicate a climate much like that found along the Gulf Coast today. Large amounts of ash found in the sediments indicate that volcanoes were particularly active at this time.

Detailed example of Scutellum trilobite on a matrix. 93 grams, 60 mm



From a Lincolnshire, UK, collection.