Copper

specimen number:
2102290

location:
Cashin Mine, Montrose Co., Colorado, USA

description:
A loose cluster of crystallized native copper. Complete all around and in good condition. Nice locality example for the species.

The Cashin Mine, located in the La Sal Creek Canyon of Montrose County, Colorado, is a historically significant copper and silver producer situated within the Paradox Basin. Geologically, the deposit is a sandstone-hosted copper system where mineralization occurs in the Permian-age Cutler Formation and the Triassic-age Wingate Sandstone, specifically along a major fault zone that allowed for the precipitation of native metals and sulfides. The mine is well-regarded by collectors for producing specimens of native crystallized copper, which frequently appear as flattened arborescent groups, thick sheets, and occasional spinel-twinned crystals embedded within the red sandstone matrix. Historically, the deposit was discovered in 1896 and saw its most active period of underground mining and quarrying between 1898 and 1919. During this era, the Cashin was notable for its high-grade ore, which was often shipped directly to smelters due to its rich silver content. While various attempts were made to resume commercial operations in the 1920s and late 1930s, the mine eventually closed and has since become a legendary site for mineral collectors seeking classic Colorado copper specimens.

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