PORTALES VALLEY METEORITE — INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FEATURES OF AN EXOTIC METEORITE REVEALED
H6 Anomalous
Roosevelt County, New Mexico

Portales Valley, another extremely unusual meteorite in an offering filled with them, fell on June 13, 1998. The Portales Valley meteorite shower was a relatively modest event except for the fact there is no other meteorite quite like Portales Valley in appearance and there is little agreement between scientists as to how this scroll-like meteorite formed. It appears to be a transitional stage between other known classes of meteorites and has been recently referred to as the archetype of a metallic melt breccia. Portales Valley contains chondrules (small spherules of silica) yet it is the only chondrite to contain coarse graphite nodules and large crystalline bands of metal. The blue-grey silicated matrix is blanketed with metalflake and the external surface is rippling with metallic veins. Some specimens of Portales Valley are entirely comprised of stone while others are entirely comprised of metal. The specimen offered here contains the sought-after blend of the two materials, and the light fissures associated with Portales Valley are seen in this quintessential specimen. Found just days after the actual meteorite shower, this end piece originates from the second largest mass of Portales Valley that was recovered. Other portions from this same mass can be found in museums throughout the world. For meteorite cognoscenti, this is a prestigious addition to any collection—and one that splendidly reveals the internal and external structure of an exotic meteorite. 58 x 133 x 49mm (2.25 x 5.25 x 2 inches) and 657.3 grams (1.5 pounds).

Estimate: $13,000 – 17,500