Copper

specimen number:
1791303

location:
Phoenix Mine, Keweenaw Co., Michigan, USA

description:

Loose grouping of twinned crystals of native copper. In good condition all around. There are no points of attachment.

The Phoenix Mine in Keweenaw County, Michigan, originally opened as the Lake Superior Mine in 1844 and was officially renamed the Phoenix Mine in 1849. It operated with periodic interruptions and a notable long-term closure before permanently shutting down in June 1905, spanning a cumulative operating life of more than 50 years. Geologically, the mine is famous for exploring a series of mineralized transverse fissure veins (such as the Phoenix, Robbins, St. Clair, and Babbitt veins) that crosscut the regional Pre-Cambrian basaltic lava flows and interbedded sedimentary rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula. These hydrothermal fissure veins yielded world-class specimens of crystallized native copper and silver.

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