[meteorite-list] The Most Expensive Meteorite Ever Sold on eBay (Zagami Mars Meteorite)

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:33 2004
Message-ID: <200308141508.IAA21500_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/030814/atthfns1_1.html

The Most Expensive Meteorite Ever Sold on eBay
sell2All, Inc. Press Release
August 14, 2003

LINCOLN, Neb., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Now is your chance to own a rare 1.3
Billion year old piece of the Red Planet! The largest known specimen in
circulation (188 grams) of the famous Mars rock Zagami, is owned by a private
individual, and will be auctioned on eBay beginning on September 5th by
Sell2All, Inc., of Lincoln, Nebraska. Bidding starts at $450,000.

Zagami fell to Earth October 3rd, 1962 in central Nigeria. Some estimates
value this specimen at over $2,000,000. Displayed for several years in
Nigeria's prestigious Kaduna Museum, one side is Museum cut to display the
internal layers and another side has been left natural with a black flanked
crust to show the fusion (actual burning and melting) of the rock as it
passed at high speeds through the atmosphere while falling to earth.
Referenced over 3000 times on internet search engines, this specimen has
been shown all over the world. See NASA's website for the complete Zagami
story at

http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/curator/antmet/mmc/Zagami.pdf .

Information and pictures are available at

www.sell2all.com/mars .

We are about to experience a phenomenon that will never occur again in our
lifetime! Astronomers say this month Mars is getting closer to Earth and
has not come this close (within 34,649,589 miles) in the last 5,000 years,
but it may be as long as 60,000 years. On August 27 at 75-power magnification
Mars may look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. The owner
of this Zagami specimen is hoping to sell this rare specimen for an even
closer look! Out of 22,000 meteorites known to man, only 13 are actually
known to be "Martian."

Several Planetariums have expressed strong interest in owning this specific
Zagami rock. The owners are hoping someone will buy it to donate to their
favorite Planetarium in his or her honor. Also, private art collectors
with "everything" who enjoy one-of-a-kind pieces could be potential buyers.

Documentation of authenticity is provided by author and speaker John Saul,
Ph.D., an Independent Registered Geologist who was selected "as the
meteorite expert" by the scientific board which oversaw the drilling of the
well known Siljan meteorite impact in Sweden. In the certification John
states, "I have never personally seen a finer specimen of any of the Mars
Meteorites in the hands of a private individual."

The meteorite was also authenticated by Jean-Claude Boulliard in 2001. Mr.
Boulliard is curator of the mineral collection of the UPMC, which was
formerly the collection in the Sorbonne in France. The authentication
certificates are available on the website listed above.

Sell2All, Inc., a large seller on the eBay marketplace, has been selling
products on eBay since 1998. More information about Sell2All, Inc., can be
found at www.sell2all.com.

    For Additional Information Contact:

    Rob Simon, Sell2All, Inc. Linda McClenny Susan Peterson
    402 475-7653, ext 115 205 556-9537 978-646-9675
    robs_at_sell2all.com lindatusc@att.net Susp1959@aol.com
Received on Thu 14 Aug 2003 11:08:22 AM PDT