[meteorite-list] NWA meteorites VS falls, etc.

From: tett <tett_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:42:02 2004
Message-ID: <3A6AE7CF.4F7F1D29_at_bmts.com>

My two grams worth are;

We are making this issue far too complicated. Meteorites have different
values for different people. These values are based upon;

1) Appearance
2) Rarity
2) History
3) Location

I listed these four criteria in order of importance for me. Many will
change this order of importance, which is to be expected.

With this list of criteria in mind, my favorite specimen, to date, is my 1.5
gram slice of Abee. It is gorgeous and rare and a witnessed fall from my
home country. What more could I ask for.

I also have some wonderful Saharas. These are L3's and LL's and other
rarities.

Cheers,

Tett

Charlie wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> This sure has been an interesting thread, as I am still in flux as to
> where I or the community in general should stand on NWA meteorites.
> It's important to know what one is doing in this hobby, when to buy,
> when to wait, how to gage and understand the changes in the hobby, the
> relative value of old finds and falls with history vs. new sources.
>
> I know I love history, and neat obscure narratives associated with a
> specimen that allows me to recreate the moment of fall or circumstances
> of find in my minds eye. This is not meant at all to argue against any
> merits of NWA material. But I thought you might enjoy 3 neat accounts
> recorded in Richard Pearl's excellent 1975 publication, Fallen from
> Heaven: Meteorites and Man.
>
> Frankfort, Alabama
>
> Refusing "with scorn money offers that must have been tempting to a
> person of limited income, preferring the advancement of science to
> dollars and cents," James W. Hooper, of Franklin County, Alabama is the
> kind of man who has helped make meteoritics possible. At 3:00 p.m.,
> December 5, 1868, he was sitting by a fire with his family when he heard
> the first noise. His sister called, "Run quickly, the house is on
> fire-don't you hear it?" The specimen was a small stone, still warm
> when found nearly buried in the ground 70-80 yards away. It is
> classified as howardite.
>
> Jenny's Creek, West Virginia
>
> Owing to their shining luster, many iron meteorites have been thought to
> be lumps of native silver. Some have been hidden on this account.
> Others have been held off the market, awaiting a higher price than
> anyone was ever willing to pay.
> This meteorite went even further. Found by Mrs. Maston Christian early
> in 1883 in a creek bed on Wayne County, West Virginia , it came partly
> into the hands of "a shrewd speculator" who, burying it in different
> places, dug it up each time-in 1883 and 1885-and then sold the property
> as silver bearing.
>
> Monroe, North Carolina
>
> Hiram Post "sighted the sound" of this stony meteorite at 3:00 p.m.,
> October 31, 1849, when it dropped onto his plantation in Cabarrus
> County, North Carolina. The thing was located the next morning, buried
> 10 inches deep. The local people were "astonished, and not a few were
> exceedingly terrified." A militia colonel sagely remarked that "there
> must be war in Heaven, for they are throwing rocks." Mr. Post posted an
> invitation to see "a wonderful rock that had fallen from the skies," but
> next to the specimen was another sign reading "Gentlemen, sirs-please
> not to break this rock, which fell from the skies and weighs 19.5
> pounds.".
>
> Don't accounts like these make you wish you had specimens of the above
> in your collection?
> Maybe some of you do, and if so, I hope the above adds to your
> appreciation of your good fortune!
>
> Here in Rhode Island, a blizzard rages outside.
> In a few hours, list member Greg Shanos is going to try and fight his
> way here to help me photograph meteorites. We'd both rather be in sunny
> Tucson!
>
> Best wishes,
> -Charlie
>
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Received on Sun 21 Jan 2001 08:44:47 AM PST