This authentic Agoudal iron meteorite from Morocco is a spectacular and genuinely unique specimen, distinguished by its extraordinary three-dimensional form and complex, naturally fractured structure. Rather than having a simple compact shape, this remarkable piece features dramatic projecting sections, deep natural recesses, layered metallic surfaces and an unusual open cavity running through part of the specimen. Its silvery-grey metallic appearance is accented by subtle reddish-brown areas of terrestrial weathering, while the heavily textured surfaces reveal the fascinating internal structure of the meteorite.
The unusual shape of this Agoudal meteorite makes it particularly appealing to collectors who appreciate specimens that look completely natural and unlike conventional cut or polished meteorites. It is an exceptionally characterful piece, with every angle revealing a different contour, fracture and surface texture. The specimen photographs beautifully from multiple directions and would make an outstanding centrepiece in a meteorite collection.
Specimen Details
Meteorite Type: Iron Meteorite
Composition: Primarily Iron and Nickel
Classification: IIAB Iron Meteorite
Found: 2000
Find Location: Agoudal area, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco
Total Officially Recorded Mass: More than 100 kg
Largest Recovered Piece: Approximately 60 kg
Age: Approximately 4.5 billion years old
Specimen Size: 37mm x 18mm x 6mm
Weight: 9 gram
The History of the Agoudal Meteorite
The Agoudal Meteorite was discovered in the Agoudal area of Morocco's High Atlas Mountains. Two small pieces of iron were collected in 2000 and sold to tourists, although their extraterrestrial origin was not recognised at the time. In September 2011, another piece was sold to a dealer in Errich and recognised as an iron meteorite. This discovery eventually led to systematic searches in the region using metal detectors during late 2012, resulting in the recovery of hundreds of additional fragments.
The meteorite was officially classified as an Iron, IIAB meteorite and approved in 2013. The Meteoritical Bulletin records a total recovered mass of more than 100 kg, consisting of hundreds of small pieces, many larger fragments and a few specimens weighing more than 1 kg. The largest recovered individual weighed approximately 60 kg and was found buried around 50 cm beneath the surface.
Agoudal material is particularly interesting because many of the recovered specimens are naturally irregular and fragmentary. The Meteoritical Bulletin notes that much of the material occurs as 25 cm irregularly shaped shrapnel pieces, with many showing thin weathering rinds. Some smaller rounded fragments display well-developed fusion crust.
This specimen is especially remarkable within that context. Its elongated, highly sculptural shape, deep natural cavity and dramatically layered surfaces give it an appearance that is far removed from a conventional meteorite fragment. The complex contours provide a fascinating glimpse of the physical character of the material recovered from the Agoudal strewnfield.
As an IIAB iron meteorite, Agoudal represents metallic material from an ancient differentiated parent body. Its iron-nickel composition and mineral structure preserve evidence of processes that occurred in the early Solar System billions of years ago. Every specimen therefore represents a physical piece of material that predates Earth as we know it.
Own a truly spectacular piece of the cosmos with this authentic Agoudal iron meteorite. Its extraordinary natural shape, open cavity, intricate metallic surfaces and Moroccan provenance make this 9-gram specimen an exceptionally distinctive collector's piece a small but remarkable fragment of an ancient extraterrestrial body that has existed for billions of years.
