Wulfenite (circa 1900) ex. Ydren Coll.

Item Description

The Hilltop Mine is one of the legendary old sources for wulfenite in the American Southwest, now long forgotten by most people, and seldom seen in specimens for sale to the collector as well. This is an outstanding, dramatic small cab from the collection of John Ydren of Los Angeles. It has sharp crystals of classic orangey-butterscotch color to 1 cm, on matrix. He obtained it from the Pasadena City College sale in the 1970s, and they in turn got it form a Vance collection. Another old label shows that it was in the collection of a Colonel Jenn in 1957 (or 1937?), and as well there is an ancient Schortmann's label - so the piece got around! See Mindat: http://www.mindat.org/loc-5588.html for more information on this historic locality which was operated from the late 1880s. Most specimens were recovered in the 1890s til about 1910, I am told. specimens like this, which are well-balanced and showy even by modern tastes, are quite rare. Valued $2500. NOTE ADDED: "Col. Jenn" is probably Colonel Clarence M. Jenni, a collector who discovered, and had named after him, the mineral Jennite from Crestmore quarry