Composition: Iron sulfide
Nomenclature: Named after the Greek word "phrrhotes," meaning "redness," a reference to the mineral's color.
Industrial Uses: Ore of iron and sulfur.
Additional Notes: Pyrrhotite forms both hexagonal and monoclinic crystals depending upon the ratio of iron to sulfur in the specimen. Technically, pyrrhotite should be described as two, separate mineral species--one for each crystal system due to these differences--however this has not been done since the two forms are commonly intermixed in the same specimen. Pyrrhotite is weakly magnetic--a property which is important in distinguishing it from other minerals that have a similar appearance.
Yugoslavia : Scott 1498 : 2.50 dinar : 10 Sep 1980
Pyrrhotite