Cerussite (historic)

$3,500.00

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The ArkenstoneFeatured

3,403 for sale·Member since 2026

A significant midwest specimen from the late 1800s exploration work at the famous Joplin lead fields, and in what later became the Tri-State District. This significant deposit was mined out by the time modern mineral collectors really got their hands on specimens and specimen production after the 1930s, which was marked with galena and calcite primarily. Older, rarer specimens were mined out, and only to be found in old museum collections even by then. This is such a specimen, a rich and complete-all-around cluster of cerussite blades on minor matrix. George Witters assembled a very important collection of Midwest minerals over 60 years, and recently sold the collection. His worldwide pieces were fine and nice, but the old Midwest stuff was a treasure - things we never see for sale, such as this. Between 1850 and 1950, Joplin served as the hub of the Tri-State Mining District (encompassing southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma). This region produced 10% of the United States' lead and 50% of its zinc.