Delabole Butterfly, old time spiriferid specimen

[TqB]

I've always wanted one of these and it's just arrived! I spotted it on the usual auction site where it was being sold by an antique seller as a possible fish in slate . It is true slate but is a legendary Delabole Butterfly, a metamorphosed Cyrtospirifer extensus, almost certainly from the Delabole slate quarry in Cornwall, UK.

 

Although quite famous and widely referred to, there's not that much solid information. They appear to have been sold to tourists, largely in the 19th century and this split specimen seems typical. I think they're quite rare though - most photographed specimens seem to be in museums. 

 

Many years ago, I wandered around the edge of the quarry and managed to find one small fragment in the waste.

 

Devonian, Frasnian, about 4" across.

 

 

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[Fossildude19]

Awesome addition to your collection, Tarquin! Very nice specimen.

Classic fossil collected? Check!  

[Ludwigia]

Congrats on a wonderful acquisition!

[Tidgy's Dad]

I've always wanted a Delabole butterfly. 

Beautiful and very special. 

Congratulations.

 

[TqB]

2 hours ago, Fossildude19 said:

Awesome addition to your collection, Tarquin! Very nice specimen.

Classic fossil collected? Check!  

 

2 hours ago, Ludwigia said:

Congrats on a wonderful acquisition!

 

1 hour ago, Tidgy's Dad said:

I've always wanted a Delabole butterfly. 

Beautiful and very special. 

Congratulations.

 

Thanks for the endorsements, guys, glad I'm not the only one to appreciate this squashed brachiopod.

[ricardo]

In the land of the beautiful Cornwallite and Liroconite... a charming brachiopoda.

Congratulations for your acquisition!

 

[TqB]

32 minutes ago, ricardo said:

In the land of the beautiful Cornwallite and Liroconite... a charming brachiopoda.

Congratulations for your acquisition!

 

Thank you! I lived there as a child and have a few minerals, nothing special though. And this is only my second fossil from there, there aren't many locations.

[ricardo]

17 minutes ago, TqB said:

 lived there as a child and have a few minerals...  this is only my second fossil from there, there aren't many locations. 

Well, I´m an admirer of Sir A. Russell  outstanding mineral collection from Cornwal and Devon. I spent hours seeing those when most part was in exhibition in MNHN. 
Glad seeing you are happy with a fossil from your homeland