The Silver Tip Mine is a gold and silver mine located in Whatcom county, Washington at an elevation of 2,949 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
Elevation: 2,949 Feet (899 Meters)
Commodity: Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 48.90778, -121.63000
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.
Silver Tip Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Silver Tip Mine
Secondary: Silvertip
Secondary: Claims: Silver Tip Nos. 1-12
Commodity
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc
Tertiary: Arsenic
Location
State: Washington
County: Whatcom
District: Mount Baker 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.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Ray Block
Years: 1966 -
Owner Name: Paul Olson, L. R. Lahey, And Hans Anderson, Tacoma, Wash.
Years: 1966 -
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Deposit Type: Contact Metasomatic
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1943
Year Last Production: 1949
Discovery Year: 1896
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Cascade-Sierra Mountains
Physiographic Section: Northern Cascade Mountains
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Skarn Cu
Orebody
Form: DISSEMINATED ALONG SHEAR ZONES, LENTICULAR REPLACEMENT BODIES. QUARTZ-CALCITE VEINLETS ASSUMED TO CONTAIN AU AND AG
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: ASSAYS OF REPRESENTATIVE MATERIAL FROM ORE SHOOTS ALONG SHEAR ZONE: 0.11-0.42 OZ/TON AU, 1.6-49 OZ/TON AG, 0.49-6.41% CU, 0.05% PB. ALTHOUGH NOT ASSAYED FOR ZN, SOME SAMPLES HAD AS MUCH AS 50% SPHALERITE.
Materials
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Gold
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Calcite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): ORE MINERALS ARE CONFINED SHEAR ZONES THAT CONTAIN VEINLETS OF CALCITE AND STRINGERS OF QUARTZ. METALLIC MINERALS ARE GENERALLY SPARSE AND DISSEMINATED. RARE ORE SHOOTS ABOUT 1 FT WIDE AND 10 FT LONG APPEAR TO BE LENTICULAR REPLACEMENT BODIES. NUMEROUS SHEAR ZONES ARE EXPOSED IN WORKINGS.
Comment (Geology): HOST ROCKS HAVE BEEN METAMORPHOSED TO BLUESCHIST FACIES
Comment (Deposit): 12 CONTIGUOUS UNPATENTED CLAIMS. MAP OF CLAIMS AND SKETCH MAP OF MAIN ADITS IN MOEN ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Comment (Workings): MAIN UNDERGROUND WORKINGS ARE 2 ADITS ON SILVER TIP #2 CLAIM: 240-FT-LONG ADIT WITH 180 FT OF DRIFTS, 30-FT INCLINED RAISE, AND SMALL STOPE; AND 90-FT ADIT WITH A 40-FT DRIFT AND 20-FT RAISE. A 3RD ADIT 1,500 FT TO SOUTHWEST IS CAVED, BUT DUMP SIZE SUGGESTS AT LEAST 100 FT OF WORKINGS.
Comment (Development): ONE OF FIRST DISCOVERIES OF DISTRICT. MILL OPERATED FROM 1945-49 BUT WAS DESTROYED BY SNOWSLIDE IN WINTER OF 1949-50. IN 1960 OLSON, LAHEY, AND ANDERSON ACQUIRED A 10-YEAR LEASE ON THE PROPERTY, AND IN 1966, WERE EVALUATING SEVERAL SHEAR ZONES.
Comment (Location): ON RUTH CREEK DRAINAGE ON SOUTH SLOPE OF GOAT MOUNTAIN. DISCREPANCY IN LOCATION; HUNTTING INDICATES MINE IS IN SEC. 35.
Comment (Production): SHIPPED A CAR VALUED AT $27/TON, UNSPECIFIED YEAR. NO OTHER PRODUCTION RECORDS FOUND
References
Reference (Deposit): DERKEY, R.E., JOSEPH, N.L., AND LASMANIS, RAYMOND, 1990, METAL MINES OF WASHINGTON - PRELIMINARY REPORT: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF GEOLOGY AND EARTH RESOURCES OPEN-FILE REPORT 90-18, P. 568.
Reference (Production): MOEN, 1966; HUNTTING, 1956
Reference (Deposit): MOEN, W.S., 1969, MINES AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 57, P. 93-94.
Reference (Deposit): HUNTTING, M.T., 1956, INVENTORY OF WASHINGTON MINERALS - PART II, METALLIC MINERALS: WASHINGTON DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY BULLETIN 37, P. 106.
Washington Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Washington" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Washington.
