Corsair Mine

The Corsair Mine is a silver mine located in Mineral county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,950 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

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.

Site Name

Primary: Corsair Mine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Mineral
District: Creede 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: B N B Exploration
Years: 1974 -

Owner Name: Macpherson Drilling
Years: 1974 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1892
Year Last Production: 1940
Discovery Year: 1883
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
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; La Garita, Creede, And Bachelor Calderas

Type: L
Description: Alpha-Corsair Fault; Creede Graben

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Bleaching, Variable Silicification And Argillization

Rocks

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

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

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 329, 45.2, 65, 4, 15, 1.7, 1, 3.6, 29, 50.6, 75.2, 3, 6.9, 0.7, 0.7, 0.8. THESE ORES WERE MINED IN THE LATER PERIOD OF MINE ACTIVITY AND PROBABLY DO NOT REPRESENT RICHEST AG VALUES. EARLIER ASSAYS REPORT MORE THAN 40 OZ/TON AND ASSORTED ORE AS HIGH AS 1130 OZ/TON. 340-TON ORE SHIPMENT IN 1934 ASSAYED 28.88 OZ/TON ORE SHIPMENT IN 1936 ASSAYED 35.86 OZ/TON AG, 2.8 % ZN.
Analytical Data: 294, 62.4, 74.8, 3.1, 12, 2, 1.3, 3.3
Analytical Data: 127, 27.1, 66.8, 4.6, 15.2, 1.7, 1.5, 4.5
Analytical Data: 489, 26.7, 72.8, 3, -, 0.3, -, 3.6
Analytical Data: PARTIAL ANALYSES OF ORES MINED BETWEEN SEPT. 1894 AND AUG. 1904. EACH SET OF VALUES IS TONS ORE, AG(OZ/TON), % S1O2, % FE AND MG, % AL2O3, % ZN, % CAO, % S: 80, 27.9, 65.6, 4, 14.3, 1.3, 1, 3.5

Materials

Ore: Silver
Ore: Cerargyrite
Gangue: Chalcanthite
Gangue: Stibnite
Gangue: Amethyst
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Stephanite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): S-T-R, LAT-LONG, AND ELEV DETERMINED FROM EMMONS AND LARSEN'S (1923) TOPO MAP (1:24,000). MINE OR CLAIM LIES AT SOUTH END OF MACKENZIE MTN AT SUNNYSIDE ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Development): DUE TO FLOODING, MINE WAS INACTIVE FROM 1903 TO 1934, EXCEPT 1921 AND 1922

Comment (Deposit): AVE. ATTITUDE OF MAIN FAULT ZONE BETW. ALPHA AND KREUTZER MINES

Comment (Workings): AT LEAST ONE TUNNEL 1500 FT LONG WITH INTERNAL SHAFT SUNK 200 FT BELOW TUNNEL LEVEL.

Comment (Deposit): TOTAL PRODUCTION FROM ALPHA AND CORSAIR MINES ESTIMATED AT $600,000 (THRU 1908), MOSTLY AG, MOSTLY FROM CORSAIR MINE ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT

References

Reference (Deposit): EMMONS, W.H., AND LARSEN, E.S. 1923, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE CREEDE DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 718, 198 P.

Reference (Deposit): STEVEN, T.A., AND RATTE, J.C., 1965, GEOLOGY AND STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF ORE DEPOSITION IN THE CREEDE DISTRICT, SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 487, 90 P.

Reference (Deposit): LINDEMANN, J.W., AND OTHERS, EDS., 1981, FIELD TRIP NOTES, CREEDE MINING DISTRICT, SAN JUAN VOLCANIC PROVINCE, COLORADO: DENVER REGIONAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS SOC. GUIDEBOOK

Colorado Mining Photos

Check out this collection of Colorado's best historic mining photos: Incredible Photos of Colorado Mining Scenes.