**First Time At Auction**

Russia, Siberia, Sikhote-Alin Mountains, Maritime Province, fall date and time: February 12, 1947, 10:38 am local time. This is a spectacular collection of natural history! This gathering includes two fragments composed of iron and nickel from a meteorite and a paper stamp commemorating the 10th anniversary of the event. In 1947, an iron meteorite fell upon the Sikhote-Alin Mountains in southeastern Russia during daylight appearing like a fireball - even brighter than the sun, according to witnesses. Never had a fall of such magnitude and impact been recorded! The meteorite fell at a speed of 14.5 kilometers per second (8.7 miles per second or 31,000 miles per hour). It left a dramatic trail of smoke and dust that was reportedly 20 miles long; light and sound effects were observed for 200 miles around the point of impact. These fragments are part of the approximately 70 metric tons of material that made it through the atmosphere. These meteorite fragments covered an area of half a square mile, with some fragments found embedded in tree trunks nearby! Amazingly the artist P. J. Medvedev was about to paint a picture when he witnessed the meteorite and he quickly sketched the dramatic event which became the basis for a larger painting. On November 20, 1957 the Soviet Union issued this stamp that reproduced Medvedev’s painting to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the meteorite. This meteorite clearly left a big impact on all who witnessed this spectacular event! Size of larger fragment: 2" L x 1" W (5.1 cm x 2.5 cm); stamp: 1.5" L x 1" W (3.8 cm x 2.5 cm); total weight of both: 104.9 grams

Provenance: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010

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#164288

Perforation through center of stamp and slight bending of form. Meteorites are fragments with expected surface pitting and some orange oxidation.