A document recently come to light has clarified some of the puzzling issues regarding RASC M1 and RASC MWr2. The document is a receipt on Royal Ontario Museum Mineralogy Department letterhead, dated 1974 December 18, addressed to Robin P. Macfarlane of the RASC, and signed by the then curator of mineralogy, J.A. Mandarino, acknowledging the deposit of the specimen B-151 (=RASC M1). It is not known if the meteorite was deposited at the RASC’s request for confirmation of the specimen’s identity, or the ROM’s, as part of a professional study, or both. It will be recalled that RASC M1 is painted with the inventory number “B-151” (=Bruderheim specimen 151), the same number mentioned in the ROM receipt. That document also bears in hand-written annotations substantially the same text as the worn paper label now associated with RASC MWr2: “Bought from U. of Alberta for/$28. in 1961. Identified Dec. 18th/ 1974 by J.A. Mandarino, Curator/Dept. of Mineralogy R.O.M.” (Rosenfeld 2009, 211). These facts unequivocally demonstrate that both the newly discovered ROM receipt as well as the worn paper label now associated with RASC MWr2 clearly refer to RASC M1.

Two conclusions can be drawn from this: 1) Mandarino’s professional judgement concerning “B-151” was thoroughly sound; and 2), after the close of 1974, someone in the RASC National Office moved the worn paper label from RASC M1 where it belonged to RASC MWr 2, where it clearly didn’t. This was done either in complete ignorance, or with mischievous intent.