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Silver Fox

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Copper, Molybdenum, Lead, Antimony, Tungsten, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Mining district
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. General comments
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308898
MRDS ID A015414
Record type Site
Current site name Silver Fox
Alternate or previous names Silvertone, Busty Belle
Related records 10257640, 10002922

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.56895, 65.00817 (WGS84)
Relative position Cobb (1972, MF-413), loc. 20. This prospect is approximately 2 miles east of the Elliot Highway on the divide between Fox and Flume Creek; SW1/4SW1/4 sec. 9, T. 2 N., R. 1 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The mine is marked on the Livengood A-2 SE quadrangle.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Fairbanks North Star(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Livengood A-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Circle SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Livengood(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Secondary
Copper Secondary
Molybdenum Secondary
Lead Secondary
Antimony Critical Secondary
Tungsten Critical Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cerussite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Gold Ore
Jamesonite Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Powellite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.56895, 65.00817
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Silver Fox mine consists of a series of quartz veins within a Cretaceous tonalite intrusive, surrounded by quartz muscovite schist, quartzite and chlorite quartzose schist. Quartz veins in tonalite contain scattered, flattened, small pods of molybdenite (Mowatt, 1974). Pyrite and chalcopyrite are smeared on slickensided fracture surfaces that offset these molybdenite-quartz veins. Across the fault zone is an area of fissure veins carrying pyrite, argentiferous galena, and sphalerite. Channel samples of iron-stained quartz veins containing argentiferous galena, jamesonite, alteration products, and some gold contained 2-5 % Pb, 2.9-8.8 ounces of silver per ton and 0.06-0.36 ounces of gold per ton (Berg and Cobb, 1967). Forbes and others (1968) reported fissure veins in quartz diorite consisting of argentiferous galena, sphalerite, tetrahedrite and pyrite, with subordinate gold values. Trenching exposed a roof zone of quartz monzonite plutons, roof pendants of silicified schist, and auriferous quartz stringers and veins. A 30-foot-wide altered zone includes both silicified schist and silicified quartz monzonite. Stibnite lenses occur along the hanging wall of the south vein, and a sample from an altered rind of one lens contained 23.0 ppm Au (Forbers and others, 1968). Chapman and Foster (1969) described this site as having NW-trending fissure veins in quartz diorite with scheelite and powellite limited to thin calcite veinlets and coatings along joints and fracture planes. In 1974, workings consisted of a 375 foot adit with a working face at the end of a 50 foot long drift and another face about 85 feet below the ground surface (Mowatt, 1974). In the late 1970's (probably 1978), the 50 foot long drift was extended approximately another 100 feet , and six 55-gallon barrels of silver ore were shipped (D. Wietchy, oral commun., 1999). In 1973, the mine was operated as a tourist attraction. Currently the mine is owned by the University of Alaska and is used as a teaching mine.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = In the late 1950's, about 60 tons of hand-sorted ore were shipped and about 25 tons of ore were stockpiled in 1958 (Berg and Cobb, 1967). In the late 1970's, six 55-gallon barrels of silver ore were shipped from the mine (D. Wietchy, oral commun., 1999).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Workings consisted of a 375 foot adit with a working face at the end of a 50 foot long drift and another face about 85 feet below the ground surface (Mowatt, 1974). The mine operated in 1973 principally as a tourist attraction (Mowatt, 1974), and is now a teaching mine owned by the University of Alaska.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Mowatt, 1974

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Intrusion hosted polymetallic quartz veins.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 04-MAY-1999 C.J. Freeman, J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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