Iron, IIIAB
Pierceville, Kansas (37° 52'N, 100° 40'W)
Accompanied by a Center for Meteorite Studies identification card
Dimensions (height x width x depth): 2 x 3 1/8 x 7/8 in. (5.1 x 7.9 x 2.2 cm)
Weight: 0.3 lbs. (150.1 g)
Provenance: Geoffrey Notkin / Aerolite Meteorites Inc. and Center for Meteorite Studies, ASU, Tempe, Arizona

In 1953, Dr. H.H. Nininger reported a Mr. Orf in September of 1952 visiting the American Meteorite Museum in Winslow, Arizona after a trip to Kansas, bringing with him a number of pieces of ‘iron ore’ which he requested to have tested to determine whether or not they were meteorites. After inspection, it was realized that the specimens were from an oxidized metallic meteorite. After subsequent research, Harvey and his wife, Addie Nininger, visited the find site and located a buried mass using an army surplus mine detector. The two were given permission to excavate the site, finding a broken mass of oxide and scattered fragments totaling 230 pounds in weight. Though this mass sighting occurred in 1953, the meteorite fragments were first located in 1917. When he retired, Dr. Nininger sold part of his collection to the Center for Meteorite Studies at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. This historic piece was acquired directly from ASU in an institutional trade. While Dr. Nininger purchased, sold and traded thousands of meteorites during his impressive career, he personally found comparatively few specimens. This actual find by Nininger is half iron with a highly polished face displaying a faint Widmanstätten pattern and is accompanied by an original Center for Meteorite Studies identification card. This excellent specimen measures 2 x 3 1/8 x 7/8 in. and weighs 0.3 pounds.