The Iron Clad Mine is a silver, lead, zinc, and copper mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,724 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: 8,724 Feet (2,659 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper
Lat, Long: 37.68667, -108.03500
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Iron Clad Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Iron Clad Mine
Secondary: Silver Clad Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Iron Clad, MS 865
Secondary: Santa Cruz, MS 6132
Secondary: Bancroft, MS 6515
Secondary: St. Louis, MS 8099
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Rico Boy
Secondary: Red Dog
Secondary: Rainbow
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Cadmium
Tertiary: Germanium
Location
State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Pioneer (Rico) 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: Myron L. Jones
Home Office: Rico, Co.
Years: 1978 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1900
Year Last Production: 1975
Discovery Year: 1881
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 replacement
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin
Type: L
Description: Rico Dome
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene
Name: Latite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Comments
Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). AT BASE OF HILL ON WEST SIDE OF DOLORES RIVER BETWEEN IRON DRAW AND SULPHUR CREEK (UNSURVEYED SECTION). ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN FOR IRON CLAD NO. 1 ADIT ARE FROM MCKNIGHT, 1974, PL. 1 (1930 BASE). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975
Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. PRODUCTION UNKNOWN FOR YEARS PRIOR TO 1949. NO PRODUCTION REPORTED IN 1950, 1952-1954, 1957-1961, 1963-1966, 1968, AND AFTER 1975. SEPARATE FIGURES CITED IN 1971 FOR IRON CLAD AND SANTA CRUZ. PRODUCTION FOR OTHER YEARS CREDITED TO SILVER CLAD (IRON CLAD).
Comment (Development): EARLY HISTORY UNKNOWN, BUT MINE DID PRODUCE AT LEAST 300 ST OF AG-CU ORE PRIOR TO 1900. IN LATER DEVELOPMENT, CLAIMS OWNED AND OPERATED BY MYRON JONES AND OTHERS FROM 1949-1967. SILVER BELL INDUSTRIES OF RICOOPERATED CLAIMS FROM 1969 TO 1975, TRUCKING ORE TO ITS MILL IN OPHIR. MUCH NEW DEVELOPMENT OF WORKINGS FROM 1972-1978. MYRON JONES WAS OWNER AND OPERATOR FROM 1976 TO 1978 AND CONDUCTED EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT.
Comment (Deposit): LOWER HERMOSA FM SHALE, SANDSTONE, AND SHALY LIMESTONE STRIKE GENERALLY EAST-WEST AND DIP 15 SOUTH AND ARE INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILL. THREE PRINCIPAL VEINS TREND N 20 E, N 40 E, AND N 65 E, DIP 50 TO 80 NW. VEINS LIE IN SMALL-DISPLACEMENT FRACTURES BELOW PORPHYRY SILL, AND REPLACEMENT BODIES UP TO 10 FT THICK EXTEND FROM 2 TO 15 FT FROM FEEDER VEINS INTO SHALY LIMESTONE AND LIMY SHALE. VEINS ARE RICHER IN ARKOSE THAN IN SHALY ROCKS. SOME AG ORE CONTAINED AS SULFOSALTS. CORE DRILLING BY SILVER BELL INDUSTRIES IN 1969 REVEALED PB-ZN ORE (REPLACEMENT) IN UNDERLYING LEADVILLE LIMESTONE (MISSISSIPPIAN) AT DEPTH OF 625 TO 675 FT.
Comment (Workings): MAIN WORKINGS CONSIST OF TWO 100-FT TUNNELS AND 600-FT TUNNEL (UPPER) ON IRON CLAD CLAIM AND 700-FT TUNNEL WITH THREE 40-FT RAISES AND STOPES ON ST. LOUIS CLAIM. LATER DEVELOPMENT INCLUDED OPEN CUTS ON ST. LOUIS AND IRON CLAD, INCLINED EXTENSIONS AND DRIFTS, AND NEW ADIT ON IRON CLAD. SANTA CRUZ INCLINE DEVELOPED TO 600 FT WITH SHRINK STOPES.
References
Reference (Deposit): MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO, USGS PROF. PAPER 723, P. 94.
Reference (Deposit): PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.
Reference (Deposit): RANSOME, F.L., 1901, THE ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 22D ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 362.
Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 865, 6132, 6515, 8099
Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.
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