[meteorite-list] EBAY Slag for sale

[STARSANDSCOPES at aol.com]

Hi List,  The slag that Herman and Randy  are talking about can be very 
enticing to those not familiar with it and really  want to see what they want to 
see.  About 5 years ago I was fooled.   While hunting for meteorites in an area 
around Las Vegas I found some stones  that were high iron and tested positive 
for nickel.   They looked like  a mesosiderite.  

I listed a few (5 in total) on eBay as a possible  meteorite.  This was 
before I had one tested and shown to be not a  meteorite.  One of the winners 
stopped by my house on his way to The Tucson  Show.  He was impressed but his 
companion recognized the material for what  it was and asked if there were any 
train tracks in the area.  

I  went to where I had found my samples and walked about a half mile up a  
wash.  I came on a very old mining rail remnant.  All track had been  removed 
many years ago but the slag pile that was used to fill between the ties  was 
still evident.  It was a mile long strip of valuable  meteorites!

I accepted the fact that this stuff was not a meteorite, but  it seems others 
(perhaps intentionally) will not look at the facts.

The  old methods of iron production left a lot of iron in the slag.  Modern  
foundrys are more efficient.  Consequently, the old slag seems like there  is 
no way it could be a waist product with so much iron in it.  I don't  know why 
this slag tests positive for nickel, but it does! 

Tom  Phillips   starsinthedirt  




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