Copper

specimen number:
8311226

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

description:
Attractive loose branching crystallized grouping of native copper. In great condition all around.

The Champion Mine, situated in Painesdale within Houghton County, Michigan, was one of the most successful copper mines of the famous Keweenaw Peninsula. Geologically, the mine exploited the Baltic Lode, a mineralized amygdaloidal flow within the Precambrian Portage Lake Volcanics. The ore consisted primarily of native copper filling gas vesicles and fractures in the basaltic rock, often associated with a distinct suite of minerals including chalcocite, epidote, and large, well-formed crystals of silver-bearing copper. Historically, the Champion Copper Company was organized in 1899, and the mine began significant production shortly thereafter, becoming a cornerstone of the Copper Range Consolidated Company. The operation was known for its deep vertical shafts, eventually reaching depths of over 4,000 feet to follow the rich copper mineralization. The mine operated continuously through the peak of the Michigan copper boom but faced increasing economic pressure following World War I, leading to a period of intermittent activity before its final closure in 1967. Today, the mine is remembered for its impressive industrial ruins and as a classic locality for sharp native copper specimens and rare copper sulfides.

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