The Free Coinage Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,150 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: 8,150 Feet (2,484 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 37.76333, -108.10278
Map: View on Google Maps
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Free Coinage Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Free Coinage Mine
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Tertiary: Zinc
Location
State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Lone Cone (Dunton) District
Land Status
Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Warren E. Wright
Home Office: Clifton, Co.
Years: 1979 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic veins
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type: L
Description: Rico Dome, Dunton Syncline, Emma Fault
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene
Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Commodity): COMMODITIES AND ORE MINERALS LISTED NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN BUT INFERRED ON BASIS OF PROBABLE SIMILARITY WITH EMMA AND SMUGGLER MINES.
Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED IN DOLORES FM RED BEDS ON PROBABLE VEIN THAT TRENDS NW-SE AND IS PARALLEL TO EMMA VEIN AND TO OTHER FISSURES THAT LIE TO SW BEYOND GRABEN.
Comment (Workings): 1937 SPECIAL EDITION TOPO MAP OF DUNTON MINING AREA SHOWS MINE TO CONSIST OF THREE TUNNELS DRIVEN GENERALLY SE.
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LIES ON SOUTH SIDE OF WEST DOLORES RIVER NEAR BASE OF HILL JUST WEST OF SMUGGLER MINE AND JUST SW OF MILL SITE. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
References
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SILVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D, P. 116-129.
Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.
Colorado Mining Photos
Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.
