Phosgenite on Galena on Baryte

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A superb and rare specimen of the lead chlorocarbonate, Phosgenite, from Wirksworth near Cromford, Derbyshire. The accompanying, highly detailed label, quite correctly, attributes the specimen to Bage mine, this locality being written in square brackets on the previous collector’s label. A slab of Baryte, termed ‘Cawk’ by Derbyshire miners, and Galena veinstone matrix has its upper surface covered with naturally etched, rough octahedral Galena crystals, partly pseudomorphed by granular Cerussite. There are also sharp pseudomorphs of Galena after dagger-shaped crystals of Anglesite and muddy pale green cellular Pyromorphite. In the centre of the specimen is a large, transparent and quite gemmy, lustrous crystal of tabular Phosgenite measuring to 1.7 cm. Amongst the three older labels that accompany this specimen is a Kristalle of Laguna Beach, California, displaying a Union Flag of the United Kingdom printed in full colour, a design from Kristalle completely new to me. Not many Phosgenite specimens come on to the market from this very old and classic Derbyshire location.\n