The level of preservation on this Eurypterid prosoma (head) is exceptional. An ancient, extinct arthropod, the Eurypterid is the State Fossil of New York. After its 1818 discovery in Oneida county N.Y., and a 7 year hiatus misidentified as a fish, it was first accurately described as an arthropod in 1825. This exposed frontal section contains well preserved representations of the different appendages, walking legs, feeding legs and swim paddles, delicate features that are often lost to time. The matrix plate is well trimmed and freestanding, providing an appropriate canvas for this classic American fossil. From the legendary Lang's Quarry, Fiddler Green Formation, Phelps Member, Herkimer County, New York. 5.25" x 4" x .75", 15 oz.