Denver City Mine

Past Producer in Saguache county in Colorado, United States with commodities Zinc, Copper, Silver, Gold, Lead, Selenium, Tellurium

Sections on this page

Identification information
Geographic coordinates
Site location context
Geographic areas
Public Land Survey System information
Commodities
Materials information
Alteration
Host and associated rocks
Nearby scientific data
Geologic structures
Ore body information
Controls for ore emplacement
Economic information about the deposit and operations
Mining district
Land status
Ownership information
Workings at the site
Links to other databases
Bibliographic references
General comments
Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID	10013140
MRDS ID	D009270
Record type	Site
Current site name	Denver City Mine
Alternate or previous names	Patented Claim: Denver City, Ms 11792
Related records	10118866

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates:	-106.82868, 38.41722 (WGS84)
Elevation	2749
Relative position	10.2 MILES S30E FROM GUNNISON

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Saguache(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Iris(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Saguache(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Montrose(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Tomichi(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country	State	County
United States	Colorado	Saguache

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian	Township	Range	Section	Fraction	State
New Mexico	048N	001E	14	SW OF SE	Colorado

Comments on the location information

ALONG UNNAMED TRIBUTARY OF LONG GULCH, 2.4 MILES SSE OF GREEN MOUNTAIN AT IRIS ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Commodities

Commodity	Importance
Zinc Critical	Primary
Copper	Primary
Silver	Primary
Gold	Secondary
Lead	Secondary
Selenium	Tertiary
Tellurium Critical	Tertiary

Materials information

Materials	Type of material
Chalcopyrite	Ore
Galena	Ore
Pyrite	Ore
Sphalerite	Ore
Calcite	Gangue
Chlorite	Gangue
Pyrrhotite	Gangue
Quartz	Gangue
Sericite	Gangue

Alteration

(Local) Near Best Mineralization, Calcite Occurs As Alteration Replacement And Interstratifies With Sulfides And Tuffaceous Material. Quartz-Chlorite (Propylitic) Alteration Is Partly Sericitic. Silicification (Replacement And Veining) Ranges From Minor To Predominant. Some Argillization.

Analytical data

Result	PARTIAL EXTRACTION ANALYSIS OF DUMP SAMPLE YIELDED 1.4 % CU, 0.24 % PB, 2.7 % ZN, 0.46 OZ/TON AG, 0.04 OZ/TON AU, 1.25 OZ/TON SE, 0.11 OZ/TON TE. PARTIAL EXTRACTION ANALYSIS OF MINERALIZED CORE SAMPLE (IRIS NO. 3 HOLE) CONTAINED AS MUCH AS 0.2 % CU, 2.4 % ZN, AND 0.4 % PB.

Host and associated rocks

Host or associated

Associated

Rock type

Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Quartz Monzonite

Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Neoproterozoic
Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Neoproterozoic
Stratigraphic age (youngest)	Neoproterozoic

Host or associated	Associated
Rock type	Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite
Rock unit name	Quartz Diorite To Quartz Monzonite Of Gold Basin
Rock description	Quartz Diorite To Quartz Monzonite Of Gold Basin

Host or associated	Host
Rock type	Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock
Rock unit name	Dubois Greenstone--Felsite And Felsite Porphyry;Dubois Greenstone--Amphibolite;Metasedimentary Rocks
Rock description	Dubois Greenstone--Felsite And Felsite Porphyry;Dubois Greenstone--Amphibolite;Metasedimentary Rocks

Host or associated Host

Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Nearby scientific data

(1)	-106.82868, 38.41722	ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure	Regional
Structure description	Gunnison Uplift; San Juan Volcanic Field
Type of structure	Local
Structure description	Gunnison Gold Belt, Iris Syncline, Lulu Fault, Gold Basin Stock

Ore body information

General form LENTICULAR

Length 9.14M

Width 6.1M

Depth to top 26.21M

General form	LENTICULAR
Length	9.14M
Width	6.1M
Depth to top	26.21M

Controls for ore emplacement

Original Depositional Control In Fragmental Phase Of Rhyolite Flow

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status	Past Producer
Commodity type	Metallic
Deposit size	Small
Significant	No
Discovery year	1898
Discoverer	Frank Adams And Henry Purrier (Claimants)

Mining district

District name	Green Mountain (Iris) District

Land status

Ownership category	Private

Ownership information

Type Operator

Owner Lanyon Zinc Co.

