Extensive research points to Vesta, one of the largest asteroids at 555 km in diameter, as the parent body of this eucrite that fell onto Australia’s Outback in October 1960. After searches were later undertaken by aborigines (who left their government-subsidized jobs picking fruit to earn more collecting meteorites), further specimens of Millbillillie were recovered.

Millbillillie is a eucrite; it originated as a basalt flow on or near the surface of the second largest, and brightest, asteroid in the solar system — which at times is visible to the naked eye. Most scientists believe eucrites originate from Vesta because it is the only large asteroid with a basalt-covered surface. Data transmitted from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft, which orbited the asteroid Vesta in 2011 and 2012, support the conclusion of Vestan origin. And then there is the matter of a mammoth scoop of Vesta that is “missing” as a result of a cataclysmic impact with another asteroid. In counterpoint to the most primitive meteorite in this offering (see lot 70), Millbillillie is an achondrite: it does not contain chondrules. The chondritic material from which it originated underwent complete melting on Vesta.

This specimen itself evidences atmospheric frictional heating in three ways: patches of a glossy black “burnt sugar” fusion crust is seen as are aerodynamic regmaglypts on the reverse and flow lines—artifacts of the molten material flowing across the mass while the rock plunged through Earth’s atmosphere. The crust is further infused with a warm persimmon-hued band of terrestrial caliche (calcium carbonate), a signature of Millbillillie, courtesy of the Australian Outback. Embodying Millbillillie’s finest qualities, this is a select example of a legendary Australian meteorite.

Christie's would like to thank Dr. Alan E. Rubin at the Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles for his assistance in preparing this catalogue.


42 x 54 x 29mm (1.66 x 2 x 1 in.) and 115.8g (0.25 lbs)