Virginia Mine

The Virginia Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Custer county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,990 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: Virginia Mine
Secondary: West Virginia Claim ?
Secondary: Blue Lode

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: Iron

Location

State: Colorado
County: Custer
District: Rosita 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

Type: Unknown

Ownership

Owner Name: Joe T. Tomsick
Home Office: Westcliffe, Co.
Years: 1960 -

Production

Year: 1961

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Underground
Discovery Year: 1874
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: Rosita Volcanic Center, Wet Mtns

Type: L
Description: Rosita Fault, Humboldt-Pocahontas Vein

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Weakly Argillized

Rocks

Name: Andesite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Silver
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Stephanite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Calcite

Comments

Comment (Location): SOUTH SLOPE OF POCAHONTAS HILL ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Development): PENNSYLVANIA REDUCTION WORKS BUILT TO TREAT ORE FROM THIS & HUMBOLDT MINE

Comment (Workings): MAIN SHAFT ON CHIMNEY IN MAIN VEIN, 90 FT FROM HUMBOLDT

Comment (Deposit): TWO PARALLEL FISSURES; MINERALIZATION OCCURS WHERE DIP OF VEIN ABOUT 60 DEGREES; VERY LITTLE MINERALIZATION AT 30 DEGREE DIP

References

Reference (Deposit): CROSS, WHITMAN, 1896, GEOLOGY OF SILVER CLIFF AND THE ROSITA HILLS, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 263-403.

Reference (Deposit): EMMONS, S.F., 1896, THE MINES OF CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 405-472.

Reference (Deposit): SHARP, W.N., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SILVER CLIFF AND ROSITA VOLCANIC CENTERS, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1081, 1:24,000.

Reference (Production): EMMONS, S.F., 1896; COLO. DIVISION MINES INSPECTION RECORDS

Colorado Mining Photos

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