Product Description
ITEM #
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AMX-196
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ID
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Phylloceras isotypum
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FOUND
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Solnhofen Platenkalk Formation -
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AGE
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JURASSIC (OXFORDIAN): 161.2 - 151 million years ago
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SIZE
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16" x 11.75" overall, ammonite is 4.5" across
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CONDITION
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NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION
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NOTE
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VERY RARE AND ONE OF THE BEST WE EVER HAD!
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INCLUDES STAND - Actual Item - One Only
Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet |
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AMMONITES
Famous for producing an astonishing diversity of rare and most intricately preserved fossils found anywhere in the world, the Jurassic lithographic limestone deposits of southern Germany are legendary. Quarries in the region are privately held and mostly worked by hand on a small scale. The finest grade fossils are few and far between and much rock must be split to locate them. The best fossils are most often kept by the quarry owners who themselves, are often collectors. Some quarries are operated on a large scale but these are now dug with machinery instead of manual labor. Because of this the rock is damaged and along with it, the rare fossils. What all this means today is that even fewer fine grade Solnhofen fossils are found and when they are, rarely do the best pieces make it to market. Occasionally, an old private collection surfaces and specimens are sold or traded. This is where the rare opportunity comes along to acquire a specimen on a level that truly is a prize find. Typically, the older material is often the best as it was collected when the deposits were first being worked and quality was in greater abundance.
This is an Oxfordian Age Jurassic ammonite fossil of the species Phylloceras isotypum. Not only is this a rare ammonite from Solnhofen, it is an extremely attractive specimen of sizeable proportions. The limestone plate it is on is a very large and UNBROKEN slab adding to its overall aesthetics. This species was very hydrodynamic in its body design and it lacked exterior ridged chamber detail. Instead, it looked like a smooth, discus-shaped ammonite hence the lack of such detail in this fossil. What you can see is superb detail of the centrum and whorls with even a defined end of the shell. This is as perfect an ammonite fossil from Solnhofen as you could ever expect and as a RARE species, it is a perfect piece for advanced collections of unique specimens. NO RESTORATION, FABRICATION OR REPAIR.