Chondrite – H5; Roosevelt County, New Mexico

Metal-rich specimen with large metal veins and near-flawless crust.

Portales Valley is a very rare meteorite, an iron-rich impact-breccia. Iron was liquified and filled the fractures after an impact, then solidified. This is now the remaining main mass, the two larger pieces having been cut up. It was found 48 hours after the fall by Skip Wilson, a famous meteorite hunter who amazingly had pieces fall on his farm. On 13 June 1998 after detonations were heard and smoky trails seen in the sky, a shower of meteorites landed near Portales, New Mexico. 53 objects were recovered, with a total mass of 71.4 kg. This is the largest example extant.

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.
150 mm x 130 mm x 145 mm
5026g.

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