Golden Top

The Golden Top is a gold mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Golden Top
Secondary: Gold Top
Secondary: Gold Top Mining Co
Secondary: Kempf

Commodity

Primary: Gold

Location

State: Alaska
District: Willow Creek

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Wall-rock alteration within a few inches of the veins is intense, but seldom extends more than 10 to 12 inches beyond the quartz filling. Sericitization and carbonate alteration predominate, but there is some pyritization and in the outer parts of the alteration zone chloritization is present (Ray, 1954).

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = In the early 1930's, under the management of William G. Smith (Gold Top Syndicate), a steep aerial tramway was strung from Craigie Creek to the prospect - an elevation difference of 1,300 ft. Smith drove an adit (Smith tunnel) 285 ft to reach the Gold Top vein. Drifts both east and west followed the vein for a total of 850 ft. Amount of work done on prospect might indicate the presence of some gold, however it was never reported and apparently was not economical (Smith, 1934). Forty assays that had been made from samples taken along the east and west drifts in 1940 showed mostly marginal gold values, a few had 0.75 oz/ton Au (Stoll, 1997).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Smith, 1934

Comment (Production): Production Notes = No recorded production.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Gold-bearing quartz veins cut early Paleocene to Late Cretaceous tonalite. Lithologies of this unit includes: biotite-hornblende tonalite and lesser biotite-hornblende quartz diorite. Wall-rock alteration within a few inches of the veins is intense, but seldom extends more than 10 to 12 inches beyond the quartz filling. Sericitization and carbonate alteration predominate, but there is some pyritization and in the outer parts of the alteration zone chloritization is present (Ray, 1954). Assays from samples taken along drifts showed mostly marginal gold values, a few had 0.75 oz/ton Au (Stoll, 1997).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Besides being one of the longest traceable vein outcrops in the district, the Gold Top lode had the distinction of attracting more prospectors and promoters than any other lode on the gold belt, all without becoming a producing mine (Stoll, 1997).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Low-sulfide Au-quartz veins (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 36a)

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Late Cretaceous or younger; veins cut early Paleocene to Late Cretaceous tonalites.

References

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1910, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1909: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 426 p.

Reference (Deposit): Brooks, A.H., 1912, The Alaska mining industry in 1911, in Brooks, A.H., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, 1911: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 520, p. 17-44.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1932: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 857-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Stoll, W.M., 1997, Hunting for gold in Alaska's Talkeetna Mountains 1897-1951: Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Henry Printing, 301 p.

Reference (Deposit): Ray, R.G., 1954, Geology and ore deposits of the Willow Creek Mining district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1004, 86 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

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