My oldest artifact!

I got this trilobite fossil from a shop specializing in minerals and crystals, I had my doubts given how cheap it's being sold, but a quick google search on my phone showed me the species Flexicalymene ouzregui (which this fossil is supposed to be) is really common and goes for the same rate from other reputable online sellers.

Atlas ranges of Africa
Upper Ordovician- 460-440 Million years ago.

My next oldest artifact/'coin' would be the deer bone cowrie shell from China, circa 1200-700 BC

And my oldest coins would be the Gandhara Janapada 1/8th satamana with an early range of 600 bc, and the Ionian 1/12th stater from 525 bc.

 

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Yes, trilobites are fairly common. In well preserved conditions they can sell for a hefty sum.

Either way, you have me beat - my oldest is from the Eocene era, 56 - 34 million years ago. It is an "aspiration", where the bigger fish choked to death trying to eat the smaller fish. This is from the Green River formation in Wyoming. The bigger fish is about 4 inches long, the smaller fish protrudes about 1.5 inches out of its mouth:

 

That looks amazing!

 

My mom thinks it looks like paper mache and gives me grief for how much I spent on it. But, I agree that it looks amazing.

 

Devonian Moroccan Trilobite c 420-360 MYa Hollardops mesocristata aka Holly.

 

These are kinda cool. 4.5 Billion Years old for the Moon Rock


and Mars is perhaps 4.6 Billion. However, with the volcanic activity, this piece may be between 3.5 - 4.6 Billion...

 

Here is a Cave Bear jaw, about 40 to 60,000 years old. Found in Romania. These are hard to get these days as the government prohibits selling them overseas.

 

Wow, nice show-n-tell, thanks everyone.

 

Awesome fossils posted here! I find them fascinating! Ditto with meteorites and other extra-planetary matter that finds itself to the earth's surface (such as moon rocks)! I collect mostly ancient coins, but I also have several meteorites, several fossils, and many artifacts of various kinds. I enjoy and appreciate them all!

However... don't hate me... but just to avoid confusion in the minds (and vocabularies) of those who find their way to CoinTalk... and so that we speak accurately to our friends & families about the items in our collections...
...a meteorite is neither a fossil nor an artifact, and...
...a fossil is neither an artifact nor a meteorite, and...
...an artifact is neither a fossil nor a meteroite, and...
...an ancient coin is a type of artifact.

Below are multiple definitions of the word "artifact". Note that the common denominator of the definitions is the inclusion of the word human.

 

Here's my largest Trilobite fossil. From Morocco. It's about 6 1/2" wide and 11" long.

 

Here is my Fish Table made by a Mountain Man in Wisconsin

 

Dinosaur bone, I would guess it's from the bottom end of the equivalent of a femur. Measures about 2 1/2 feet by about 3 feet by about 2 1/2 feet high. It's my oldest, I'm sure, but I have no bloody clue as to its age.

 

Cool items, but "artefact" means "hand made" or "man made", which can hardly be applied to fossils and moon rocks.

 

Nice door stop

 

"Artifacts" are the main theme at my place, including myself.

Lake Superior agate, 304.9 grams, 80x35x50mm, estimated to be about 1 billion years old and definitely qualifies for Medicare.



Iron-nickel meteorite, Campo del Cielo, Argentina, 954.7 grams, 75x44x53mm, roughly the same age as our solar system.



Trilobite, Cheirurus gibbus, Morocco, Devonian Period, approximately 350 millions years old, and not a direct relative of mine.



And then there's "Euphrates", the frog from Babylonia, 2nd millennium BC.

 

I agree that fossils aren't artifacts, but at least they reflect formerly living beings! Here are two I own. Other than the first one being a fish of some kind, I have no idea what they are or how old they are -- I seem to have lost the descriptions that came with them decades ago. Any information is welcome!



The curled-up creature on the left is also some sort of fossil. The rectangular gray object on the upper right is supposed to be fossilized wood, if I recall correctly.



And here is my oldest human-made object, which does qualify as an artifact.

Sumerian biscuit-shaped cuneiform tablet with impressed cuneiform inscription, inscribed with 9 lines of text on both sides, translation included (receipt for carcasses of five sheep which had been issued to Shulgi-Urumu by Nalv, Drehem, 26th Day of the 3rd month of the last year of the reign of Shu-Sin [2023 BCE]).
¾” H x ¾” W. Purchased 1/27/1986, Harmer Rooke Numismatists, NYC.

 

Fantastic fossils, meteorites and artifacts!

When I first started to think of something to collect, I ended up with fossils vs. ancient coins. I settled on ancient coins- a decision I'll never regret, but, I did get a few fossils.



The Spinosaurus tooth tip is my favourite.

Erin

 

Coiled Ammonite

 

Thank you!

 

Donna, your fossil fish is from the legendary Green River Formation, Wyoming, Eocene Period, around 50 million years old. This location has, for decades, supplied fossil collectors and paleontologists with fossil fish of remarkable preservation.