Willamette Meteorite Slice - 12.47 Grams. Iron, IIIAB; Shocked and Recrystallized. Clackamas County, Oregon, USA - (45...

Description

Meteorites

Willamette Meteorite Slice - 12.47 Grams
Iron, IIIAB; Shocked and Recrystallized
Clackamas County, Oregon, USA - (45° 22'N, 122° 35'W)
Found: 1902

This rare specimen offers an extraordinary opportunity to own a genuine slice of the legendary Willamette Meteorite, the largest meteorite ever discovered in North America and one of the most iconic extraterrestrial objects on Earth. Weighing 12.47 grams, this complete slice features a portion of the meteorite's original exterior rim along with a visible Troilite inclusion in the lower right corner-hallmarks of the meteorite's complex formation and shock history. The Willamette Meteorite-an Iron, IIIAB type-underwent shocking and recrystallization, likely due to a cataclysmic impact in space prior to its arrival on Earth. It is believed to have fallen in what is now Canada or Montana and was transported to Oregon by glacial movement during the last Ice Age. Officially discovered in 1902, the 15.5-ton mass was exhibited at the 1905 World's Fair and later gifted by philanthropist Mrs. William E. Dodge to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, where it has remained on public display for over a century. Seen or touched by an estimated 50 million visitors, the Willamette has become the most photographed and widely recognized meteorite in the world. It has served as a centerpiece in both the Hayden Planetarium and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. In 1999, following a high-profile legal and cultural dispute with a coalition of Oregonian Native American tribes, it was agreed in an out-of-court settlement that the meteorite would remain at the museum permanently and never again be cut. As such, slices of this meteorite are extremely rare and no longer obtainable from the source. This expertly prepared slice is an exceptional piece of planetary history, worthy of the finest private, institutional, or academic collections.
Measurements: 1.76 x 1.25 x 0.08 inches (4.48 x 3.17 x 0.20 cm), weighs 12.47 grams

Provenance: Property of a Distinguished Southern California Collector

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