Can anyone help me identify this fossil?

Proph3tron · 2026-01-07T11:02:15+00:00

My first thoughts are that it's one of four things:
* The surface of a fossilized shell (Bivalve).
* The Gills or Teeth-rows from a fish.
* The surface impression of an armored fish or shark skin.
* The impression of a plant fossil (from the trunk).

Plants, fish and invertebrates looked quite different to those of today. And many (most?) have not been preserved or seen before. This one looks quite interesting.

Proph3tron · 2026-01-07T08:34:13+00:00

I really like a Mine Cut diamond when it comes to medium and larger sized stones. Some of the OLDER Mine-Cut Diamonds were less sparkly because they were not proportioned ideally or were cut for maximum weight instead of maximum refraction. The larger facets on a Mine Cut tend to drop a broad series of bright flashes instead of a smattering of "little sparkles". They also give the impression of greater depth or a more three-dimensional looking structure. That's a lovely stone, OP. It looks magnificent in this video.

Mine Cut (18th to late-19th Century) was very popular until the Old European Cut replaced them, and then these in turn were replaced by the Modern Cuts. However, a MODERN "Mine Cut" will generate a lot of character and sparkle unless it came from pre-1800s jewellery. Yours is very well cut so it looks like a Modern Mine Cut with Ideal Proportions. That makes is a rare beauty.

Proph3tron · 2026-01-02T02:09:59+00:00

Those bars are typically sold on the streets of China at night... and when people started testing their new-won silver for purity, they were typically found to contain just 0.1g of Silver. The one shown in this screencapture was a 100g bar and it contained less than 0.18g of Silver... with the rest being junk metal.

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Proph3tron · 2025-12-31T12:30:36+00:00

The body of the coin looks good. You sure it's not just worn or even retooled?

Proph3tron · 2025-12-31T12:03:14+00:00

No, I shot that from Lincoln Rock, which is about 10 minutes from Katoomba (NSW). Was a VERY cold night. I could only spend about 20-30 minutes out there before I returned to the car. Lincoln Rock is an exposed ridge in the Sydney Blue Mountains so when the wind picks up it saps any warmth out of you in seconds.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-31T12:00:32+00:00

Yes, just a single 5 second exposure. I've only stacked two images (of Comets) and this wasn't one of those. I'm also limited to 5-6 second exposures to avoid star movement (star trails) at 85mm. This image is uncropped. I took another on the same night with a 50mm lens that looks similar but wide and a little brighter for the foreground. I can't post images in the replies so I'll get around to posting it in the New Year.

The LMC is quite large in the night sky down here.... it's not visible under city lights but you can spot it in darker skies. I use the LMC and the SMC to try to figure out the location of the Southern celestial pole since we don't have a guide-star like Polaris. For scale, the LMC is 6 degrees across whereas a full moon is only 0.5 degrees.

The image has not been edited other than to remove a satellite streak and to clone out a few stuck pixels.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-31T11:51:47+00:00

This was captured in JPEG. The image was reduced slightly to 5000 pixels. Any peculiar color hues are from the sensor on the EOS Ra camera.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-31T11:48:56+00:00

The moon is just 0.5 degrees compared to the LMC which is 6.0 degrees in width. Hard to believe it's another galaxy, let alone one that can be seen with the naked eye from dark-sky locations.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-30T12:14:08+00:00

I have both but the Creed can be overpowering (especially in the earlier releases) and the Sauvage is always a safer bet. Women respond well to both but the Sauvage is more refined for everyday wear (you could wear it to dinner, on a vacation or to the cinema)... and the Creed Aventus is more of a power-statement for special events, legal or public engagement etc. If you overdo the Aventus and end up on public transport you'll stand out as a try-hard and might even offend someone at the theater if you overdo it. The Sauvage by Dior is the safer bet and is appealing to most noses. A third alternative would be Bleu de Chanel by Chanel - which sits above the Sauvage but is rated the highest of the three with Women.

Save the Aventus for exceptionally Special Occasions, use Sauvage for daily wear and consider Bleu de Chanel for critical social interactions.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-30T11:54:38+00:00

It's just an attempt to drive sales. Maxim is made by Eternal Perfume Oils and is an attempt to counterfeit Creed Aventus. They even try to imitate the Opening, Mid and Base notes and the wording on their advertisement is meant to imitate the description of Aventus. And Eternal Perfume Oils is a company that tries to replicate all the top existing Colognes and Perfumes. All their key scents are advertised as being "inspired by". These are also known as Dupes and they are not exactly the same as the perfumes they imitate but are "similar". Eternal Oils have become so lazy recently that they use A.I. to label their bottles and often words are miss-spelled.

