Xipheroceras ammonite from Charmouth

[Aurelius]

Just thought some people might be interested in a quick look at this. My wife found it lying on the beach at Charmouth several years ago, after a bunch of experienced collectors ahead of us had the misfortune to walk right over it. It's just come back from being prepped by the excellent Craig Chivers. 

 

Here it was after I'd attempted my own prep on it, and rapidly gave up. The nodule was heavily pyritic, the ammonite had delicate spines, and I felt that it was beyond my level of expertise. 

 

 

Here it is today, back from being prepared properly. It's a battered old ammonite, with a crushed body chamber and a centre that was badly beset with pyrite, but I do love ammonites that have character. I haven't been to Charmouth for years, much to my regret, but this is definitely our best ammonite from that location.

 

 

 

No idea what this weird impression is. It looks a bit too rounded to be fracturing from the body chamber being compressed, but any thoughts welcome.

 

[Ludwigia]

That was well worth the investment! I'm really not sure what caused that impression, but it might just have been a stray pebble.

[Bobby Rico]

Very nice indeed   Great preparation too.

[TqB]

Very nice - I've a nearly identical one that I've had for years and gave up on at about the same point you did.

[Tidgy's Dad]

Some nice well preserved tubercles. 

Good find, beautifully prepped. 

[Jeffrey P]

Beautiful specimen. Love the color. Congratulations.

[RJB]

Nice.  That impression looks to be an exploritory with the preppers tool?

 

RB

[Fossildude19]

Turned out to be quite pretty!  

Sometimes, you just need a professional's touch.  

[caldigger]

You can always use the yarn of it being crushed under the foot of a huge Iguanadon. It kind of adds to the tale.

[JohnBrewer]

Oh pyrite. Time to get out the jack hammer, nightmare stuff when I’ve experienced it. Excellent prep job resulting in a beautiful ammo.