Exceptional Results from Sotheby's July Natural History Auction
July 17th 2024 saw the annual Natural History Auction at Sotheby’s in New York cause quite a commotion with record-breaking sales including a mounted Stegosaurus Skeleton becoming the new most expensive dinosaur ever sold at auction. Below are some stand-out sales from the auction alongside examples available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects Gallery
Fossils
Auction results surrounding fossils were hugely positive, with ‘Apex’ the mounted Stegosaurus Skeleton fetching an impressive $44,600,000, smashing its pre auction estimate of $4-6 million. The skeleton measures approximately 11 feet tall and nearly 27 feet long from nose to tail, with a femur length of 45 inches and contains 254 fossil bone elements. This skeleton surpasses the record for the most expensive dinosaur fossil ever sold at auction, overtaking Stan the T-Rex which sold for $31.5 million in 2022.
The fossil shown below one of the vertebrae of the iconic Edmontosaurus and was discovered in Hell Creek Formation, Wyoming, USA .This piece measures 57 x 26 x 7 cm and dates back to the Late Cretaceous period (68-66 million years ago).
Fossilised Fish Murals
Eocene era fish fossils are some of the most abundant on Earth with Green River Formation being home to hundreds of species of these well-preserved pieces of history. However, discovering a plate containing so many different examples of fish is incredibly rare with the below being home to 6 varieties. This triptych had a pre-auction estimate of $12,000-18,000 and tripled its lower estimate selling for $38,400.
Also discovered at Green River Formation, this fossilised fish mural contains samples of three fish: Knightia eocaena, Diplomystus dentatus and Priscacara liops. This wall mounted mural measures 89 x 68 x 3 cm and dates back over 50 million years.
Gogottes
The auction results for gogottes were also successful with all samples selling with half surpassing their pre-auction estimates. The gogotte below sold for an impressive $16,800, smashing its $3,000-5,000 estimate.
Made of tiny quartz fragments held together by calcium carbonate and naturally sculpted, gogottes are only found in one cave in the world in Fontainebleau, France. Gogottes natural curves also served as inspirations to the likes of Surrealists Henry Moore and Louise Bourgeois.
The gogotte shown below has been nicknamed ‘Wren’, for its bird-like formation with an eye and swirling fluid-lined beak.
Space material
Found in the Libyan desert outside of the oasis town of Ghadamis in 2021, Gadamis 003 (seen below) is an exceptional Lunar Meteorite polished into the shape of a sphere. The sphere contains a high number of anorthitic clasts, encircled by darker cataclastic veining throughout, and displays distinct areas of reddish coloration contrasting its colours of grey and white.
Even rarer than its lunar alternative, Mars meteorites are also highly collectable with just 277 Mars meteorites having ever been discovered. The example below is available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects and measures 6 x 4 x 0.2 cm. Discovered in North West Africa, this piece has been cut into a slice in order to reveal its interior.
Iridescent Ammonites
Lot 21 of the auction was a stunning mounted 48 x 43 x 7.6 cm iridescent ammonite with a full spectrum of colours, displaying true gem quality. This ammonite (Pictured below) hammered at $72,000 with an estimate of $30,000-$50,000.
Along with amber and pearl, ammolite is one of the world's only biogenic gems. The shimmering optical properties of the ammolite is similar to that of inorganic opal with its iridescence not only being aesthetically pleasing but also providing important information to palaeontologists. The colours and patterns on the shell can help identify different species and provide clues about the environmental conditions in which they lived. Some researchers even use the iridescence of ammonites to study the evolution of colour and optical properties in animals.
The Iridescent ammonite shown below measures 42 x 45 cm and is accompanied by a bespoke display stand. This piece, available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects, contains a large concentration of blue and purple hues, rare in this proportion due to blue being the top layer and therefore being worn away first by nature.
Megalodon Shark Tooth
This Miocene Megalodon shark tooth (pictured below) was discovered in Georgia and once belonged to a Otodus megalodon, a fierce predator dating back to over 5 million years ago. Estimated to sell for between $3,000-$5,000, this piece eventually hammered for $9,600
The Megalodon tooth shown below measures 13.5 x 12 x 3 cm and is accompanied by a bespoke display stand. This piece, available to purchase from Extraordinary Objects, was discovered on the North Carolina coast and is an excellent example of Early Miocene natural history, dating back to 23 million years ago.
Explore our full collection of Natural History including rare fossils, minerals and meteorites, click below. To find out more about any of the works featured please feel free to get in touch.