Old Leyden Mine

The Old Leyden Mine is a coal and uranium mine located in Jefferson county, Colorado at an elevation of 6,099 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: Old Leyden Mine

Commodity

Primary: Coal
Primary: Uranium

Location

State: Colorado
County: Jefferson
District: Foothill 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

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1950
Year Last Production: 1956
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

Form: TABULAR

Structure

Type: R
Description: Denver Basin, Front Range Uplift

Type: L
Description: Golden Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Claystone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Claystone
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Uraninite
Ore: Coffinite
Ore: Uranophane
Gangue: Pyrite
Gangue: Marcasite

Comments

Comment (Location): 0.75 MILE NORTH OF LEYDEN GULCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Comment (Development): URANIUM DISCOVERED IN 1874 BUT NOT PRODUCED UNTIL 1950. COAL PRODUCED IN LATE 1800S. TOTAL PRODUCTION THRU 1956 WAS 645.37 ST ORE AT 0.35% U308 YIELDING 4533 LB U308

Comment (Deposit): URANIUM OCCURS IN FRACTURES IN BRECCIATED AND SILICIFIED COAL, IN ASSOCIATED CARBONACEOUS CLAY. STONE, AND IN OVERLYING SILICIFIED SANDSTONE.

Comment (Workings): SEVERAL OPEN CUTS AND SHORT ADITS; MAIN 330-FT CROSSCUT ADIT; 184-FT VERTICAL SHAFT

References

Reference (Deposit): NELSON-MOORE, J.L., COLLINS, D.B., AND HORNBAKER, A.L., 1978, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES OF COLORADO AND BIBLIOGRAPHY: COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULL. 40, P. 194

Reference (Deposit): SIMS, P.K., AND SHERIDAN, D.M., 1964, GEOLOGY OF URANIUM DEPOSITS IN THE FRONT RANGE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1159, P. 104-105

Colorado Mining Photos

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