Placenticeras?

[Wrangellian]

Here's another orphaned fossil from my collection (given to me some time ago)

I believe it's a Placenticeras sp. from Alberta but if anyone can ID/locate it more specifically than that (and age/formation?) I'd appreciate it.

It's got some kind of glossy coating over most of it unfortunately. I wish I knew what could remove that stuff, whatever it is. I suppose it was put on to prevent shell flaking but there are better ways of doing this.

1st pic with no flash:

[jpc]

I agree... Placenticeras, but I am not good enough to give you a species.

[FossilDAWG]

Hi Eric,

Your specimen reminds me of a couple of Placenticeras specimens in the University of Ottawa teaching collection. They were from the Bearpaw Shale on the St. Mary's River near Lethbridge, Alberta.

I've got thatWard paper on my work computer, I'll try to remember to send it tomorrow (well, today now).

Don

[old dead things]

I'm thinking placenticeras planum. The venter (outer rim is smooth) a placenticeras meeki is also smooth, but I believe a bit wider. The white stuff is

nacre (mother of pearl) and I remove it with the cone shaped wire brush of a dremel. If the nacre is hard enough it can be polished by lightly rubbing it with a piece of fine steel wool.

Jim

Old Dead Things

[Wrangellian]

Thanks all. So possibly Placenticeras planum, Bearpaw Shale, St Mary's Riv. nr Lethbridge?

I don't think I want to remove any shell although a lot of it has flaked off before it was glossed (but not enough to show any sutures - most of it is shell-covered and only some of the shell is white - some is colorful).. I would just like to remove the glossy finish, oOtherwise I'll leave it as is unless I can get someone to prep out the umbilicus.

Edited January 11, 2013 by Wrangellian

[Coco]

Hi,

Eric, if your ammonite is covered with some varnish (you say that is flakes), there a products which you spread out with a brush to make crinkle the varnish and it remove. I used it on a recent shark jaw which I had bought several years ago and which was covered with varnish. It was ugly and the product worked well.

Try to inform you in a DIY store and try on a small part behind the ammonite

Coco

[Wrangellian]

Hi Coco, The shell is what was flaking off, the coating was applied later. I don't see any sign that the coating is coming off - there are bare spots with no gloss, but I think this is because it was not applied over 100% of the surface. I think I know what kind of varnish stripper you are talking about, I hadn't thought of it. I could try it. I have other fossils that have some kind of glossy coating as well that I might try. If I'm successful I'll report back! Thanks for the idea.