First year 1906

Type	Operator
Owner	Lanyon Zinc Co.
First year	1906

Workings at the site

Type of workings Underground

Overall depth 53.64M

Type of workings	Underground
Overall depth	53.64M

Comments on the workings information

MINE DEVELOPED BY 176-FT SHAFT INITIALLY VERTICAL BUT INCLINED BELOW SECOND LEVEL. LEVEL 1 AT 86 FT HAS DRIFTS OF UNKNOWN LENGTH NORTH AND SOUTH OF SHAFT. LEVEL2 AT 111 FT HAS 30-FT DRIFT SOUTH OF SHAFT. LEVEL 3 AT 136 FT IS MOST EXTENSIVELY DEVELOPED, WITH 150 FT OF DRIFT NORTH-SOUTH AND 10 FT OF DRIFT EAST-WEST. LEVEL 4 AT BOTTOM OF SHAFT HAS 25-FT DRIFT NORTH OF SHAFT AND SOUTH DRIFT OF UNKNOWNLENGTH

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency	Database name	Acronym	Record ID	Notes
USGS	Mineral Resources Data System	MRDS	D009270
U.S. Bureau of Mines	Minerals Availability System	MAS	0081090068

Bibliographic references

Deposit

OLSON, J.C., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE IRIS QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1286
Deposit

DROBECK, P.A., 1981, PROTEROZOIC SYNGENETIC MASSIVE SULFIDE DEPOSITS IN THE GUNNISON GOLD BELT, COLORADO, IN EPIS, R.C., AND CALLENDER, J.F., EDS., WESTERN SLOPE COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 32D FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 279-286.
Deposit

DROBECK, P.A., 1979, GEOLOGY AND TRACE ELEMENT GEOCHEMISTRY OF A PART OF THE GUNNISON GOLD BELT, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES M.SC. THESIS T-2251, P. 22-47.
Deposit

SCHWARZ, T.E., 1906, REPORT ON THE DENVER CITY PROPERTY, SAGUACHE COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO STATE PLANNING COMM. UNPUB. REPT., S.P.
Deposit

5) AFIFI, A.M., 1981, STRATIGRAPHY, PETROLOGY, AND STRUCTURE OF PRECAMBRIAN METAVOLCANIC ROCKS IN THE IRIS DISTRICT, GUNNISON AND SAGUACHE COUNTIES, COLORADO, IN EPIS, R.C., AND CALLENDER, J.F., EDS., WESTERN SLOPE COLORADO: NEW MEXICO GEOL. SOC. 32D FIELD CONF. GUIDEBOOK, P. 287-292.
Deposit

6) RIESMEYER, W.D., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DENVER CITY AREA: UNPUB. MAP.
Deposit

