3.9" Rare Odontocephalus - Exceptional Specimen

This is one of the best specimens of Odontocephalus aegeria ever found in Pennsylvania. The locality where these unique trilobites come from was collected out in the 80's. A friend of mine visited the quarry a year or two ago to see if it could be reopened and determined that they could not access the productive layers anymore even with the use of heavy machinery.

The specimens that were collected back in the 80's were crudely prepared using acid etching. This destroyed the shell which was then "recreated" using shoe polish. So, nearly all of the specimens of Odontocephalus in existence don't have actually shell.

This specimen come from a small lot that was discovered unprepared wrapped in newspaper in the basement of a collector several years ago. These specimens were then prepared using the latest preparation techniques. This is one of only a handful of Odontocephalus from Pennsylvania that have actual shell preserved.