The Sweepstakes Creek Placer 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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Sweepstakes Creek Placer MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Sweepstakes Creek Placer
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Secondary: Platinum
Tertiary: Thorium
Tertiary: Uranium
Location
State: Alaska
District: Koyuk
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Gold
Ore: Platinum
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Garnet
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Pyrite
Comments
Comment (Development): STAKED IN 1909. MINED BY OPEN-CUT METHODS. MINING IN MOST YEARS FROM 1910 TO 1965.
Comment (Location): USGS MF-389, LOCS. 39-41. TWO PLACER MINES MARKED ALONG SWEEPSTAKES CR. ON CANDLE (B-5). COORDINATES GIVEN FOR LOWER MINE AT CONFLUENCE OF BEAR GULCH (UNNAMED ON CANDLE (B-5)), A EASTWARD FLOWING TRIBUTARY OF SWEEPSTAKES CR. DRAINING BEAR MTN. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).
Comment (Production): A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS OF GOLD PRODUCED BETWEEN 1910 AND 1965. AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION BETWEEN 1910-17 WAS BETWEEN 190 AND 240 OUNCES ($4,000 TO $5,000 OUNCES). GOLD WORTH $10,00 (483) MINED, 1917. ALSO ABOUT AN OUNCE OF PLATINUM.
Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.
Comment (Geology): CREEK DRAINS SOUTHWESTERN PART OF GRANITE MOUNTAIN PLUTON. ; MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK IS (JURASSIC(?) - CRETACEOUS)) ANDESITE AND OLDER (PALEOZOIC) METAMORPHOSED ROCKS. BEDROCK SOMEWHAT DECOMPOSED. BEDROCK SYENITIC AT UPPER CLAIMS; REST MAINLY METAMORPHOSED ANDESITES AND, IN A FEW PLACES, OLDER METAMORPHIC ROCKS.
Comment (Deposit): STREAM GRADIENT APPROXIMATELY 100-150 FEET PER MILE. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
Comment (Deposit): PLACER MINING MAINLY IN LOW BENCH DEPOSITS ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF THE CREEK. DEPTH TO BEDROCK INCREASES FROM 6 FEET AT UPPER CLAIMS TO 15 FEET ON LOWER CLAIMS. GRAVELS IN CREEK BED 6-14 FEET DEEP. ON BENCHES 2-12 FEET OF MUCK OVERLIES 2-8 FEET OF GRAVEL. SOMEWHAT DECOMPOSED BEDROCK EXCAVATED TO A DEPTH OF A FEW INCHES. MINING WAS MAINLY FOR GOLD, BUT A LITLE PLATINUM WAS RECOVERED NEAR THE MOUTH OF BEAR GULCH; NO PLATINUM FURTHER UPSTREAM.
References
Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-389 (B-5), LOCS. 39-41.
Reference (Deposit): USGS BULLETIN 692, P. 380, 395.
Reference (Deposit): USGS CIRCULAR 250, P. 1, 3-9.
Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 76-866, P. 57-58.
The Top Ten Gold Producing States
These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.
