Miser Mine

The Miser Mine is a lead, copper, gold, and silver mine located in Rio Grande county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,160 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

Name: Miser Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Rio Grande

Elevation: 9,160 Feet (2,792 Meters)

Commodity: Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 37.41778, -106.47722

Map: View on Google Maps

Satelite View

MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.


Satelite image of the Miser Mine

Miser Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Miser Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Miser, MS 6607
Secondary: Knoblock, MS 6607
Secondary: Clara, MS 6607
Secondary: Tidal Wave, MS 6607
Secondary: King, MS 6607
Secondary: Mae, MS 6607
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Ross
Secondary: Winnie
Secondary: Orient
Secondary: Plutarch
Secondary: Ballantine


Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Zinc


Location

State: Colorado
County: Rio Grande
District: Decatur Ne (Jasper) District


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: Ernest Moncrieff
Years: 1944 -

Owner Name: Ballentine And Hook
Home Office: Jasper
Years: 1944 -


Production

Year: 1929
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6 Oz/Ton Au, 67 Oz/Ton Ag, 23% Pb, 5.5% Cu, 9% Zn


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1875
Year Last Production: 1930
Discovery Year: 1875
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Not available


Orebody

Not available


Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Volcanic Field

Type: L
Description: Platoro Caldera, Summitville Caldera, Cornwall Fault, California Gulch Fault, Cornwall Block, Jasper Stock


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Hydrothermal


Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ROCK FROM VEIN OR STREAK, 1.84 OZ/TON.
Analytical Data: CONCENTRATE, CURLEY QUARTZ, 8.50 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: REJECTS, 0.09 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: SECOND GRADE CURLEY QUARTZ ROCK, 6.20 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: 18-INCH WHITE CURLEY QUARTZ, 0.30 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: FIRST GRADE QUARTZ IN 1/2-INCH STREAK, 1.92 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: ROUGH GRAY QUARTZ, 1/4 ASSAY TON, 0.08 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: WHITE QUARTZ BEFORE CONCENTRATION, 0.24 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: AU ASSAYS REPORTED BY WOOLF (1914): HIGH-GRADE 1/4 ASSAY TON, 3.68 OZ/TON
Analytical Data: CONCENTRATE, WHITE QUARTZ, 0.60 OZ/TON


Materials

Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZATION LOCALIZED NEAR EAST MARGIN OF COLLAPSED SUMMITVILLE CALDERA WHERE CORNWALL FAULT RING FRACTURE TRUNCATES OLDER POST-PLATORO-COLLAPSE CORNWALL RESURGENT BLOCK, DISPLACING UPPER SUMMITVILLE ANDESITE OF SUMMITVILLE CALDERA ON NW AGAINST LA JARA CANYON MEMBER OF THE PLATORO CALDERA ON SE. JUST NORTH OF ALAMOSA RIVER AND JASPER IS INFERRED INTERSECTION OF OLDER CALIFORNIA GULCH FAULT (EAST BOUNDARY OF CORNWALL RESURGENT BLOCK) AND YOUNGER CORNWALL FAULT (SUMMITVILLE RING FRACTURE). JASPER ANDESITE PORPHYRY STOCK IS POST-SUMMITVILLE-COLLAPSE CALDERA-MARGIN INTRUSIVE. SMALL MONZONITE PORPHYRY STOCK SITUATED ON CORNWALL FAULT JUST SOUTH OF RIVER APPARENTLY LOCALIZED MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION AT MISER AND GUADALOUPE MINES. PRINCIPAL NW-SE VEIN TRENDS FROM MISER AREA APPARENTLY EXTEND INTO PERRY PROPERTY. VEIN IN MISER MINE TRENDS N 40 W, 70 NE AND COULD REFLECT FRACTURE TRENDS ASSOCIATED WITH EITHER CORNWALL BLOCK RESURGENCE OR SUMMITVILLE CALDERA COLLAPSE.

Comment (Workings): TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SE 700 FT TOWARD TIP TOP VEIN, CUTTING PERRY VEIN AT 350 FT. 50-FT DRIFT DRIVEN ON PERRY VEIN. SMALL SHAFT OF UNKNOWN DEPTH SUNK ON VEIN.

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED FOR 1916-19, 1927-28, 1931, 1933. MINE AND MILL PRODUCTION REPORTED ABOVE IS COMBINED MISER AND GUADALOUPE TUNNELS.

Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1870S

Comment (Location): ON LOWER NORTH SLOPE OF CORNWALL MTN SOUTH OF ALAMOSA RIVER 0.85 MILE WEST OF JASPER. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PORTAL SITE IN SEC. 30. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977


References

Reference (Deposit): PATTON, H.B., 1917, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PLATORO-SUMMITVILLE MINING DISTRICT: CGS BULL. 13.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PLATORO CALDERA AREA, SOUTHEASTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-828.

Reference (Deposit): WOOLF, J.H., 1914, GEOLOGY OF THE JASPER DISTRICT, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES THESIS T-467

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.