From an Indiana estate of an elderly man who, after a stint in the Air Force and a master's degree from Indiana University, spent 40+ years working as a geologist for the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office.

which is responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements of the Department of Defense. It provides the best available knowledge of the maritime battlespace. This includes tailored oceanographic, hydrographic, bathymetric, geophysical and acoustic products and services that aid in safe navigation and effective mission planning.

NAVOCEANO is located at John C. Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi.

In this particular career, you are at sea for 3 months annually. He and his wife had no children and traveled the world for his work. They collected a multitude of items from all over the globe during those decades and continued traveling and collecting in their retirement. There have been three auctions thus far to disburse his possessions.

LARGE 
HORNED QUEEN'S HELMET CONCH SEA SHELL
WEIGHS 3 LBS 7 OZ
9 3/8" LONG AT ITS LONGEST POINT

The regal queen conch shell has long been considered one of the most beautiful types of shells. Growing up to 10 inches (25 cm) in length, the queen conch is one of the largest seashell species in existence. So, this one is among the larger ones

With the combination of their gigantic size and desirable looks, this particular type of shell species is now at threat as they have been overfished for their meat and are popular amongst shell collectors.

Early civilizations found interesting uses for the queen conch, such as a horn for religious ceremonies and ornamentation purposes. For centuries, their lustrous pink shells have also been fashioned into jewelry such as shell bracelets, shell earrings and hair pins.

Scientific NameStrombidae
ClassGastropoda