Free Coinage Mine

The Free Coinage Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Dolores county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,150 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: Free Coinage Mine

Commodity

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

Location

State: Colorado
County: Dolores
District: Lone Cone (Dunton) District

Land Status

Land ownership: National Forest
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.
Administrative Organization: San Juan N. F.

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Owner Name: Warren E. Wright
Home Office: Clifton, Co.
Years: 1979 -

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Colorado Plateaus
Physiographic Section: Canyon Lands

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin

Type: L
Description: Rico Dome, Dunton Syncline, Emma Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Pliocene

Name: Gabbro
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Pliocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Polybasite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Argentite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Commodity): COMMODITIES AND ORE MINERALS LISTED NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN BUT INFERRED ON BASIS OF PROBABLE SIMILARITY WITH EMMA AND SMUGGLER MINES.

Comment (Deposit): MINE DEVELOPED IN DOLORES FM RED BEDS ON PROBABLE VEIN THAT TRENDS NW-SE AND IS PARALLEL TO EMMA VEIN AND TO OTHER FISSURES THAT LIE TO SW BEYOND GRABEN.

Comment (Workings): 1937 SPECIAL EDITION TOPO MAP OF DUNTON MINING AREA SHOWS MINE TO CONSIST OF THREE TUNNELS DRIVEN GENERALLY SE.

Comment (Location): (LAND STATUS AND ADMINISTRATIVE AREA LOCATIONS CALCULATED USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS FOR SAN JUAN N. F.). MINE LIES ON SOUTH SIDE OF WEST DOLORES RIVER NEAR BASE OF HILL JUST WEST OF SMUGGLER MINE AND JUST SW OF MILL SITE. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1975

References

Reference (Deposit): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BASTIN, E.S., 1922, SILVER ENRICHMENT IN THE SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 735-D, P. 116-129.

Reference (Deposit): BUSH, A.L., AND BROMFIELD, C.S., 1966, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DOLORES PEAK QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND SAN MIGUEL COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-536.

Colorado Mining Photos

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