The "Show Poster Pyrite"

Item Description

This famous specimen speaks for itself. It is one of those very few mineral specimens that is simply described as "iconic" for its overall look and shape - and the value and desirability has nothing really to do primarily, and at first gut feeling of appreciation, with species or locality (although the details of these add to the appreciation we feel, secondarily and intellectually!). This very visual, photogenic piece from the famous Denver Show Poster is a group of six prominent pyritohedral crystals of textbook form but unusually perfect development. It is a large thumbnail, bordering on a small miniature, but the value and appeal is independent of size. You cannot but be moved, seeing and holding this spectacular piece. It is unique. It has a long history with a Keith Williams Minerals label stating it came from the Walter Payne Collection in 1961, and an intermediate label from George Stevens of Tucson, Arizona. Payne obtained it in 1982 from the great Colorado collector and dealer, the late Benjy Kuehling, as they were good friends. Benjy himself obtained the specimen from a miner who worked at the Ground Hog mine in 1960-1961. As a side note, the specimen mining there at the time was financed by wealthy collector Tom McKee (Scottsdale, Arizona), who may have been involved in getting it to George. Illustrated: Minerals: The Collectors Newspaper, 2014; 8: 20, Rocks & Minerals, 2018; 93(1): 16; The Mineralogical Record, Arizona Mineral Collections II, 2020; 51(1) (Suppl): 153; Denver Show Poster: September 2018 Fine Minerals Show, Denver, Colorado. Exhibited: “The Best of the Best: Prize Minerals from the Vaults of Arizona Collectors”, held at the University of Arizona’s Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, February 8 to December 23, 2014, with label; and Tucson Gem and Minerals Show, February 2020. In the best-of-theme competition (restricted to “World Class Metals”), Alex Schauss had the best thumbnail overall and the best metallic specimen - this won as best of show in this competition. (Citation: Awards. Mineralogical Record, 2020; 51(3): 519.) Most recently, illustrated in the omnibus book on thumbnail collecting by Mineralogical Record, Refined Elegance: The Small Treasures of Mineralogy, November 2022. This famous piece is shown all over the place, and the most commonly used photo is by Jeff Scovil. In terms of iconic, memorable pieces from the Schauss collection, assembled over more than 60 years, this is unquestionably one of the top 5 out of nearly 1000 specimens. It is a true honor to be able to offer such a piece. We chose to offer it at auction, as it was one of the top most requested specimens from the collection, and there is simply no political way to sell it off a shelf to one person and not give others a chance.