Big Casino Mine

The Big Casino Mine is a gold, lead, and silver mine located in Hinsdale county, Colorado at an elevation of 9,800 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: Big Casino Mine
Secondary: Patented Claims: Big Casino No. 2, MS 69a
Secondary: Big Casino No. 2 Mill Site, MS 69b
Secondary: Big Casino No. 2, MS 836

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Tertiary: 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: Dawson Mining Co.
Home Office: Grand Junction, Co.
Years: 1969 -

Production

Year: 1927
Description: Ap_Grade: ^29 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.04 Oz/Ton Au, 32.6% Pb, 29% Zn
Year: 1968
Description: Ap_Grade: ^34.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 0.01 Oz/Ton Au, 21.5% Pb, 19% Zn, 0.5% Cu
Year: 1928
Description: Ap_Grade: ^33.3 Oz/Ton Ag, 24.5% Pb, 22.8% Zn

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1968
Discovery Year: 1876
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: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Oligocene

Name: Rhyolite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Oligocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Location): CLAIMS LIE ON HILLSIDE BETWEEN BIG CASINO GULCH AND COPPER GULCH. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR PROSPECTS BETWEEN PRIDE OF AMERICA MINE AND LITTLE CASINO PROSPECTS IN W2 W2 SEC. 04 (FORESHORTENED, UNSURVEYED SECTION). ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD. MINE REPORTEDLY PRODUCED IN 1916, BUT FIGURES FOR THIS YEAR AND ANY OTHER PRIOR YEARS ARE UNAVAILABLE.

Comment (Development): CLAIM WAS APPARENTLY FIRST LOCATED BY HOLBROCK BUT NOT PATENTED. MS 836 SURVEYED AND PATENTED IN 1881-1882 BY AUGUSTUS J. CLARK AND OTHERS.

Comment (Deposit): DEPOSIT LIES JUST OUTSIDE RIM OF LAKE CITY CALDERA IN UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL ROCKS COMPOSED OF EUREKA MEMBER RHYOLITE AND PICAYUNE MEGABRECCIA, COMPOSED OF CHAOTIC MASSES OF PRECALDERA INTERMEDIATE-COMPOSITION ROCKS INTERPRETED TO BE RESULT OF SLUMPING FROM OVERSTEEPENED CALDERA WALLS DURING INITIAL SUBSIDENCE OF UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA. DEPOSIT IS TRANSVERSE VEIN IN SLACK'S (1980) QUARTZ/BASE-METAL ASSEMBLAGE, INNER QUARTZ-CHALCOPYRITE ZONE. VEIN IS SW EXTENSION OF PRIDE OF AMERICA VEIN, TRENDING GENERALLY N 45 E. IRVING AND BANCROFT (1911) DESCRIBE ORE AS ARGENTIFEROUS TETRAHEDRITE AND GALENA.

Comment (Workings): CDM REPORTS DESCRIBE WORKINGS AS (PRESUMED) CROSSCUT TUNNEL DRIVEN GENERALLY SE FOR AT LEAST 500 FT, WITH DRIFT DRIVEN ON VEIN SW; 100 FT SE OF PORTAL IS 90-FT WINZE, WITH 70-FT SW DRIFT AND 50-FT NE DRIFT DRIVEN FROM 50-FT LEVEL IN WINZE; MAIN DRIFT WAS EXTENDED 100 FT IN 1968; DIAMOND DRILLING IN 1969.

References

Reference (Deposit): IRVING, J.D., AND BANCROFT, HOWLAND, 1911, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS NEAR LAKE CITY, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 478, P. 81.

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): COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS. AND ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 69A&B, 836

Reference (Production): COLORADO DIV. MINES ANNUAL OPERATOR REPTS.

Colorado Mining Photos

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