Freibergite Subgroup (rare locality specimen)

Item Description

A notably hard to find specimen from the obscure Galena Mine near Wallace, Idaho, featuring a group of sharp, metallic, dark silvery-grey colored tetrahedral crystals of the Freibergite Subgroup measuring up to 5 mm, associated with translucent tan rhombs of Siderite on matrix. Now Freibergite itself is no longer a valid species, and the actual subgroup includes the species Argentotetrahedrite-(Fe) and Kenoargentotetrahedrite-(Fe) (with more to come most likely as there are additional members in the series that have yet to be fully approved by the IMA), but you cannot identify them visually, and they have to be analyzed chemically. The entry for this locality on mindat.org questions if these are in fact a Freibergite species, perhaps they could be part of the Arsenofreibergite Subgroup, but to the best of my knowledge, there is no literature that details any analysis. With that said, this is still a wonderful and impressive specimen from a rare locality, which would make a fantastic addition to a sulfide/sulfosalt collection, especially considering that the crystals are clearly eye-visible and fine quality to boot. From the collection of Daniel ("Dan") W. Behnke (July 31, 1932 - January 20, 2020) of Glenview, Illinois. Dan was an Associate Photographer of both the Mineralogical Record and Rock and Minerals magazines. He served as the Micromount chairman of the Midwest Federation of Mineralogical Societies from 1981 to 1988. He was elected to the National Board of Directors of the Friends of Mineralogy in 1989, and the Micromounters Hall of Fame in 2007. He was a beloved member of the mineral collecting community, most notably for his supreme skill at photomicrography. If you've ever seen any of Dan's micro photos on mindat.org, it's easy to see why he was one of the best in this field. You can read his obituary at https://www.nhscotthanekamp.com/obituaries/Daniel-W-Behnke?obId=10633628