NATIVE COPPER with CALCITE

SPECIMEN DESCRIPTION

Quincy mine at Hancock in Houghton Co., Michigan was one of the longest lived and most productive mines in the copper belt having opened in 1846 and closed in 1968. During its first 99 years of mining, 424,000 tons of copper metal were produced. Quincy mine is also one of the top localities for fine crystals of Native Copper as demonstrated by this specimen. From David Hardman's remarkable collection of Native Coppers, this small cabinet specimen is richly invested in blocky, well-formed crystals of Native Copper. In fact, plumb centre, is a 1.1 cm wide crystal displaying a beautiful development of tetrahexahedral form, with sharply defined faces on at least one side. Other well formed crystals are distributed around the specimen which presents a fine historic patina to the Native Copper. The presence of white Calcite shows nicely the natural association seen in the ore-bodies. A very fine crystallized Native Copper from this most famous of mining regions.