Galena (1770s!) Hess & Robertson Coll.

Item Description

OLD-TIME, RARE galena from the ancient mines in this area! Mining started in the 1100's and continued until the 1930s, when the last mine closed (MINDAT). Two sharp, intergrown lustrous battleship-gray cubes comprise this very showy old piece. The stepped-growth faces add pizzazz to this rare old-timer. Formerly in the Frank Hess Collection. His label indicates the piece was found 1775-78! Ex Kay Robertson Collection # 7615 and acquired from Larry Conklin in Spring, 1975. Kay is a prominent California collector, who specialized in European classics (see the article in the March-April, 2007 Mineralogical Record and the 50+ page article in the German Magazine "Mineralien Velt" November-December 2017). VERY RARE and classic OLD German galena.