2022 Republic of Cameroon 2000 francs CFA Meteorite Series - Tenham Ag

A rock that changed the course of science, or, in other words, Tenham. This extraterrestrial specimen landed on Earth in 1879 in Australia. It was a fully crusted substance with a slight dust patina on the surface. But what turned it from a stone into a valuable find for science was its core.

The finely textured fusion crust was only a cover-up for the grainy, sand-coloured rock with dark veins passing through it. These veins contained an element that confirmed a theory about our planet’s texture that’s been half a century into research.

The name of the element is Bridgmanite. As it was discovered in 2014, it’s the most abundant mineral on Earth, mostly found in its mantle. Extracting it from the ground is impossible even today, but it was perfectly preserved in Tenham.

The discovery of this meteorite several centuries ago opened a new path for researchers of our planet and its history. It gave us an understanding of how the heat flows through the Earth’s mantle and the deep Earth itself. Today, this path is developing in different directions that deepen our knowledge of the universe.

So, as it turns out, Tenham was a hint from nature, helping us get to know it better.