The specimen shown above, while maybe a little "aesthetically challenged", is
quite neat and important historically. A solid black mass of
bismutotantalite, very rich, from the type locality for the species. What
makes this one special is the historical paperwork that comes with the
specimen. Accompanying the specimen is a letter, written by one Ivan Lee, to
a Mr. Bruce Taplin of Minerals Separation, Ltd. (London), requesting to
either purchase or trade for this specimen. The letter notes that at the
time (1930), the species was newly described in 1929, and that Mr. Taplin's
company was responsible for having mined the material. A previous collection
data card also comes with the specimen.