Copper

specimen number:
2242036

location:
Quincy Mine, Houghton Co., Michigan, USA

description:
Superbly crystallized sharp native copper, these crystals measuring to 1.0 cm in size, across the front of matrix. In super condition. The specimen comes with an antique label as shown at the end of the video.

The Quincy Mine, located in Hancock within Houghton County, Michigan, is famously known as "Old Reliable" for its consistent production and long operational life. Geologically, the mine exploited the Pewabic Lode, a series of amygdaloidal layers within the Portage Lake Volcanics where native copper was deposited in the gas bubbles and fractures of ancient basaltic lava. This locality is renowned for producing world-class native copper specimens, including exceptional twinned crystals that exhibit complex spinel-law twinning and sharp, dendritic habits. Historically, the Quincy Mining Company was incorporated in 1848, and mining and quarrying operations began in earnest during the 1850s. The mine became an engineering marvel, featuring the world's largest steam hoist at Shaft Number 2 and reaching depths of over 9,000 feet along the dip of the lode. Industrial extraction continued for nearly a century until primary operations ceased in 1945, though reclamation efforts and sporadic activity occurred in later years. Today, the Quincy Mine is a National Historic Landmark, and its preserved infrastructure and extensive mineral heritage continue to provide significant insights into the history of the Lake Superior copper district.

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