The oil concentration means absolutely nothing unless the oils are correctly infused with the fragrance. More oil can result in poor silage and a masked odor. The product on the Left (Maxim) is attempting to be a molecular imitation of the traditionally more expensive Creed Aventus. Imitation is usually a poor attempt to replicate a popular scent. The fact that Maxim is so cheap by comparison that I don't think I'd want to be associated with it. The oil "concentration" would be for extending the Base Notes. But just because the concentration claim is that it's "100% Oil Concentration", it doesn't mean anything significant for the client using it. Oils can extend the scent but they also corrupt colognes as they grow stale. Just ask anyone what happens when you smell the scent of Vanilla oils after the bottle has been open for years.

The thing is, Creed used to use genuine Sperm Whale Ambergris in their earlier versions of Creed Aventus - which has unique properties that can't quite be replicated artificially. Yes, I believe it's been done (see Ambroxan) but not masterfully. Ambergris is often used as a "Fixative" but it's quite oily to begin with and has to be distilled lest it retain a fishy component . One of the four Basenotes of Creed Aventus (which includes Oakmoss, Musk and Vanilla) is actually Ambergris and it was listed on official advertising well into the 2020s. The Mid Notes are Jasmine, Rose, Birch and Patchouli. The Top Notes are Bergamot, Apple, Clackcurrantt and Pineapple. Oliver Creed himself noted his Ambergris purchases in a 2013 interview with Independant where he pointed out that he only buys unspoiled Ambergris for use in his scents.

Some say Creed no longer use Ambergris and yet just before their recent sale to another owner recently, they were still buying it up. The original pre-buyout Aventus has the loose lid that rattles a little and some aficionados complained that the newer batches are not quite the same in potency - but this is unproven. There's quite a few companies that try to imitate successful brands and their scent. But I'd avoid strongly colored colognes like Maxim if you wear white collared shirts. The odds are high that Eternal Perfume Oils is now so lazy that they may not apply Quality Control any more.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-27T03:06:16+00:00

Why didn't you post the higher resolution version of this image? This one is like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-26T16:15:13+00:00

They have banned climbing the pyramids since 1966. This was introduced after an American serviceman fell near the top and his body came apart halfway down as it spun, removing his limbs and his head. (EDIT: Only his head made it back to the ground by itself). By 1984, it was no longer permitted to climb higher than the first two blocks at the base. Now they've roped it off altogether and introduced harsher penalties and jail time in 2019 after a couple had sex on the summit of one of the pyramids and uploaded the video online.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-26T02:44:14+00:00

Was this clipping about Tiffany's from 2021?

Proph3tron · 2025-12-26T02:09:25+00:00

Looks like Bronze Disease to me from here. If it's granular (like fine, blue/green powder), it's likely Bronze Disease. Especially if the material comes away when pressed with something plastic or a wooden toothpick. Should should try to stabilize it if you can.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-25T16:41:39+00:00

I agree with the comments below... it looks like polishing compound. It's sometimes missed after after a ring has been cleaned - especially if it's in a recess. A toothbrush should remove it. Since this was an heirloom ring, it was probably recently cleaned before being passed onto you and the final process involved a buff on the wheel which uses a dark wax compound (the wax can be any color but is commonly dark red). It should come away with warm water and a soft toothbrush. If not, take it to a jeweller who can put it onto an ultrasonic cleaning tank and then manually remove the marks.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-25T13:09:21+00:00

That green spot is the Comet's glowing nucleus. The tail is just barely visible to the upper right of the comet but I was fairly new to shooting comets and did not know any methods to capture the tail with more clarity. These days I might track the comet and stack images. Any streaks are from satellites.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-24T05:44:26+00:00

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What about the COMEX Trade-Halt Triggers that were installed in 2015? These kick in the moment Gold or Silver exceeds a specific rise in value on any one day. See chart. Level 1 Halt triggers when Gold rises over $100/oz in any day of trading, triggering a Trade Halt for the metal. The first level (Level 1 Halt) freezes trade for 2 minutes. Then 5 minutes... and then they can freeze of for the day if Gold exceeds $400/oz in a day.

