Chalcocite Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut,...
Chalcocite Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA "A 2.5 inch stalactite of sharp black chalcocite crystals. A very fine specimen from this classic locality. Traded from Union College in Albany [sic], NY when Elmer Rowlie was curator there. It is from the Wheatley collection." - Rock H. Currier The problem with Chalcocite is that it is, to quote one old miner: "Good Ore!!" Which means that most of this black mineral went directly into the smelter furnace and not into collections. Complicating the matter even further is the fact that Chalcocite rarely appears as crystals - at all! Most of the time it's just a black smear on the host rock. Reputedly, the Bristol Mine shaft, from which this specimen emerged, is now a repository for wrecked automobiles, unceremoniously dumped down the shaft. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. P.S. Union College is in Schenectady, not Albany as Rock asserted. It has a custom acrylic base. Overall Measurements: 2.8 x 1.0 x 1.0 inches (7.0 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm) Offered at no reserve Provenance: Ex. Union College, Ex. Wheatley Collections [RHC #1900, acquired 1975] MinID 75A-MKJ [Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]
HID09710052018
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Chalcocite Bristol Copper Mine, Bristol, Hartford Co., Connecticut, USA "A 2.5 inch stalactite of sharp black chalcocite crystals. A very fine specimen from this classic locality. Traded from Union College in Albany [sic], NY when Elmer Rowlie was curator there. It is from the Wheatley collection." - Rock H. Currier The problem with Chalcocite is that it is, to quote one old miner: "Good Ore!!" Which means that most of this black mineral went directly into the smelter furnace and not into collections. Complicating the matter even further is the fact that Chalcocite rarely appears as crystals - at all! Most of the time it's just a black smear on the host rock. Reputedly, the Bristol Mine shaft, from which this specimen emerged, is now a repository for wrecked automobiles, unceremoniously dumped down the shaft. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi. P.S. Union College is in Schenectady, not Albany as Rock asserted. It has a custom acrylic base. Overall Measurements: 2.8 x 1.0 x 1.0 inches (7.0 x 2.5 x 2.5 cm) Offered at no reserve Provenance: Ex. Union College, Ex. Wheatley Collections [RHC #1900, acquired 1975] MinID 75A-MKJ [Scale: 1 inch, with mark at 1 cm]
HID09710052018
© 2019 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
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Time, Location
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