Wied Iron Spar District, Westerwald, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany

This area forms the southwestern extension of the Siegerland iron mining area, from which it is geologically separated by an east-west trending zone near Altenkirchen that is almost void of any mineralization. The veins, trending either N-S or NE-SW, are hosted by devonian schists, consist mainly of siderite and manganese ores and also carry varying mounts of lead, zinc and copper ores. The most prolific veins of the district are crowded in vein groups ("Gangzüge"), appearing in three narrow zones that extend from north to south at distances of about 10 km:

- ANXBACH group: This group comprises a number of NE-SW trending veins, extending over a distance of about 2 km east to south-east of Lorscheid. Their northern section was worked by the Anxbach Mine, their southernmost part by the Oskar Mine. Several smaller veins are located near Waldbreitbach, immediately south.
- GEORG-SILBERWIESE group: A group of N-S trending veins between Oberlahr in the north and Niederhonnefeld in the south. The most important mines in this zone were the Silberwiese Mine near Oberlahr, the Louise Mine near Horhausen and the Georg Mine near Willroth.
- A THIRD ZONE extends further east, from Puderbach in the north-northwest to Bendorf in the south-southeast, including the mines near Raubach, Dernbach and Isenburg. The copper content of the veins continually decreases from north to south, while the lead and zinc contents increase.

References:
- W. Fenchel, H. Gies, H. D. Gleichmann, W. Hellmund, H. Hentschel, K. E. Heyl, H. Hüttenhain, V. Langenbach, H.-J. Lippert, M. Lusznat, W. Meyer, A. Pahl, M. S. Rao, R. Reichenbach, G. Stadler, H. Vogler, H. W. Walther: "Die Sideriterzgänge im Siegerland-Wied-Distrikt", Sammelwerk Deutsche Eisenerzlagerstätten, Geol. Jahrb. D 77, Hannover (1985)
- W. Meyer, J. Stets: "Das Rheintal zwischen Bingen und Bonn", Sammlung Geologischer Führer, Vol. 89, Borntraeger (Berlin, Stuttgart), 1996