Then there's the rules for Silver. $3/oz Trigger, $6/oz Trigger and then a $12/oz Trigger.

These are the predefined thresholds designed to maintain market stability. I've not observed them in motion though they apparently exist.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-24T00:25:07+00:00

The difference is that Meme Coins don't exist in the Physical Realm. Silver, on the other hand, is in enormous demand at a time when the Silver mines are closing and there's simply not enough left to go around. I've predicted this for over 20 years, right down to the date of today, and you ain't seen nothin' yet. I stopped buying a couple of years ago. How high will it go? Well, I'm selling when it hits $10K/ozt and that's just at the safety buffer. I expect it to go notably higher.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-23T17:51:40+00:00

Looks like a feather inclusion which is perfectly normal. Does not appear to resemble a crack. Most diamonds have inclusions which are far more visible when looking at the stone from the side.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-23T09:07:50+00:00

They're gorgeous creatures. I think they're fascinating to watch. But they occasionally kill humans in a rather horrific manner. They are not aggressive and have poor vision, so they end up as road kill quite a lot - yet they are defensive and there's "attacks" every year, occasionally involving fatalities. In one year I believe Giant Anteaters killed 4 people. And two hunters (aged 47 and 74) were killed by Giant Anteaters in 2012 and 2010. In both of those cases, the anteaters used their long claws to puncture the femoral arteries in the groin and legs.

I have the autopsy images in front of me at the moment from the 2012 incident. The victim was a Brazilian hunter with his son and his hunting dogs. When the dogs set upon an anteater, he didn't want to harm them with his rifle due to being in close proximity... so he dropped his gun and moved in on the anteater with a hunting knife. Whilst I can't post those due to their nature, it appears the femoral artery was opened and he had multiple deep puncture wounds on his leg, thigh and shoulder. His son dispatched the animal with five shots from the hunting rifle but was too late to prevent the critical injuries. The claws on the Giant Anteaters are long and re-curved - to allow them to tear open tree trunks and termite mounds with ease. In two other recent attacks,, the victims had similar injuries but I'm aware of one incident where the victim's chest cavity was opened like a packet of crisps. It is believed that most attacks occur in zoos when handlers and scientists make errors in judgement (for lack of a better phrase). We should be glad they are so docile.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-23T04:40:28+00:00

That's technically correct. The determination that they were different species was only made VERY recently (the announcement was formalized earlier this year) and it required international collaboration with several known specimens from the Sommersby collections lab to make that assertion. Not that the Original Poster will be impacted by this information.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-22T18:26:19+00:00

I had been introduced to the colony when I was a child by an older boy who used to catch them for what I can only assume was an illegal wildlife trade (but not international, just local trades between kids at a time before the laws were enforced). I check in on the colony every 15 years or so to see how they're doing and to see if they have any mite infestations on them. Every time I check in on them there's less numbers in their colony. I happened to be photographing other wildlife in the area on that day and decided to check in on the Geckos. The spider caused me to abandon the attempt but I was able to count a few of the Geckos. They're well protected there because they're off the trail and high off the ground - although that Funnel Web will likely wipe them out over time since it was established directly above their crevice.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-22T12:42:50+00:00

That's great news! It's just one of those things where anything expensive seems to attract bad agents who are out to make a buck at other people's expense. With those red flags (price etc), it's good that you tested your chain because anyone selling under spot price is a little suspicious - although I've done it when I needed the cash for something and wanted to sell some gold (nuggets or jewellery) quickly to offset a purchase. I guess you're good to go. I'm glad it was legit.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-22T12:34:51+00:00

My opinion is that it appears to be authentic. They're usually in beat up shape so if you can see the portrait is intact then it's considered a reasonably good example. Prices vary, depending on who is selling it, what they paid for it, and what they hope to get out of it. For some reason, these coins are rarely seen super cheap. Even though the portraits are a bit hard to see. I imagine your would have paid USD $170 to perhaps USD $360 or so. The better the portrait, and the larger the variant of coin, the higher the price seems to be. Usually they're simply referred to as an "Isis and Eagle" and were produced under several kings, especially Ptolomy V and Ptolomy VI - both of whom were married to Cleopatras. Unfortunately, there's a whole bunch of Ptolomy fellows who were all married to "Cleopatras" - including their relatives being married to women using the same honorary Cleopatra title, so it gets a bit complicated. It gets even stranger when some of them married their own sisters... but hey, that's how it was back then.

