The Empress Josephine Mine is a gold, silver, lead, and zinc mine located in Saguache county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,770 feet.
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
Elevation: 9,770 Feet (2,978 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc
Lat, Long: 38.29917, -106.13500
Map: View on Google Maps
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Empress Josephine Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Empress Josephine Mine
Secondary: Empress Josephine and Boss Mammoth Claims
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Tellurium
Tertiary: Manganese
Location
State: Colorado
County: Saguache
District: Bonanza (Kerber Creek)
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Marivisa Mining Co.
Home Office: Denver, Co.
Years: 1948 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1881
Year Last Production: 1948
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: Sawatch Range, San Juan Volcanic Fields, Rio Grande Rift
Type: L
Description: Bonanza Caldera
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Early Barren Stage Of Alteration By Fumarolic Or Acid-Hot Spring Activity Resulted In Intense Silicification, Wallrock Replacement By Jasper And Alteration Products Hematite, Diaspore, Alunite, Barite, Zunyite, Rutile, And Kaolin Minerals. Later Mineralizing Stage By Alkaline Or Neutral Solutions Deposited Ore And Gangue And Caused Micaceous Alteration (Sericite And Chlorite) And Calcite, Quartz, And Pyrite.
Rocks
Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene
Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene
Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene
Name: Andesite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: 43.68, 53.81, 2.16.
Analytical Data: PATTON REPORTED ASSAYS OF FIVE ORE SHIPMENTS IN 1908 AND 1912. EACH SET OF VALUES IS GROSS ORE WT.(LB), OZ/TON AU, OZ/TON AG, % PB, % CU, % ZN (NR=NOT REPORTED): 6300, 0.17, 26.7, 11.15, NR, 9.2
Analytical Data: 43.71, 53.86, 2.17
Analytical Data: 45.17, 54.89, 0.15
Analytical Data: 6.88, 1622.5, NR. FOUR ANALYSES OF EMPRESSITE GAVE FOLLOWING SETS OF VALUES (% AG, % TE, % FE): 45.16, 54.62, 0.30
Analytical Data: 14.32, 6465, 48.5
Analytical Data: 5.3, 1282.7, NR
Analytical Data: 0.06, 40.50, NR
Analytical Data: 3257, 1.225, 46.9, 25.4, NR, 7.9. OTHER ORE SAMPLES ANALYZED IN 1907 GAVE THE FOLLOWING SETS OF VALUES, AN OZ/TON AU, OZ/TON AG, % TE: 0.64, 159.80, NR
Analytical Data: 305, 2.0, 21.6, 3.8, NR, 9.0
Analytical Data: 4720, 0.055, 54.6, 23.9, 0.7, 4.0
Analytical Data: 18, 040, 1.67,12.6, NR, NR, 4.5
Materials
Ore: Rickardite
Ore: Sylvanite
Ore: Petzite
Ore: Altaite
Ore: Hessite
Ore: Covellite
Ore: Tennantite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite
Gangue: Rhodochrosite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): VEIN RANGES CONSIDERABLY IN ATTITUDE BUT GENERALLY TRENDS N75 TO 80E, 85NW AND IS CUT OBLIQUELY BY CROSS-FAULTS DISPLACING THE VEIN A FEW TO 20 FT. ORES WERE RICHER NEAR CROSS-FAULTS. UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED ORE SHOOTS ARE 25 TO 30 FT WIDE, PITCHING EAST, AND OFTEN BOUNDED BY SERIES OF EAST-TRENDING FAULTS. TO DEPTH OF 60 TO 80 FT, PB ORES OXIDIZED TO CERUSSITE AND ANGLESITE. PROBABLE SHALLOW AG ENRICHMENT LIES BELOW OXIDIZED ZONE. TELLURIDES DEPOSITED LATE IN SEQUENCE IN LENTICULAR BODIES BETWEEN FACES OF NORMAL PB-ZN ORE.
Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 500-FT-DEEP INCLINED SHAFT WITH SEVEN LEVELS, ON WHICH TOTAL EXTENT OF DRIFTING IS UNKNOWN. NAMES OF LEVELS AND DEPTH BELOW SURFACE AND APPROX. MAPPED EXTENT OF DRIFTS AS FOLLOWS: FIRST (70 FT), 270 FT; SECOND (140 FT), 500; THIRD (210 FT), 2400; FOURTH (265 FT), 550; FIFTH (340 FT), 300; SIXTH (430 FT), 500; SEVENTH (DEPTH AND EXTENT UNKNOWN). PATTON DESCRIBED FIRST LEVEL AS WORKED OUT AND ABANDONED; SECOND LEVEL WORKED EAST OF SHAFT ONLY, WINZE TO THIRD LEVEL SUNK 270 FT FROM SHAFT.
Comment (Production): BASED ON REPORTED VALUES OF METALS BY U.S. MINT, ESTIMATES OF PRODUCTION CALCULATED USING $20/OZ AU, $1.29/OZ AG, $87/TON PB: FOR 1887, 14.35 OZ AU, 1691 OZ AG; FOR 1888, 75 OZ AU, 9020 OZ AG; FOR 1891, 6.2 OZ AU, 716 OZ AG, 1632 LB PB. PATTON ESTIMATES 5000 TONS ORE PRODUCED FROM 1881 TO 1900. PRODUCTION IN 1908 AT LEAST 15 TONS. FROM 1909 TO 1930 (APPROX.), 77 TONS ORE SHIPPED. COLO. DIV. OF MINES REPORTS NO PRODUCTION IN 1946-47, BUT 67 TON ORE IN 1948 AT GRADE OF 0.1 OZ/TON AU, 10 OZ/TON AG, 3% PB, 3% ZN, 0.001% CU.
Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV. TAKEN FROM BURBANK'S (1932) PLATE 1 (SCALE 1:12000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES NE OF BONANZA ON DIVIDE BETWEEN KERBER CR. AND COPPER GULCH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)
Comment (Commodity): SECONDARY ORES INCLUDE CERUSSITE, ANGLESITE, NATIVE CU, CERARGYRITE
Comment (Development): LARGEST PRODUCING MINE IN EARLY HISTORY OF DISTRICT
References
Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1916, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA DISTRICT, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 9, 136 P.
Reference (Deposit): BURBANK, W.S., 1932, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE BONANZA MINING DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 169, 166 P.
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