Marcasite

specimen number:
2312313

location:
Henson Mine, Pope Co., Illinois, USA

description:
Quite rare for the mining district and locality, a hollow crystallized stalactite of marcasite without matrix. This is in excellent condition. Previously from the collection of Ross Lillie is catalog number 1060. This was collected by Vic Evans in 1984.

The Henson Mine, located in Pope County, Illinois, was part of the renowned Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District. Geologically, the deposit sits within Mississippian-age sedimentary strata and consists of fault-hosted vein and replacement deposits along segments of the Hobbs Creek and Shelby fault systems, where hydrothermal solutions deposited primary fluorite alongside accessory minerals such as calcite, barite, galena, and sphalerite. Historically, while the broader regional district began extensive commercial production in 1842, the Henson Mine specifically saw active underground development and production by the Ozark-Mahoning Company during the early 1980s before operations across the district wound down and fully ceased by December 1995.

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