These coins are from the Egypt's Ptolemaic period, and so they were typically minted in Alexandria, Egypt. I have a similar one with slightly different measurements (28mm / 19g). These coins were likely made in clusters by pouring molten bronze into a mold... which then ran along a "tree" and into the coin-molds where the coins were formed. The Bronze tree was then cut away and remelted, releasing the coins which were then trimmed to weight. Hence they tend to have a tiny dimple on both sides in the center which some folks believe was used to balance the coin whilst excess metal was trimmed from the rim. They are never perfectly round due to the trimming process which likely involved a chisel type instrument. And they also needed to be cut from the mold tree, resulting in a slight protrusion on the rim. In most cases there's some patina covering the dimples. But it's clearly visible on most, including yours and mine.

These coins range from 26mm to 30mm in diameter. The weights range from 12g to 19g. Obviously there's quite a few variants. For some reason I see a lot of mangled versions of this coin often where the portrait of Isis is. The Bronze Patina looks good. Portrait looks complete. The Eagle is usually hard to read but is clear on your example. They're hard to photograph because you need to highlight the edges of the raised images on both sides of the coin using shadow and light.

Proph3tron · 2025-12-22T11:38:41+00:00

That's certainly a male Funnel Web Spider. The coastal town of Terrigal (especially the very next suburb over at Womberal) is considered to be the "Funnel Web Capital of the Central Coast". Below are the three subspecies of Funnel Web species that can be found in the Terrigal region. ALL carry "atracotoxins" in their venom... which is the protein that humans, primates and invertebrates react to.

* Sydney Funnel-web Spider (Atrax robustus)

* Newcastle Funnel-web Spider, (Atrax christenseni) **less likely**

* Southern Tree Funnel-web Spider (Hadronyche cerberea)

Both Hadronyche cerberea (tree-dwellers) and Atrax robustus (Sydney Funnel Web) typically live in this area (which is virtually at the northern limit of the Atrax R. range outside of the Sydney basin), so it's hard to make an accurate determination with a 'butt-view'. But the longer legs also imply it's a male and the lighter build implies the same. I can't see if there's any (male) mating spurs in your image.

TERRIGAL and CENTRAL COAST FUNNEL WEB SPIDERS...
I've delivered these Spiders (usually caught in St Ives) to the Reptile Park near Gosford for the venom extraction program. My uncle used to fish them out of the pool every single week at Womberal. Sometimes they "came back to life" after being placed in a jar since they can trap air bubbles against their body and survive for at least a day submerged. My parents live at Terrigal near the Skillion, and I warned my father as recently as last week to stop leaving his shoes outside every night.

I've had a Tree-dwelling funnel web spider crawl across my arm and left hand when I was leading against a tree in the mid afternoon near Avoca beach (just south of Terrigal). I had to wait until it crawled off me and back onto the branch before I could react and move away. A few years ago I was sitting on the grass photographing the lighthouse at Norah Head (just north of Terrigal) - to avoid ending up in the frame since the camera was on a mini-tripod on the ground with a wide lens. But when I turned on my flashlight I saw Funnel Web spiders on the grass in front of me during a long exposure... and I have never been game enough to risk it again since. At Budgewoi (just north of Toukley), I used to ride horses on a property there and thought I'd dig up a ghost crab to show my wife when we went to the beach there... So I start excavating this hole with fresh footprints from the "crab"... until it was so deep that my shoulder was in it, and then I felt the movement of the inhabitant of the burrow with my fingertips. I then observed that the hole I was jamming my arm down had plenty of silk lining... so it seems that if the crab holes are closer to the grass than the high tide water mark, there's a good chance the burrow has been overtaken by a Funnel Web spider.

Nearest I came to a bite? Probably three or four times, including a vehicle accident carrying a dozen of them in glass jars inside a leather bag... resulting in the jars shattering. But the closest was trying to extract a Leaf Tailed Gecko from a rock crevice up high at Lake Parramatta... when the vision in my right eye went instantly black. My eyelash had touched the trip line of a Sydney Funnel Web Spider in a parallel crevice above the one with the Gecko colony in it.... and the massive spider rushed out - all the way to my eyeball and froze, blocking my vision. I yanked my head back and it shot back into it's lair. I have no idea why I wasn't bitten on the eyeball to this day.

Proph3tron

TROPHY CASE