Spenceville

The Spenceville is a copper mine located in Nevada county, California at an elevation of 499 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: Spenceville  

State:  California

County:  Nevada

Elevation: 499 Feet (152 Meters)

Commodity: Copper

Lat, Long: 39.11556, -121.27056

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 Spenceville

Spenceville MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Spenceville
Secondary: Copper Claim
Secondary: Spense Mineral San Francisco Copper Co.
Secondary: Imperial Paint and Copper.


Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Silver


Location

State: California
County: Nevada
District: Spenceville


Land Status

Not available


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Surface/Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: J. G. Berryhill


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1875
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: L


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: California Trough


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Massive sulfide, kuroko


Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR


Structure

Not available


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Not available


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Deposit): THE SPENCE MINERAL CO., WHO OPERATED MINE FROM 1897 ON, INTRODUCE THE METHOD OF OBTAINING SULPHURIC ACID FROM PYRITES.

Comment (Workings): 180 FT. SHAFT WITH LEVELS AT 60 , 100 , AND 150 FT., WORKED ALSO AS OPEN CUT.

Comment (Production): HAS PRODUCED MORE THAN A MILLION POUNDS OF COPPER. WORKED FROM 1875 TO 1887 PRODUCING ABT 150,000 TONS OF ORE CONTAINING 5% COPPER. WORKED BY IMPERIAL PAINT CO. 1890 WHO DID NO MINING BUT PRODUCED PAINT FROM ROASTED ORE ON DUMPS; WORKED FROM 1897 TO ABOUT 1918,PRODUCING SULPHURIC ACID, COPPER, GOLD, SILVER. 1900 ; 15 TONS OF PYRITE PER DAY WAS BEING SHIPPED TO SAN FRANCISCO BY THE SPENCE MINERAL COMPANY TO PRODUCE SULFURIC ACID.

Comment (Development): ECON.COM: SULFURIC ACID

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT OCCURS ALONG FISSURE AND ALTERED ZONE NEAR DIABASE - GRANODIORITE CONTACT. MINERALIZED ZONE IS 100 FT. WIDE IN PLACES. CAPPED BY IRON GOSSAN. BELOW GOSSAN IS ENRICHMENT (SECONDARY) ZONE, WITH BORNITE ORE CARRYING AS HIGH AS 20 % CU.


References

Reference (Deposit): AUBURY, L. E., 1908 , COPPER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA BULL. 50 ; CALIF. MIN. BUR., P. 191 - 194

Reference (Deposit): MACBOYLE, E., 1918 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF NEVADA COUNTY; 16TH REPT. STATE MINERALOGIST; CALIF. MIN. BUR., P. 90 .

Reference (Deposit): CALIF. JOUR. MINES & GEOLOGY, V. 37, NO. 3, JULY 1941, P. 464; ADD. REF.: REPORT OF STATE MINERALOGIST XXVI; INDUSTRIAL SERVICE-METALLIFEROUS II-C, P. 48; FOLIO 18


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"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.