ROUNDSPRINGS METEORITE — THE MAIN MASS OF A STONE METEORITE STEEPED ON EARTH
H5
Roundsprings, Lincoln County, Kansas

Seldom obtainable, the main mass of a meteorite is the largest portion of a given meteorite (or in the case of multiple specimens, the largest amount of material). This offering is the main mass—the largest portion of the only mass of the Roundsprings meteorite. The exterior surface is deep brown; the matrix ranges from grey to black and from bronze to mahagony with a dappling of bright metallic flakes. Roundsprings was found in a pasture in Lincoln County, Kansas by a local farmer who later used the meteorite to keep a door open and assist in car repairs. It was identified as a meteorite in 1998. The main mass of any meteorite is a prestigious addition to any collection. However, the value of the Roundsprings main mass is enhanced by it being one of the more fascinating terrestrially tinted meteorites known. Meteorites almost never exhibit a spectrum of hues seen here—the result of water and the mineralization of Kansas farmland having seeped into the meteorite over decades, at least, and selectively staining the matrix in much the same way that minerals seeped into the fallen trees that later fossilized into petrified wood. Born of outer space and steeped on Earth, Roundsprings will only grace a handful of collections—and this is most of it—and its tinting combined with its primitive art-like morphology makes Roundsprings an uncommonly wondrous offering. 162 x 121 x 48mm (6.25 x 4.75 x 2 inches) and 1199 grams (2.5 pounds).

Estimate: $4,500 - 6,000