Home U.S. Coin Forum

Meteorites made of Nickel and copper alloy . Pictures Udated.

JUst bought my son a neat 3lb Meteorite, probably spelling it wrong, but I have a Cert, it was found in Siberia in 1947, it's cool as cool can be, it's made mostly of Nickel with copper, anyone else collect such a thing. DO you think many years ago Metorites fell and that's where we get our metal alloys deep in the earth from space.


This is a smaller one of the big 3lb I mentioned this is about a pound. Hope you like, 2 different angles.

Comments

  • Well, in a way yes, since everything came from space.
    image
  • garsmithgarsmith Posts: 5,894 ✭✭
    Yes you are spelling it wrong- it is meteorite and meteorites. Now go tell your son how to spell it too. image
  • I think Dave Bowers were selling some of these at one point.
  • BarberianBarberian Posts: 4,122 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I think Dave Bowers were selling some of these at one point. >>



    He was probably picking them out of circulation.
    3 rim nicks away from Good
  • image
    Moon
  • rickoricko Posts: 98,724 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You can find meteorites with a metal detector... and they do bring a premium for those interested in the monetary side of it.... Cheers, RickO
  • BBQnBLUESBBQnBLUES Posts: 1,803
    After seeing some "Toned" coins on eBay, I'd say Kryptonite was involved.
  • YaHaYaHa Posts: 4,220


    << <i>Yes you are spelling it wrong- it is meteorite and meteorites. Now go tell your son how to spell it too. image >>



    Believe me my son would of known, it's just my dumb aass that can't spell late at night or any other time. thanks for the correction. Spell check is a wonderful thingy if they would have it on here.image
  • YaHaYaHa Posts: 4,220


    << <i>I think Dave Bowers were selling some of these at one point. >>




    Who's Dave Bower?
  • SkyManSkyMan Posts: 9,515 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Essentially all of the earth and all it contains come from "star dust" (blown up Novas). Throw in a little primordial hydrogen and Voila!
  • Yep, you can guess our giant nuclear reactors in the sky (stars) for producing all of our heavier elements that we use for coins.
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭
    You're talking about the Sikhote-Alin meteorite, which is one of the largest metal meteorites known. But it's mostly iron, with some nickel. Not copper.

    Three pounds is a pretty large piece. Do you mind if I ask how much you paid for it?
    Occasionally successful coin collector.
  • The Wifes wedding ring is made from meteorite from the Gibson fall it hit the earth 30 million years ago so they say.
    It's what she wanted and it took me about 2plus years to find.
    Support your local gunslinger, you never know when you'll need him
  • critocrito Posts: 1,735


    << <i>

    << <i>I think Dave Bowers were selling some of these at one point. >>




    Who's Dave Bower? >>



    Must have meant Q. David Bowers
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,876 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>The Wifes wedding ring is made from meteorite from the Gibson fall it hit the earth 30 million years ago so they say.
    It's what she wanted and it took me about 2plus years to find. >>



    Very interesting. Was it melted down to cast her ring or was it carved out of a piece of the meteorite? Is there a problem with it rusting or staining your wife's finger? Got a pic?

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • guitarwesguitarwes Posts: 9,290 ✭✭✭


    That girl on the Travel Channel went somewhere and detected for meteorites. They found a few, I think they were mostly iron though. We have something in Georgia called Tektites (sp?). They are worth a premium (or so I've heard).

    @ Elite CNC Routing & Woodworks on Facebook. Check out my work.
    Too many positive BST transactions with too many members to list.
  • From the web:
    "The 1947 Siberian event is considered in most literature as one of the two most significant events this century where the earth has encountered objects from space. It was an iron meteorite that broke up only about 5 miles above the earth. It produced over 100 craters with the largest being around 85 feet in diameter. The strewnfield covered an area of about 1 mile by a half mile. There were no fires or similar destruction like that found at Tunguska. Shredded trees and broken branches mostly. A total of 23 tons of meteorites were recovered and it's been estimated it's total mass was around 70 tons when it broke up."
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>The Wifes wedding ring is made from meteorite from the Gibson fall it hit the earth 30 million years ago so they say.
    It's what she wanted and it took me about 2plus years to find. >>



    Very interesting. Was it melted down to cast her ring or was it carved out of a piece of the meteorite? Is there a problem with it rusting or staining your wife's finger? Got a pic? >>



    The Gibeon meteorite is one of the OTHER big nickel/iron meteorites. It probably hit a lot more recently than 30 million years ago. It was first discovered by Europeans around 1830, although the locals had been using it for tools and weapons for a lot longer than that.

