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What is it? And is it worth anything? Its lite but hard. I broke a small peiace off (seen in last pic.) it acts and feels like a rock.

I have recently found quite a few fossils from the Paleozoic era, first period. My question is how do I go about having my fossils authenticated? Thanks whoever takes the time to help, as I am new to this kinda thing

Well it has been a very long time since I have started a post on here (been too busy collecting) but I wanted to share my thoughts on establishing 'provenance' before a fossil purchase. What is provenance? Simply put establishing the provenance of a fossil is all about establishing its origin and includes things like: Where was it found (location)? Who found it? When was it found etc. This is also strongly linked to the value of the fossil for example two identical specimens one with solid provenance the other with nothing can be the difference between a fossil that is priceless and one that is worthless. In this same way a museum could potentially view a fossil given to them with no history as nothing more than a rock, as it has lost all scientific value. Good dealers do a great job collecting as much provenance as they can in order to get top dollar for their specimens, this might include only purchasing directly from the digger, providing in-situ photos of the fossil when it was discovered and/or prepared as well as very detailed location and collection data. Astute collectors also will understand that the better the provenance a fossil has the more valued and prized it will be. People sometimes underestimate just how easy it is to fake a fossil and we can get caught up trying to avoid undisclosed enhancements, repairs and restoration that we don't stop and ask all the right questions. Below is a simple table that I use (until today kept in my head) to help grade fossils in my collection as to how authentic they are and how strong their provenance is. It is important to note that the majority of my collecting is centred around dinosaur teeth and as such establishing correct id's is much harder than on some other groups of fossils. The horizontal line looks at who discovered the fossil and how many degrees of separation are there between you and that person, as well as looking into how trustworthy the seller is (have they been caught out in the past, have they sold other misrepresented pieces). This line looks at the people and relationships element and delves into the integrity, reputation and personal brand of the individual. The vertical line looks at the more practical aspects of the fossil itself and although I have used very brief descriptions this part is about how much homework have you the buyer done? Have you compared the specimen to others sold? Have you dug up journals or PDF's on that formation and the creatures that live in it? What diagnostic features will prove or disprove the id? Once a red flag is found its important to ask the question and seek clarification. Finally the colours... The colours simply represent the level of risk involved in making a purchase. Starting with BLUE as the least risky building all the way up to RED which in my opinion should be avoided at all cost. These colours are nothing more than a guide and there are multiple other considerations that could affect the level of provenance and all need to be considered. At the end of the day a perfect 5 inch theropod tooth that has no provenance and doesn't match could still be a great acquisition if the price is cheap enough. The "scores" in the boxes are just me playing around with formulas and overcomplicating things. Hopefully this has been a useful read and gives you all some deeper perspective on the subject, happy to hear peoples thoughts and comments if there are any :-)

This is ridiculous. Ive been trying to upload my pictures for over an hour. This site will not upload. Anyone care to take a look through another media?

I got this fossil in a trade, I really don't know much about the value of Ginkgo leafs, more of a hobbyist, and I was hoping someone could give me an idea what would be a fair appraisal. thanks in advance!

Found two fossils in maryland, ocean city along the beach about six years ago. If anyone can help me identify them, please do.

Hi, my name is Kylie and I was on a trip to the Creede formation in Colorado, and while i was there i was very fortunate to find this awesome feather and i was wondering if i could get a general appraisal of this peice? Thanks and happy hunting!