NATIVE Copper var. Copper Skull - image 1

NATIVE Copper var. Copper Skull

Unknown Owner

The famous copper mines of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan produced huge tonnages of copper metal from raw metallic Native Copper in a regional occurrence quite unlike any other copper deposit worldwide. Indeed, ordinarily Native Copper is something one associates with near surface oxidized copper ore, but in Michigan primary Native Copper was deposited directly within Volcanic lava flows. Sometimes this Native Copper is well-crystallized and sometimes it forms as casts upon Quartz or even around rock fragments that subsequently weather away to leave behind hollow forms. An extreme form of this is what is known as 'Copper Skulls' and this large example from David Hardman's extensive collection of Michigan coppers comes quite precisely, from No. 3 shaft, Centennial mine, Centennial Heights, Calumet Township, Houghton County, Michigan. At over 770 g it is quite a weight of copper metal and at 17 cm in length could make a very unusual fruit bowl. This form is certainly far from common. It is quite hackly (spiky) with a mottled tarnished orange and reddish metallic appearance.