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Lot 2363

Chinga Meteorite with Stand

7 December 2021, 10:00 PST
Los Angeles

Sold for US$2,550 inc. premium

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Chinga Meteorite with Stand

Ataxite, Ni-rich (IVAB-ANOM)
Tanna Tuva, Turvinskaya, Russia

Chinga was discovered in 1913 by gold diggers in Tuva, near the Chinga River, after which it is named. It is a remote area near the Tannu-Ola Mountains, the boundary between Tuva and Mongolia. Studies from the fluvial deposits in which Chinga was found indicate that it fell approximately 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. It exploded while coursing through the atmosphere and the pieces then impacted a glacier.

Subsequently, thirty pieces of the meteorite were sent to the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg for study. The chemical composition of Chinga is 82.8% iron and 16.6% nickel, with the remainder being primarily cobalt and phosphorus. Chinga is known for its bright patina produced by its uniquely high nickel content and this meteorite is among the most intrinsically valuable given this composition. The total known weight (TKW) of this meteorite is only about ~462 lbs.

The present specimen is a complete individual with regmaglypts. Weighing approximately 2885 grams and measuring 5 1/2 x 5 x 2 in. Height with stand: 5 1/2 in

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