Mineral Specimen #68 Copper Crystals

Cliff Mine, Phoenix, Keweenaw County, Michigan

Ex. Philadelphia Academy of Sciences #25027

Nice well-formed sharp crystals. The specimen shows a natural patina. On the back, there are what appear to be chisel marks from mining operations (last photo). Specimens with chisel marks are sought after by collectors of Lake Superior Copper. This may indicate the specimen was recovered during mining operations (specimens are still occasionally recovered from the dumps). The chisel marks also show the same patina which further supports this being an older specimen. There is a problem with the labels, there is no "Clift Mine" in the Lake Superior Copper District. The Cliff Mine is 25 miles northeast of Houghton. This specimen looks like others from the mine. Persumably, the final f was mislabeled as a t and the mistake perputated by the museum.

9 x 6 x 6 cm