We're all collectors........right?

[cpm9ball]

Well then, maybe someone can point me in the right direction to learn about this shell. This may be a real stretch of the imagination for some of you collectors who think this has nothing to do with coins, but you guys always seem to find the answers for most everything, so I thought I'd give it a shot. I was able to find one forum for shell collectors, but we get more visits from Halley's Comet than this site gets.

 

One of the things Mom loved to do was hunt for fossils, and Cape Coral 30 years ago was the perfect place for her to occasionally spend a few hours hunting for them. You see, Cape Coral is one of those planned development communities that began in the late 50's. A major part of that plan was digging 400 miles of canals. The canal projects continued on into the early 80's until the federal government finally put a stop to it.

 

Now, you have to remember that Florida, millions of years ago, was at the bottom of the sea, and when they dug the canals to depths as much as 20', all sorts of fossils, some of which are hundreds of thousands of years old, were brought to the surface. This was Mom's playground.

 

Anyway, she found this fossillized shell that is about 6-7/8" long. I believe it is some species of tulip, but I don't have any idea what the technical name would be. About 1980, Mom showed the shell to a professor at a local college, and he told her that the largest one known at that time was 7-1/4" long.

 

I'd like to know if there is a way to estimate the age of the shell, how long has it been since it had a "useful" life and if it has any value as either a shell or a fossil or both.

 

So, can anyone help me?

 

Thanks!

 

Chris

[Chris1976]

Chris, why not take it over to Shell Factory and see if one of the workers there know anything about it. They helped my mother out a few times. I have no idea about shells, but thought I would suggest that just incase you hadnt done it already.

 

 

-Chris #2

 

[bsshog40]

I've read that you can have things carbon dated but it's pretty expensive.

[cpm9ball]

Chris, why not take it over to Shell Factory and see if one of the workers there know anything about it. They helped my mother out a few times. I have no idea about shells, but thought I would suggest that just incase you hadnt done it already.

 

 

-Chris #2

 

Didn't think of that. I'll look into it.

 

Thanks!

 

Chris

[pontiacinf-migration]

I cannot offer help but I will say thats way cool, thanks for sharing it

[pendragon1998]

I'm an ornithologist in training, not a marine biologist, but a brief online review of the gastropod shells of Florida suggests to me that it's a True Tulip Snail (Fasciolaria tulipa), based on the large size (the other tulip species is < 3"; this species gets up to 8"). And based on your photo, I rather think it's a sun-bleached / weathered recent specimen, not a fossil, though of course I could be wrong.

 

They're quite attractive when fresh.

 

 

 

[Walkerfan]

Chris--I collected shells for MANY years as a kid. I had conches, murexes, sundials, tulips, cones, cowries, helmits and abalones....just to name a few. I would say that shell (which IS a tulip, BTW) is worth between $5-15 bucks (even as a fossilized specimen). As far as how old? I haven't a clue. I agree with Michael, I think it is sun-bleached. There is a jewelry and collectibles store in my area and they sell natural history collectibles and their fossilized shells of that size and type are not more than $30. If it were much larger and truly fossilized; you might pay $150-250 (such as, if it were a conch or triton shell). That is purely an educated guess. I base that just on what I've seen. I remember decades ago seeing a large colorful (unfossilized) Triton in a gift shop in FLA for about $75 (alot of $$ at that time). I just googled them and they are about $40-50 bucks, now. Here is a similar link:

 

tulip shell

 

PS-Michael, I used to buy shells just like the ones in your images at a dept. store as a teen in the 1980's for 4-5 bucks. They sold them in the pet dept. as homes for hermit crabs. Very attractive designs and colorful, too.

[x2rider]

A/T

[jgrinz]

I am going naturally toned on this one

[jerseycat10]

NGC AU Details

Environmental Damage

[cpm9ball]

Thanks for the help, guys.............

 

.........except for the ones who don't know squat about grading shells.............it's an FT-70 all day long (Fasciolaria Tulipa).......and those who wouldn't know an "earth toner" if it rolled down the mountainside and hit them.........

 

Michael, about the color....the ones you posted were "harvested" and preserved immediately, I'm sure. I know for a fact that this one was buried deep in the ground because I was with Mom when she found it, and it is in the agatized stage of fossilization. I'd be willing to bet that if those shells were buried for thousands of years, they would probably look the same.

 

Chris

[jesbroken]

Dang, Mike, that is some good info. See Chris, your question was well received and well answered, of course, that's just my opinion.

Jim