Aspen Mining and Smelting Co. Mine

The Aspen Mining and Smelting Co. Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Pitkin county, Colorado at an elevation of 8,179 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

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Site Name

Primary: Aspen Mining and Smelting Co. Mine
Secondary: A. M. and S. Mine, Veteran Tunnel
Secondary: Claims: Spar
Secondary: Washington No. 2
Secondary: Emma
Secondary: Betsy Jane
Secondary: Chance
Secondary: King Bee
Secondary: Hidden Treasure
Secondary: General Shields
Secondary: Golconda
Secondary: Robert Emmett
Secondary: Way Up
Secondary: Mamouth
Secondary: J. E. D.

Commodity

Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc

Location

State: Colorado
County: Pitkin
District: Aspen (Roaring Fork) 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

Type: Underground

Ownership

Owner Name: Spar Consolidated Mining Co.
Home Office: Aspen, Co.
Years: 1930 -

Owner Name: D. P. Rohlphing
Home Office: Aspen, Co.
Years: 1930 -

Production

Year: 1927
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8.7 Oz/Ton Ag, 6.5 % Pb, 2 % Fe, 1.5 % S
Year: 1926
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^7.8 Oz/Ton Ag, 6.7 % Pb, 2 % Fe, 2 % S
Year: 1925
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^7.3 Oz/Ton Ag, 6 % Pb, 1.4 % Zn, 3.6 % Fe, 2.6 % S
Year: 1924
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^6.5 Oz/Ton Ag, 6.5 % Pb, 3 % Fe, 4 % S
Year: 1923
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8 To 10 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1922
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^9 To 10 Oz/Ton Ag, 2 % Fe, 1 % S
Year: 1921
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^8 Oz/Ton Ag, 1.5 % Fe
Year: 1920
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^10 Oz/Ton Ag, 2 % Pb
Year: 1919
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^10 Oz/Ton Ag, 4 % Pb
Year: 1917
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^12 Oz/Ton Ag, 4 % Pb
Year: 1916
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^10 Oz/Ton Ag
Year: 1929
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^5.3 Oz/Ton Ag, 5.3 % Pb, 3 % S
Year: 1930
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^7.4 Oz/Ton Ag, 5 % Pb, 2 % Fe, 3.5 % S
Year: 1928
Material type: ORE
Description: Ap_Grade: ^7.5 Oz/Ton Ag, 5.8 % Pb, Trace Zn, 2 Fe, 2 % S

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1930
Discovery Year: 1881
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: Sawatch Uplift, Central Colorado Trough, Piceance Basin, White River Uplift, Elk Uplift

Type: L
Description: Silver Fault, Contact Fault, Aspen Mountain Syncline, Aspen Fault

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Paleocene

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian

Name: Granite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 4 TO 6.7 % PB, TRACE TO 1.4 % ZN
Analytical Data: ORE GRADES FOR VETERAN TUNNEL SHOW OVERALL DECLINE FROM 10 TO 12 OZ/TON AG FOR 1916-20 TO WEIGHTED AVERAGE OF 7.4 OZ/TON AG IN LATER 1920S

Materials

Gangue: Barite

Comments

Comment (Production): PARTIAL PRODUCTION RECORD; NO CDM REPORTS FOR 1918 OR PRE-1916. ORE TONNAGE FOR 1920 INCLUDES 4930 ST CRUDE ORE AND 640 ST MILLING ORE; FIGURE FOR 1923 INCLUDES 2600 ST CRUDE ORE AND 400 ST MILLING ORE. PRODUCTION CITED IN VARIOUS YEARS FOR VETERAN TUNNEL OR SPAR TUNNEL. IT IS UNKNOWN IF ALL PRODUCTION CAME FROM VETERAN, FRANKLIN, OR A.M.S. WORKINGS OR INCLUDED PART OF DURANT WORKINGS.

Comment (Geology): SEDIMENTARY ROCKS DIP GENTLY SW.

Comment (Location): LAT LONG ARE CENTRAL FOR AREA.

Comment (Production): PARDEE SAYS PRODUCTION OF CU WAS 150000 LB BY 1911, SMALL AMOUNT OF AU AND AG.

Comment (Development): MINES: COPPER CLIFF, LEONARD

Comment (Deposit): MOVEMENT CRUSHED THE ROCKS LOCALLY, MINERAL-BEARING SOLUTIONS ENTERING FROM BELOW CEMENTING THEM WITH OPALINBE QUARTZ AND SULPHIDES. POST MINERALIZATION FAULTING BY THE STRONG NE FAULTS. OXIDATION STARTED WITH FAULTING.

Comment (Workings): TUNNELS, QUARRIES

Comment (Deposit): BEDS STRIKE NE AND DIP 35 TO 40 DEG NW, MUCH LESS THAN NOTED IN ASPEN AND DURANT MINES. SILVER FAULT SHOWS MUCH CRUSHING OF OVERLYING BELDEN SHALE AND CUTS DOWNWARD ACROSS FORMATIONS TO EFFECT THINNING OF UPPER LEADVILLE LIMESTONE MEMBER. COULD ALSO BE INTERPRETED AS DOWNWARD HIGHER ANGLE SPLIT (ASPEN FAULT) IN SILVER FAULT. CONTACT FAULT SHOWS THICK BRECCIATION AND PORPHYRY BOULDERS IN FAULT ZONE. SPURR NOTED LARGE CAVES (SOLUTION FEATURES?) IN LIMESTONE ABOVE CONTACT FAULT. ORE OCCURS IN ALTERED LIMESTONE IN THREE OR FOUR NE-TRENDING PARALLEL ZONES OR SHOOTS IN CONTACT FAULT ZONE.

Comment (Workings): MINE ACCESSIBLE BY 1000-FT-LONG SOUTH-TRENDING VETERAN TUNNEL CONNECTED BY 180-FT RAISE TO 430-FT LEVEL OF 600-FT-DEEP FRANKLIN SHAFT, FROM BOTTOM OF WHICH A 370-FT NW-TRENDING DECLINE AND AT LEAST THREE LEVELS DEVELOPED ON CONTACT AND ASPEN FAULTS

Comment (Location): IN ASPEN MTN AREA NEAR BASE OF SLOPE BETWEEN PIONEER GULCH AND VALLEJO GULCH. ELEV FROM SPURR (1898) IS VETERAN TUNNEL PORTAL. LAT-LONG APPROXIMATED FROM BRYANT (1972). VETERAN TUNNEL PORTAL FOUND ON BANNER (MS 4265) AND HIDDEN TREASURE (MS 3705) CLAIMS ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1980)

References

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1972, MAP SHOWING MINES, PROSPECTS, AND AREAS OF SIGNIFICANT SILVER, LEAD, AND ZINC PRODUCTION IN THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-785-D

Reference (Deposit): BLM MINERAL SURVEYS MS 1403, 1830, 1867, 2431, 2534, 3644, 3658, 3705

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

Reference (Deposit): SPURR, J.E., 1898, GEOLOGY OF THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS MON. 31, P. 157

Reference (Deposit): BRYANT, BRUCE, 1971, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE ASPEN QUADRANGLE, PITKIN COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-933.

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