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GeneralW.P. Mine On Old Label

28th Feb 2017 00:37 UTCGary Moldovany

I recently obtained several small specimens of copper/silver. Two of them are arborescent. I also have 2 specimens from the same collection that are similar and the locality is "Minnesota Mine, Michigan, Oct. 1988" Could this "W.P. Mine" be in the same area? The only listing for a "W.P. Mine" is in Nevada and silver/copper is not on the mineral list.

28th Feb 2017 01:23 UTCDonald B Peck Expert

Gary, you might try contacting Christopher Stefano at the A. E. Seamans Mineral Museum in Houghton Michigan. My guess is that your mine might well be on the Keeweenaw Peninsula and that he would known about it.

28th Feb 2017 02:06 UTCDon Windeler

My immediate guess would be the White Pine Mine in Ontonagon County, Michigan. Lots of arborescent copper and silver from there and it was still operating in the 80s.

Cheers,

D.

28th Feb 2017 02:16 UTCDana Slaughter 🌟 Expert

Hi Gary,

Don nailed it! The White Pine was the last producing Cu mine and produced very many copper-silver specimens.

28th Feb 2017 18:19 UTCEd Clopton 🌟 Expert

Who knows why, but the Minesota copper mine officially has only one "n" in it, even though it operated on the Minnesota (with two '"n"s) fissure.

28th Feb 2017 20:51 UTCSusan Robinson

Minesota" was misspelled by the miners who worked at that mine, and the name, through time, stuck. Both the Minesota mine and White Pine mine are located in Ontonagon County.

Susan Robinson

28th Feb 2017 21:34 UTCPaul Brandes 🌟 Manager

Not to mention that most specimens from White Pine will have some matrix (Nonesuch shale, which is really a fine grained sandstone) still attached, a dead giveaway that they are from the White Pine.

28th Feb 2017 21:41 UTCGary Moldovany

Thanks everyone. My specimens look exactly like those on the White Pine Mine Locality Page. I will attempt to get some photos up. The small ones are exquisite. Gary