
33. DRONINO PARTIAL SLICE
IRON UNGR
Ryazan District, Russia (54° 44' N, 41° 25' E)
Found 2000 / TKW: 3 tons
There is no other meteorite that looks like a Dronino — and that pertains to both the exterior surface as well as its internal matrix. Dronino belongs to the “ungrouped” population of iron meteorites; chemically unrelated to any of the established groups, Dronino specimens are the sole known samples of an asteroid that no longer exists.
Dronino was first discovered in 2000 by a mushroom hunter outside an ancient town founded in 1152. Lured by both the meteorites and mushrooms, meteorite hunters — including most notably Sergey Afanasiev and Dima Sadilenko — have been returning ever since but today the site is nearly depleted…of meteorites.
59 x 63 x 5mm (2.33 x 2.5 x 0.1 inches) and 129.9 grams (0.25 lbs)
Estimate $250 – 400 * No Reserve