Excelsior Mine

The Excelsior Mine is a silver, copper, and lead mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 10,249 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

Name: Excelsior Mine  

State:  Colorado

County:  Hinsdale

Elevation: 10,249 Feet (3,124 Meters)

Commodity: Silver, Copper, Lead

Lat, Long: 38.01222, -107.46611

Map: View on Google Maps

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.


Satelite image of the Excelsior Mine

Excelsior Mine MRDS details

Site Name

Primary: Excelsior Mine
Secondary: Patented Claim: Excelsior
Secondary: Ms 5184


Commodity

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


Location

State: Colorado
County: Hinsdale
District: Galena (Henson Creek) 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: Frank Adams And W.B. Owen
Home Office: Capitol City
Years: 1908 -


Production

Year: 1896
Description: Ap_Grade: ^50 To 59 Oz/Ton Ag, 11 To 15.5% Cu, 5% Pb
Year: 1893
Description: Ap_Grade: ^59 Oz/Ton Ag. 10 To 12% Cu (Average)


Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1893
Year Last Production: 1920
Discovery Year: 1878
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, San Juan Depression

Type: L
Description: San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera, Eureka Graben


Alterations

Not available


Rocks

Name: Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene

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


Analytical Data

Not available


Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Copper
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Silver
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Limonite


Comments

Comment (Workings): MINE DEVELOPED BY 100-FT CROSSCUT DRIVEN (PRESUMABLY) NE TO VEIN, WITH 500-FT DRIFT NW-SE. DISCOVERY SHAFT FROM SURFACE INTERSECTS DRIFT AT 200 FT FROM CROSSCUT; 90- TO 100-FT-LONG STOPE EXTENDS 160 FT ABOVE LEVEL. BELOW MAIN DRIFT IS 106-FT WINZE OFF WHICH SEVERAL SHORT LEVELS RUN AND 75X30X3-FT STOPE WORKED.

Comment (Location): MINE LIES ON SW SLOPE OF EMPIRE MOUNTAIN EAST OF YELLOWSTONE GULCH AND 0.3 MILE NORTH OF CAPITOL CITY SITE. CLAIM ADJOINS SILVER CHORD CLAIM ON SOUTH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) CITE PRODUCTION FOR 1893; FIGURES FOR 1896 GIVEN BY THEM AS SHIPMENTS MADE IN 1895 AND 1896. MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S. VOLUMES CITE PRODUCTION IN 1907, 1912, 1916, 1919, AND 1920, BUT NO FIGURES WERE GIVEN; PRODUCTION CONSIDERED TO BE SMALL.

Comment (Deposit): MINE LIES NW OF LAKE CITY CALDERA RIM IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL ROCKS CONSISTING OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE. NW OF MINE, SEQUENCE INTRUDED AND ALTERED BY MONZONITE PORPHYRY AND RHYOLITE PLUGS. VEIN LIES IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ/BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE, INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE. VEIN TRENDS GENERALLY N 10 TO 12 W, 60 TO 70 NE, STEEPENING IN UPPER WORKINGS. ORE CHARACTERIZED BY NATIVE CU AND NATIVE AG. NATIVE CU FOUND ABOUT 400 FT IN ON MAIN LEVEL. NATIVE AG WAS PROMINENT IN LOWER WORKINGS WITH ABUNDANT SPHALERITE.


References

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 74-76.

Reference (Deposit): SLACK, J.F., 1980, MULTISTAGE VEIN ORES OF THE LAKE CITY DISTRICT, WESTERN SAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: ECON. GEOLOGY, V. 75, NO. 7, P. 963-991.

Reference (Deposit): LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 5184

Reference (Production): IRVING AND BANCROFT, 1911, P. 74-75; MINERAL RESOURCES OF U.S.


Colorado Mining Photos

Placer mines at Cripple Creek, Colorado ca. 1892

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