Silver Tip Mine

The Silver Tip Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Whatcom county, Washington at an elevation of 2,949 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: Silver Tip Mine  

State:  Washington

County:  Whatcom

Elevation: 2,949 Feet (899 Meters)

Commodity: Gold, Silver

Lat, Long: 48.90778, -121.63000

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 Silver Tip Mine

Silver Tip Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Silver Tip Mine
Secondary: Silvertip
Secondary: Claims: Silver Tip Nos. 1-12


Commodity

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


Location

State: Washington
County: Whatcom
District: Mount Baker 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.


Holdings

Not available


Workings

Type: Underground


Ownership

Owner Name: Ray Block
Years: 1966 -

Owner Name: Paul Olson, L. R. Lahey, And Hans Anderson, Tacoma, Wash.
Years: 1966 -


Production

Not available


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Contact Metasomatic
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1943
Year Last Production: 1949
Discovery Year: 1896
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S


Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains


Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Skarn Cu


Orebody

Form: DISSEMINATED ALONG SHEAR ZONES, LENTICULAR REPLACEMENT BODIES. QUARTZ-CALCITE VEINLETS ASSUMED TO CONTAIN AU AND AG


Structure

Not available


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Not available


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: ASSAYS OF REPRESENTATIVE MATERIAL FROM ORE SHOOTS ALONG SHEAR ZONE: 0.11-0.42 OZ/TON AU, 1.6-49 OZ/TON AG, 0.49-6.41% CU, 0.05% PB. ALTHOUGH NOT ASSAYED FOR ZN, SOME SAMPLES HAD AS MUCH AS 50% SPHALERITE.


Materials

Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite


Comments

Comment (Deposit): ORE MINERALS ARE CONFINED SHEAR ZONES THAT CONTAIN VEINLETS OF CALCITE AND STRINGERS OF QUARTZ. METALLIC MINERALS ARE GENERALLY SPARSE AND DISSEMINATED. RARE ORE SHOOTS ABOUT 1 FT WIDE AND 10 FT LONG APPEAR TO BE LENTICULAR REPLACEMENT BODIES. NUMEROUS SHEAR ZONES ARE EXPOSED IN WORKINGS.

Comment (Geology): HOST ROCKS HAVE BEEN METAMORPHOSED TO BLUESCHIST FACIES

Comment (Deposit): 12 CONTIGUOUS UNPATENTED CLAIMS. MAP OF CLAIMS AND SKETCH MAP OF MAIN ADITS IN MOEN ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

Comment (Workings): MAIN UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ARE 2 ADITS ON SILVER TIP #2 CLAIM: 240-FT-LONG ADIT WITH 180 FT OF DRIFTS, 30-FT INCLINED RAISE, AND SMALL STOPE; AND 90-FT ADIT WITH A 40-FT DRIFT AND 20-FT RAISE. A 3RD ADIT 1,500 FT TO SOUTHWEST IS CAVED, BUT DUMP SIZE SUGGESTS AT LEAST 100 FT OF WORKINGS.

Comment (Development): ONE OF FIRST DISCOVERIES OF DISTRICT. MILL OPERATED FROM 1945-49 BUT WAS DESTROYED BY SNOWSLIDE IN WINTER OF 1949-50. IN 1960 OLSON, LAHEY, AND ANDERSON ACQUIRED A 10-YEAR LEASE ON THE PROPERTY, AND IN 1966, WERE EVALUATING SEVERAL SHEAR ZONES.

Comment (Location): ON RUTH CREEK DRAINAGE ON SOUTH SLOPE OF GOAT MOUNTAIN. DISCREPANCY IN LOCATION; HUNTTING INDICATES MINE IS IN SEC. 35.

Comment (Production): SHIPPED A CAR VALUED AT $27/TON, UNSPECIFIED YEAR. NO OTHER PRODUCTION RECORDS FOUND


References

Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 568.

Reference (Production): MOEN, 1966; HUNTTING, 1956

Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1969, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 57, P. 93-94.

Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, P. 106.


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