Golden Wonder Mine

The Golden Wonder Mine is a silver and gold mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,259 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: Golden Wonder Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Hinsdale

Elevation: 10,259 Feet (3,127 Meters)

Commodity: Silver, Gold

Lat, Long: 38.00472, -107.27972

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 Golden Wonder Mine

Golden Wonder Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Golden Wonder Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Golden Wonder, MS 552
Secondary: Golden Mammoth, MS 553
Secondary: Gold Carbonate, MS 17651
Secondary: Unpatented Claims: Windy Point
Secondary: Pride of the West
Secondary: Golden Cycle
Secondary: Lakeview
Secondary: Golden Age
Secondary: Lone Jack
Secondary: Big Jack Nos. 1-3
Secondary: Lucky Fish
Secondary: Lucky Fish Nos. 1-3
Secondary: New York
Secondary: Blue Bell
Secondary: Gold Hill
Secondary: Golden Bell
Secondary: Gold Hill Nos. 1-2


Commodity

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


Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Lake (Lake City) 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: LKA International, Inc.
Percent: 100.0
Info Year: 2010

Owner Name: Lake City Mines
Home Office: Colorado Springs, Co.
Years: 1984 -


Production

Year: 2010
Time Period: 1998-2010
Material type: LKA website accessed on 10/10/2010. http://www.lkaintl.com/


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1981
Discovery Year: 1880
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: Y
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, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera


Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification; Sericitization


Rocks

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

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

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene


Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 0.06 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 2.00 OZ/TON AU, 2.50 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 2.63 OZ/TON AU, 14.03 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 0.29 OZ/TON AU, 0.02 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 0.96 OZ/TON AU, 1.24 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 0.22 OZ/TON AU, 0.20 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 63.38 OZ/TON AU, 28.12 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 0.64 OZ/TON AU, 0.18 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: 0.38 OZ/TON AU, 1.04 OZ/TON AG
Analytical Data: TEN ASSAYS OF ORE FROM 35-ST LOT MINED ON 6/3/81 (REPORTED IN MINING RECORD, 6/17/81): 34.74 OZ/TON AU, 13.74 OZ/TON AG


Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Stibnite
Gangue: Quartz


Comments

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE EAST OF LAKE FORK AT HEAD OF DEADMAN GULCH, POSSIBLY EXTENDING INTO SECTIONS 03 AND 04. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR TUNNEL OPENING NORTH OF DEADMAN GULCH, IN NE SW NW NW SEC. 11. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. MINE WORKED INTERMITTENTLY SINCE 1880, BUT FIGURES ARE GENERALLY UNAVAILABLE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) REPORTED TWO CARLOADS SHIPPED IN 1906. USGS MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES AND USBM MINERAL YEARBOOKS CITE PRODUCTION IN 1913, 1935-1939, AND 1961. FIGURES FOR 1913 AND 1935-1937 NOT REPORTED SEPARATELY BUT COMBINED WITH THOSE OF OTHER LAKE DISTRICT MINES; PRODUCTION CONSIDERED TO BE SMALL. TOTAL PRODUCTION IN LAKE DISTRICT IN 1961 PRESUMABLY ATTRIBUTED TO GOLDEN WONDER, ONLY REPORTED ACTIVE MINE. ESTIMATED PRODUCTION FOR 19,1 REPRESENTS REOPENING OF MINE AND CONSISTS OF 35-ST LOT PRODUCED ON 6/3/81 AND 10- TO 15-ST LOT PRODUCED ON 6/10/81; REPORTED GRADES ARE RANGES OF 10 ASSAYS OF 35-ST LOT.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LOCATED IN FAR NE PART OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA MOAT FILL IN THICK RHYOLITE FLOWS AND DOMES THAT INCLUDE LOCAL FLOW BRECCIAS AND BEDDED TUFFS, ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO ACID-SULFATE ALTERATION. LIPMEN (1976) SHOWED HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION IN RHYOLITE AND ADJACENT ANDESITE OVER SUBSTANTIAL AREA AROUND MINE. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBED COUNTRY ROCK AS CONSIDERABLY SILICIFIED, LOCALLY SERICITIZED, AND PYRITIZED FOR GREAT DISTANCE AROUND MINE. THEY CONSIDERED DEPOSIT TO BE REPLACEMENT. QUARTZ VEINS SCARCE. ACCORDING TO MINING RECORD (6/17/81) AND WILKINSON (1981), NEWER INTERPRETATION OF DEPOSIT IS BRECCIA PIPE, POSSIBLY RELATED TO LOCAL INTRUSIVE CENTER ON UNCOMPAHGRE VOLCANICS EMPLACED LATE IN DEVELOPMENT OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. SEE FISHER AND LEEDY (1973) FOR DESCRIPTION OF BRECCIA PIPES IN SILVERTON CALDERA, AND SLACK (1976) FOR DESCRIPTION OF GOLDEN WONDER BRECCIA PIPE (THIS PH.D. THESIS WAS NOT CHECKED FOR THIS RECORD.

Comment (Workings): OPEN CUTS. CDM'S DESCRIPTION OF WORKINGS AS OF 1978: TUNNEL 1 (UPPER) DRIVEN 400 FT GENERALLY NE. TUNNEL 2, LOCATED 130 FT BELOW TUNNEL 1, DRIVEN 600 FT GENERALLY NE, WITH 32-FT WINZE AT 243 FT FROM PORTAL. TUNNEL 3, LOCATED 200 FT BELOW TUNNEL 2, DRIVEN 1000 FT GENERALLY NE. IN TUNNEL 3, AT 425 FT FROM PORTAL, ARE 180-FT WINZE WITH 50-FT DRIFT AND 180-FT SE CROSSCUT WITH 60-FT SW DRIFT, THENCE 40-FT NW CROSSCUT TO 25-FT INCLINED WINZE AND 60-FT RAISE. AT 170 FT FROM PORTAL, NEW 240-FT SE CROSSCUT DRIVEN TO JOIN OLD DRIFTS. WHETHER OR NOT BIGELOW SAFETY TUNNEL (CITED IN MINING RECORD, 3/11/81) CORRESPONDS TO ONE OF THREE DESCRIBED TUNNELS IS UNCERTAIN.

Comment (Deposit): ADDITIONAL REFERENCE: (11) BILLINGS, PATTY, 1983, UNDERGROUND GEOLOGIC MAPS OF THE GOLDEN WONDER MINE, LAKE CITY, HINSDALE COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. 83-907. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT


References

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 101-102

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., AND OTHERS, 1976, MULTIPLE AGES OF MID-TERTIARY MINERALIZATION AND ALTERATION IN THE WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 71, NO. 3, P. 571-588.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.

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

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 552, 553, 17651

Reference (Deposit): MINING RECORD, 1981-82, (VARIOUS ARTICLES): MINING RECORD, 3/11/81, 4/22/81, 6/17/81. 9/16/81, 12/15/82.

Reference (Deposit): WILKINSON, BRUCE, 1981, GOLDEN WONDER MINE BEGINS WITH LIMITED ORE PRODUCTION: DENVER POST, 6/14/81.

Reference (Deposit): FISHER, F.S., AND LEEDY, W.P., 1973, GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MINERALIZED BRECCIA PIPES IN THE RED MOUNTAIN DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1381.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1976, HYPOGENE ZONING AND MULTISTAGE VEIN MINERALIZATION IN THE LAKE CITY AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: STANFORD UNIV. PH.D. THESIS, 327 P.

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPT. (1939); MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S.; IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911); MINING RECORD, 1981


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