Galena with Sphalerite

specimen number:
2013635

location:
Picher Field, Tri-State District, Oklahoma, USA

description:

Fine old time piece from the 1960s or earlier, bright lustrous cubic crystals of galena to 3.0 cm in size across the top of a chert matrix with minor sphalerite. This is in very good condition. The galena crystals are much more lustrous than most from this mining district. Minor marcasite is present as well.

The Picher Field, spanning the border of northeastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas, was the most productive portion of the massive Tri-State Lead and Zinc District. Geologically, it consists of Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) deposits hosted within the Mississippian-aged Boone Formation, where hydrothermal fluids replaced cherty limestone with sulfide minerals. The ore was concentrated in structural features known as "runs" and "circles," dominated by galena and sphalerite, often accompanied by aesthetic specimens of pink dolomite and rhombohedral calcite. Historically, mining in the field began in earnest around 1913 following a major discovery near the town of Picher, and the district quickly became the worlds leading producer of lead and zinc during the early 20th century. Production reached its peak during World War I and World War II, with hundreds of individual mines operating across the field. Due to declining ore grades and environmental concerns, the major mines closed by the late 1960s, and the region was eventually designated as the Tar Creek Superfund site. Today, while the underground workings are flooded and the towns largely evacuated, the Picher Field remains a monumental chapter in American industrial history and a famous source for classic mineral specimens.

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