Silver Cave Mine

The Silver Cave Mine is a lead and silver mine located in Luna county, New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 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: Silver Cave Mine
Secondary: Cave Mine: Claims Patented In 1892
Secondary: Pocohonta
Secondary: Silver Cave

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Tertiary: Zinc

Location

State: New Mexico
County: Luna
District: Florida Mountains 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: L. R. Oldham, H. M. Raithel, And C. R. Scott
Years: 1961 -

Owner Name: G. L. Carroll
Years: 1892 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1881
Year Last Production: 1885
Discovery Year: 1880
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Mexican Highland

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Form: IRREGULAR

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Silurian

Name: Dolomite
Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Silurian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Smithsonite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Limonite

Comments

Comment (Location): ACCURATE LOCATION IS SHOWN ON THE GYM PEAK TOPOGRAPHIC QUADRANGLE.

Comment (Production): GRISWOLD, 1961, REPORTED A TOTAL OF 1800 TONS OF OXIDIZED LEAD-SIL VER ORE VALUED AT 60000 DOLLARS WAS PRODUCED FROM 1881 TO 1885.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT OCCUR AS IRREGULAR REPLACEMENT PODS ALONG A FRACTURE ZONE . TWO PATENTED CLAIMS MINERAL SURVEY NUMBERS 632 AND 644 COVERING 26.8 38 ACRES.

Comment (Workings): WORKINGS REPORTED IN 1961 CONSISTED OF A STEEP INCLINED SHAFT, A SHALLOW VERTICAL SHAFT, AND NUMEROUS PROSPECT PITS.

References

Reference (Deposit): GRISWOLD, G.B., 1961 NMBMMR BULL 72, P. 122-123, FIG. 14

Reference (Deposit): JONES, F.A., 1904 NEW MEXICO MINES AND MINERALS, THE NEW MEXICAN PR INTING CO. P.181

Reference (Deposit): DARTON, N.H., 1917 USGS GEOLOGIC ATLAS, DEMING FOLIO, NO. 207

Reference (Deposit): DARTON, N.H., 1916 USGS BULL 618

Reference (Deposit): CLEMONS, R.E., 1982 NMBMMR GEOLOGIC MAP GM-58

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