Natural History - Historic Witherite Crystal Specimen

Nickel-iron meteorite (IAB); supplied in a carboard specimen tray with information ticket. 70 grams, 46 mm



From Chaco Province, Argentina, found 1576. From an old Bristol 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.

The host rock raw and unpolished. 107 grams, 61 mm



From the Exchange Mine, Slovenia. Collected in person in 1965. From the private mineral collection of Stephen Atkinson, Harpenden, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from the vendor giving details of him collecting these minerals throughout his life.

A cluster of dolomite with other minerals. 61 grams, 55 mm



Collected in person from various parts of the world mainly between 1957-1966. From the private mineral collection of Stephen Atkinson, Harpenden, UK. Accompanied by a copy of a letter from the vendor giving details of him collecting these minerals throughout his life.