7) BLM MINERAL SURVEY MS 11792

General comments

Subject category	Comment text
Deposit	MINERALIZATION DEVELOPED IN FRAGMENTAL FACIES OF QUARTZ-EYE RHYOLITE TUFF WITHIN SEQUENCE OF MASSIVE RHYOLITE TUFFS CONTAINING CHERT BEDS. RHYOLITE OR FELSITE SEQUENCE LIES ON SW LIMB OF IRIS SYNCLINE AND IS TRUNCATED BY NW-TRENDING LULU FAULT THAT DISPLACES FELSITE ON NE AGAINST METASEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE ON SW. QUARTZ-EYE RHYOLITE CONTINUES TO NW BUT IS OFFSET BY FOUR NE-TRENDING TERTIARY-AGE BLOCK FAULTS. BOTH MAIN ROCK UNITS INTRUDED BY AMPHIBOLITE (METAGABBRO?) DIKES AND SILLS. MINERALIZATION CONSISTS OF MASSIVE SPHALERITE-PYRITE-CHALCOPYRITE LENS AND MINOR MASSIVE CALCITE WITH DISSEMINATED SULFIDES. ORE SHOWS STRATIGRAPHIC ZONING FROM SPHALERITE-RICH ON SW TO CHALCOPYRITE-RICH ON NE, SUGGESTING STRATIGRAPHIC TOP TO SW. MASSIVE SULFIDE USUALLY SHOWS ALTERNATING PYRITE-RICH AND SPHALERITE-RICH LAMINAE; STRONGER ORE ALSO LAMINATED WITH CALCITE. GEOCHEMICAL TRAVERSES SHOW CU ANOMALY LYING STRATIGRAPHICALLY BELOW ZN ANOMALY WHICH LIES STRATIGRAPHICALLY BELOW SE ANOMALY (DROBECK, 1979).
Deposit	SCHWARZ (1906) BELIEVED DEPOSIT WAS A CHIMNEY OCCURRING AT INTERSECTION OF SEVERAL FRACTURES. NEWER INTERPRETATION OF GUNNISON GOLD BELT DEPOSITS LED DROBECK (1979) TO POSTULATE SYNGENETIC SUBMARIN

Subject category

Comment text

Deposit

MINERALIZATION DEVELOPED IN FRAGMENTAL FACIES OF QUARTZ-EYE RHYOLITE TUFF WITHIN SEQUENCE OF MASSIVE RHYOLITE TUFFS CONTAINING CHERT BEDS. RHYOLITE OR FELSITE SEQUENCE LIES ON SW LIMB OF IRIS SYNCLINE AND IS TRUNCATED BY NW-TRENDING LULU FAULT THAT DISPLACES FELSITE ON NE AGAINST METASEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE ON SW. QUARTZ-EYE RHYOLITE CONTINUES TO NW BUT IS OFFSET BY FOUR NE-TRENDING TERTIARY-AGE BLOCK FAULTS. BOTH MAIN ROCK UNITS INTRUDED BY AMPHIBOLITE (METAGABBRO?) DIKES AND SILLS. MINERALIZATION CONSISTS OF MASSIVE SPHALERITE-PYRITE-CHALCOPYRITE LENS AND MINOR MASSIVE CALCITE WITH DISSEMINATED SULFIDES. ORE SHOWS STRATIGRAPHIC ZONING FROM SPHALERITE-RICH ON SW TO CHALCOPYRITE-RICH ON NE, SUGGESTING STRATIGRAPHIC TOP TO SW. MASSIVE SULFIDE USUALLY SHOWS ALTERNATING PYRITE-RICH AND SPHALERITE-RICH LAMINAE; STRONGER ORE ALSO LAMINATED WITH CALCITE. GEOCHEMICAL TRAVERSES SHOW CU ANOMALY LYING STRATIGRAPHICALLY BELOW ZN ANOMALY WHICH LIES STRATIGRAPHICALLY BELOW SE ANOMALY (DROBECK, 1979).

Deposit

SCHWARZ (1906) BELIEVED DEPOSIT WAS A CHIMNEY OCCURRING AT INTERSECTION OF SEVERAL FRACTURES. NEWER INTERPRETATION OF GUNNISON GOLD BELT DEPOSITS LED DROBECK (1979) TO POSTULATE SYNGENETIC SUBMARIN

Reporter information

Type	Date	Name	Affiliation	Comment
Reporter	01-JUL-1982	Schwochow, Stephen D.	Colorado Geological Survey
Updater	01-JAN-1984	Schwochow, Stephen D.	Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

External references

Wikidata: Q49407948 (Denver City Mine)

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.