    One of the great things about Gibeon is the Widmanstatten patterns that are created in it. Basically, all metal meteors start out as blobs of molten metal. Because the vacuum of space is such a poor conductor of heat, it takes thousands of years to cool and solidify. During this time, the metal settles out in two alloys. One with a higher nickel content and one with a lower content (e.g. 95% iron and 85% iron).

    When you cut open a piece of Gibeon and wash it with a mild acid, the patterns of these two alloys can be observed. Collectively it's called "Octahedrite" because the lines go in eight different directions. Each alloy has a name (which I forget, sorry).

    Anyway, each metal meteorite can be identified by it's octahedrite patterns. Gibeon has one of the best (IMHO) and it's frequently cut and prepared in this fashion. I have a sphere at home, as well as some slices. Usually you can find a good selection of samples with pix on eBay.

    Because of the nature of the two alloys, octahedrite is pretty hard. It also seems to resist rust better than you'd think. I live about a mile from the ocean in SoCal, and haven't had a problem (yet) in 6 years.

    There'd be no point in melting down and recasting the metal, because then you'd lose the widmanstatten patterns in the octahedrite, and it would look like any other nickel-iron alloy.

    But you can't fake the widmanstatten patterns...unless you want to wait a few millenia for your metal to cool! image
    Occasionally successful coin collector.
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭
    Most meteorites are named after the place where they crashed. Gibeon was discovered in what is now Namibia.
    Occasionally successful coin collector.


  • << <i>

    << <i>The Wifes wedding ring is made from meteorite from the Gibson fall it hit the earth 30 million years ago so they say.
    It's what she wanted and it took me about 2plus years to find. >>



    Very interesting. Was it melted down to cast her ring or was it carved out of a piece of the meteorite? Is there a problem with it rusting or staining your wife's finger? Got a pic? >>



    Not sure how they did it no rust or staining here's some pics of it, she chose this over a diamond telling me anyone can go to the jewelry store but this you'll have to work at.
    imageimage
    image
    Support your local gunslinger, you never know when you'll need him
  • RunnersDadRunnersDad Posts: 1,080 ✭✭✭
    That is very cool!
    Mike

    Visit my son's caringbridge page @ Runner's Caringbridge Page

    "To Give Anything Less than Your Best, Is to Sacrifice the Gift" - Steve Prefontaine
  • Man MrBear knows his meteorites I pulled all the paper work from the house files and he nailed it dead on, YaHa how about a pic of your sons meteorite.
    Support your local gunslinger, you never know when you'll need him
  • BroadstruckBroadstruck Posts: 30,497 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Three pounds is a pretty large piece. Do you mind if I ask how much you paid for it?

    Knowing Yaha's OT threads it would be save to assume that he traded a 3 pound Assteroid (AKA Hemorrhoid) for it! image
    To Err Is Human.... To Collect Err's Is Just Too Much Darn Tootin Fun!
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>The Wifes wedding ring is made from meteorite from the Gibson fall it hit the earth 30 million years ago so they say.
    It's what she wanted and it took me about 2plus years to find. >>



    Very interesting. Was it melted down to cast her ring or was it carved out of a piece of the meteorite? Is there a problem with it rusting or staining your wife's finger? Got a pic? >>



    Not sure how they did it no rust or staining here's some pics of it, she chose this over a diamond telling me anyone can go to the jewelry store but this you'll have to work at.
    >>



    That's very a interesting look. I've never seen a Gibeon like that. Usually the surface is flat, with the Widmanstatten patterns criss-crossing each other. I guess the designer used a stronger acid that etched one of the two alloys more than the other. (and it probably cost a lot less than a diamond, too!)

    My buddy has a rock shop in Santa Monica, and he sells rings that are just cut and bent strips of meteorite (not welded and finished like your wife's ring).

    I'm on the road right now, or I'd show a picture of one my rocks, but this is a decent photo I found online:

    image
    Occasionally successful coin collector.
  • northcoinnorthcoin Posts: 4,987 ✭✭✭✭✭
    [But you can't fake the widmanstatten patterns...unless you want to wait a few millenia for your metal to cool! image >>




    Now there is a toner for you. Too bad the cavemen hadn't invented window ledges for their caves to speed up the process.image
  • fastrudyfastrudy Posts: 2,096
    Meteorites:

    Were a great source of almost pure iron for primative tribes.

    A meteorite is alleged to have been found and displayed in the main mosque at Mecca.


