Is this dual triobite fossil composite?

[Golem]

This specimen caught my eye and I was wondering if the two trilobite were put together artificially?
My second question is about the black color on these trilobites. I am not sure if they have shoe polish coating over them or the black color occurred naturally?
I am still waiting for the seller to send me better close up pictures on the eye of Paralejurus, although it has nothing to do with the topic I will update the pictures when I get them.
Of course any additional assessments on the fossil are greatly appreciated.

[Miocene_Mason]

The matrix looks fake to me (and therefore composite), others know more than myself though. The coating isn't bad, it's just a consolidant to keep it from breaking. They are naturally dark.

[Douvilleiceras]

 

9 minutes ago, WhodamanHD said:

The coating isn't bad, it's just a consolidant to keep it from breaking.

Although some other localities may require consolidation, these trilobites are solid and would not break apart if lacking a coating. In the case of Moroccan trilobites, many are coated to disguise poor preparation, masking the scratches which would reveal the actual quality.

[RJB]

It appears that both have been added to a rock?

 

RB

[aeon.rocks]

Looks like a natural double, but more photos (from the back side and areas where skin meets matrix) would help to be 100% sure. It`s a typical moroccan prep job, a lot of angle grinder cutting was used to speed up the process of removing matrix around the trilobites and probably a CP airscribe for closer work, thus you see this color difference between "smooth" matrix surface and rough matrix closer to the trilobites. But as mentioned, more detailed photos could reveal more, it`s not that easy to be sure with this type of prep without detailed pics. Many times complete fakes are presented as quickly prepped specimens in roughed out matrix to hide the fact that the "trilobite" is actually a cast. But it`s always different and there`s plenty of common moroccan trilobites not worth faking or compositing. In my guess there is definitely some restoration work here, but could be just filling some cracks from the break... There is a small chance that it`s a composite, but in any case it`s a quick prep job, so I hope it was not overpriced.

 

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My second question is about the black color on these trilobites. I am not sure if they have shoe polish coating over them or the black color occurred naturally?

 

 

Many Moroccan trilobites have natural black shell. It`s also true that "many are coated to disguise poor preparation, masking the scratches which would reveal the actual quality", but not always the case. If you are not sure about authenticity always ask the seller for prep-progress photos, there are plenty of natural moroccan bugs in the market. Revealing prep-progress usually helps with all kinds of doubts a little, could even help to show that specimen in question above is not a composite or that it is or i.e. like with specimens bellow, which kind of looks like made out of plastic, if prep-progress photos wouldn`t show differently.