Copper with Tenorite

Unknown Owner

Crystallized native copper, this coated with tenorite, coming off matrix. In good condition. Collected in April, 1998.The Old Colony Mine in Houghton County, Michigan was part of the Keweenaw Peninsula copper district, a region famous for native copper deposits hosted in basalt and conglomerate rock. The mine was developed in the late 19th century and worked underground to extract native copper from these volcanic formations. Operations contributed to the growth of the Michigan copper industry, which became one of the leading sources of copper in the United States during that period. The mine later closed as production declined and larger operations dominated the district.