[meteorite-list] RE: Most Expensive Meteorite Ever Sold on eBay (Zagami M...

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From: Sharkkb8_at_aol.com <Sharkkb8_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:16:34 2004
Message-ID: <177.1ea935c3.2c6dc26c_at_aol.com>

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Steve S., then Gregory:

> >> I remember the aborted Southby's auction of three Martian meteorites a
>> number of years ago. .......[snip]....I was looking for the auction catalog,
>> which was in my files, so my memory of the weights are in question.
>
>
> I know I have that catalog at home, I'll take a look & report when I get
> home from work.
>

As promised....

The auction was presented by Guernsey's in N.Y., rather than Sotheby's, on
Nov 20, 1996. It consisted of three frag's: 420 grams of crusted Zagami, 65
grams of crusted Nakhla, and (the star of the auction) 13.5 grams of Chassigny.
The catalog was (he had to admit, through gritted teeth) gorgeously produced,
with extensive Mars info and superior photography. It was also presented
"in support of the American Cancer Society" (a "percentage of the funds",
anyway), although no one would be blamed for skepticism with regard to the actual
percentage. According to the catalog, Dr. Robert Hutchison of London's Natural
History Museum was invited to be present at the auction preview, with the
suggestion that the NHM would be "prepared to authenticate the SNC meteorite
collection" after the fact. Of course, the actual authenticity of the material
was never in doubt (presumably!); the NHM was certainly nothing but an innocent
bystander to all this; no connection other than the prestige the name would
clearly lend in the catalog. Certain liberties were definitely taken within the
text of the catalog: "the only known comprehensive private collection of
'Meteorites from Mars'." (Although in all fairness, this was before the
explosion of desert Mars-material, and essentially before a few specks of Chassigny
leaked out and could be found here and there with any regularity. But
still....)

It was the enormous hype and the subsequent enormous pratfall that was the
most memorable aspect of this (as it turned out) non-auction. Karma? ;-)

Gregory

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<HTML> 
Steve S., then Gregory: 
 
<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT=
: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px"><BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=
=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PAD=
DING-LEFT: 5px">I remember the aborted Southby's auction of three Martian me=
teorites a number of years ago.  .......[snip]....I was looking for the=
auction catalog, which was in my files, so my memory of the weights are in=20=
question.</BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
 
I know I have that catalog at home, I'll take a look & report whe=
n I get home from work. 
</BLOCKQUOTE> 
 
 
As promised.... 
 
The auction was presented by Guernsey's in N.Y., rather than Sotheby's, on N=
ov 20, 1996.   It consisted of three frag's: 420 grams of crusted=20=
Zagami, 65 grams of crusted Nakhla, and (the star of the auction) 13.5 grams=
of Chassigny.  The catalog was (he had to admit, through gritted teeth=
) gorgeously produced, with extensive Mars info and superior photography.&nb=
sp;  It was also presented "in support of the American Cancer Society"=20=
(a "percentage of the funds", anyway), although no one would be blamed for s=
kepticism with regard to the actual percentage.   According to the=
catalog, Dr. Robert Hutchison of London's Natural History Museum was=
invited to be present at the auction preview, with the suggestion that the=20=
NHM would be "prepared to authenticate the SNC meteorite collection"=20=
after the fact.  Of course, the actual authenticity of the material was=
never in doubt (presumably!); the NHM was certainly nothing but an innocent=
bystander to all this; no connection other than the prestige the name would=
clearly lend in the catalog.  Certain liberties were definitely taken=20=
within the text of the catalog: "the only known comprehensive private collec=
tion of 'Meteorites from Mars'."   (Although in all fairness, this=
was before the explosion of desert Mars-material, and essentially be=
fore a few specks of Chassigny leaked out and could be found here and there=20=
with any regularity.  But still....)    
 
It was the enormous hype and the subsequent enormous pratfall that was the m=
ost memorable aspect of this (as it turned out) non-auction.   Kar=
ma?   ;-) 
 
       Gregory</HTML>

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Received on Fri 15 Aug 2003 12:58:20 AM PDT

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