Cassiterite (historic material)

Item Description

The town of Horni Slavkov (Schlaggenwald in German) dates back to the 13th century, was one of the most renowned and important mining towns in Europe, thanks to its unprecedented development primarily of tin mining. There was a great deal of construction work at the beginning of the 16th century as a result of a further influx of inhabitants. The significance of the town is borne out by the construction and operation of a mint from 1525 to 1526. Under the rule of the Pluh family, the town had 4000 inhabitants and it was of equal importance to Kutna Hora and Jachymov. Annual production was approximately 500 tons of tin up to the end of the 16th century. This is a classic old time Cassiterite specimen from Schlaggenwald featuring sharp, lustrous, cyclic twinned crystals measuring up to 1.3 cm on matrix. The piece does have some broken crystals, but there are some fine undamaged Cassiterites as well. If you've ever wanted a piece of this significant material from one of the most important tin producers in history. Labels from Harvery Gordon and Stachura Minerals accompany the piece.