Just over one hundred years ago, the legendary Johnstown diogenite fell during John Moore’s funeral in the town of Johnstown, Colorado. While startling attendees, there were no reports of anyone being scared to death but there nearly was a second funeral as the main mass fell close to Moore’s mourners. Following the interruption, there was a pause in the service and attendees recovered the main mass. Johnstown originates from the deep crust of the asteroid Vesta — the only asteroid which can be seen with the naked eye. Large crystals of orthopyroxene are seen on the polished face of this endpiece whose obverse is covered with fusion crust and a catalog number “135039” from the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki.

42 x 19 x 10mm (1.66 x 0.75 x 0.33 in.) and 9.37 grams (46 carats)

Provenance: Finnish Museum of Natural History, Helsinki
Macovich Collection of Meteorites, NYC

Estimate: $2,000 – 2,500 * Reserve: $2,000