Michigan Native Copper

[Hookedondetecting]

Had this posted in other parts of the forum and now think this is the proper place.

I cleaned up my copper Specimens from last Summer last week and this is the result

 

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[mamabear]

Beautiful! Did you dig it, or was it visible?

 

[loco oro]

those are some of the biggest pieces of native ive seen, very cool !

 

[Hookedondetecting]

We used metal detectors to pin point the copper at old mining sites. There are piles of rock that were blasted out of the old mine shafts.
The copper was 6" to 8" down in mixed dirt and rock rubble so we used standard hand tools and a shovel.
This mine was from 1850. There is a ghost town near by too. The copper comes out the color of old pennies so it is not that noticeable.
The copper formed millions of years ago in the rock fissures so it is always shaped erratically.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

Close up of one of the rocks

 

[huntsman53]

Nice Native Copper specimens, congrats! Have you found any Gold attatched to any of the specimens? There are deposits in Southeast Tennessee and over in North Carolina with decent Gold mixed in with the Copper and more Gold along the edges of the main Copper field deposits.


Frank

 

[MrLee]

I love copper, it has such nice color when cleaned, the problem for me is how to clean them? I have several big chunks from a mine up there in Michigan. Keep an eye out for other PMs in those specimens. If I remember correctly the Platinum metal group.

 

[Hookedondetecting]

I love copper, it has such nice color when cleaned, the problem for me is how to clean them? I have several big chunks from a mine up there in Michigan. Keep an eye out for other PMs in those specimens. If I remember correctly the Platinum metal group.

I used a quick bath in Muriatic Acid

 

[L.C. BAKER]

In my studies I ran into some possible people of interest in Michigan. I stumbled onto the story of this huge copper rock and thought you may be interested if you didn't already know about it. there was some extreme copper speculation in Michigan and a lot of it mined out of there. nice finds, thanks for posting it.

L.C.

Ontonagon Boulder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Hookedondetecting]

Close up of one of the rocks

Never heard of much gold up there but copper and silver melted together was somewhat common. That is called a half breed.
In the mining days the miners kept the silver for themselves since they were hired to mine copper.
The old mine records do show allot of silver was isolated and shipped with the copper.
The metals ere melted down into ingots and shipped by boat to the lower cities.
Some of the Mass copper found was as large as locomotives and took years to cut up and remove.

 

[huntsman53]

Never heard of much gold up there but copper and silver melted together was somewhat common. That is called a half breed.
In the mining days the miners kept the silver for themselves since they were hired to mine copper.
The old mine records do show allot of silver was isolated and shipped with the copper.
The metals ere melted down into ingots and shipped by boat to the lower cities.
Some of the Mass copper found was as large as locomotives and took years to cut up and remove.

Imagine the looks you would get if you showed up at the Recyclers with a chunk that big!


Frank

 

[Zee]

That sure is cool! I'm gonna get out to the UP in Michigan this spring hopefully and try to find myself some nice copper. Should be a good trip and I can't wait!

 

[Hookedondetecting]

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/t...1850-60-poor-rock-pile-northern-michigan.html
This thread was the original showing the same specimens as they look when in the field, dirty and dull.