Cinnabar ex Sir Robert Ferguson (1769-1840)

Item Description

An old-time, rich and hefty mercury ore specimen from this historic district. Glassy, gemmy, cherry-red cinnabar crystals are concentrated on the front of the massive ore matrix. This piece dates (according to a label) to the collection of Sir Robert Ferguson (1769-1840). The old label is his and the label was apparently written for Ferguson by Henry Heuland (1778-1856). He was the world's major mineral dealer of his day. Ferguson was a member of Parliament and the landed nobility from Fife, Scotland (he had stopped collecting by 1810 AS A RESULT OF A DIVORCE SETTLEMENT INVOLVING LORD ELGIN OF THE MARBLES FAME! ). A real antique! From a major rarities collection. A must for the species or locality collector.