19. ANGRA DOS REIS — THE NAMESAKE FOR ANGRITES
Angrite
Angra dos Reis, Brazil (22°58’S, 44°19’W)
Fell January 20, 1869 / TKW: 1.5 kg
On January 20, 1869 a meteorite was seen to fall in a bay of the Angra dos Reis region of Brazil — about 100 miles west of Rio de Janeiro. Against all odds, the next day two fragments were recovered at a depth of two meters. There were further “near misses”. In 1997 Angra dos Reis was stolen from the National Museum in Rio. The specimen was recovered and the thief, a meteorite dealer, was incarcerated. In 2018 the Museum experienced a horrific fire and it was believed Angra dos Reis was yet again gone — and it was again safely recovered. Once in a blue moon, now offered — with a strip of fusion crust — is an extremely rare sample of one of the most famous meteorites known and the only angrite witnessed fall.
15 x 7 x 6mm (0.66 x 0.25 x 0.25 inches) and 1.19 grams (6 carats)
Provenance:
Phillip C. Mani Meteorite Collection, Fort Worth
Estimate $10,000 – 12,000 * No Reserve