    A local gem and mineral show near me had a meteorite that was mostly iron. It was a slab about 1/2" thick and 8" x 6". Inside the slab (like raisans in bread) were gem quality peridot crystals. The price was $35,000. Let's just say I bought a less expensive one.
    Successful transactions with: DCarr, Meltdown, Notwilight, Loki, MMR, Musky1011, cohodk, claychaser, cheezhed, guitarwes, Hayden, USMoneyLover

    Proud recipient of two "You Suck" awards
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Meteorites:

    Were a great source of almost pure iron for primative tribes.

    A meteorite is alleged to have been found and displayed in the main mosque at Mecca.


    A local gem and mineral show near me had a meteorite that was mostly iron. It was a slab about 1/2" thick and 8" x 6". Inside the slab (like raisans in bread) were gem quality peridot crystals. The price was $35,000. Let's just say I bought a less expensive one. >>



    That's a Pallasite type of meteorite. They're the most expensive metallic ones. I have a small one I got at the gem & mineral show in Orange County a few years ago. It rusted pretty quickly! Fortunately it was cheap. About sixty bucks. The MOST expensive meteorites, period, are martian and lunar. Martian meteorites are over $1000 PER GRAM, and lunar meteorites are about twice as much.

    Here's a nice pallasite...

    image
    Occasionally successful coin collector.
  • YaHaYaHa Posts: 4,220


    << <i>

    << <i>Meteorites:

    Were a great source of almost pure iron for primative tribes.

    A meteorite is alleged to have been found and displayed in the main mosque at Mecca.


    A local gem and mineral show near me had a meteorite that was mostly iron. It was a slab about 1/2" thick and 8" x 6". Inside the slab (like raisans in bread) were gem quality peridot crystals. The price was $35,000. Let's just say I bought a less expensive one. >>



    That's a Pallasite type of meteorite. They're the most expensive metallic ones. I have a small one I got at the gem & mineral show in Orange County a few years ago. It rusted pretty quickly! Fortunately it was cheap. About sixty bucks. The MOST expensive meteorites, period, are martian and lunar. Martian meteorites are over $1000 PER GRAM, and lunar meteorites are about twice as much.

    Here's a nice pallasite...

    image >>





    That is a cool Meteorite, that one you have was shave off of a huge one I think? I have saw some like that and thats what I was told.


    The 3lb one I have cost me a pretty penny, but I have tried to take pictures of both and I can't get them uploaded because of the 50kb limit this system has, I think I was able to get a smaller verison of the same type I bought and sent it to photobucket, I should have a pic later this week. It's about 4 inches wide and 8 inches round in thickest point. Sorry I can't get a pic of the big boy. But again the little one is similar.
  • MrBearMrBear Posts: 379 ✭✭✭


    << <i>

    << <i>

    << <i>Meteorites:

    Were a great source of almost pure iron for primative tribes.

    A meteorite is alleged to have been found and displayed in the main mosque at Mecca.


    A local gem and mineral show near me had a meteorite that was mostly iron. It was a slab about 1/2" thick and 8" x 6". Inside the slab (like raisans in bread) were gem quality peridot crystals. The price was $35,000. Let's just say I bought a less expensive one. >>



    That's a Pallasite type of meteorite. They're the most expensive metallic ones. I have a small one I got at the gem & mineral show in Orange County a few years ago. It rusted pretty quickly! Fortunately it was cheap. About sixty bucks. The MOST expensive meteorites, period, are martian and lunar. Martian meteorites are over $1000 PER GRAM, and lunar meteorites are about twice as much.

    Here's a nice pallasite...


    image >>





    That is a cool Meteorite, that one you have was shave off of a huge one I think? I have saw some like that and thats what I was told.


    The 3lb one I have cost me a pretty penny, but I have tried to take pictures of both and I can't get them uploaded because of the 50kb limit this system has, I think I was able to get a smaller verison of the same type I bought and sent it to photobucket, I should have a pic later this week. It's about 4 inches wide and 8 inches round in thickest point. Sorry I can't get a pic of the big boy. But again the little one is similar. >>



    IIRC, Sikhotes cost around $1/gram, so if you got that meteorite for anything less than around $1300, you did good!
    Occasionally successful coin collector.
  • YaHaYaHa Posts: 4,220
    Pics added.

Leave a Comment

BoldItalicStrikethroughOrdered listUnordered list
Emoji
Image
Align leftAlign centerAlign rightToggle HTML viewToggle full pageToggle lights
Drop image/file