Buckskin National mine, Buckskin Mountain, National Mining District, Humboldt County, Nevada, USAi

Regional Level Types
Buckskin National mine	Mine
Buckskin Mountain	Mountain
National Mining District	Mining District
Humboldt County	County
Nevada	State
USA	Country

Sec 11 T45N R39E. Gold Silver
Located on the eastern slope of Buckskin Mountain, the Buckskin National deposit is hosted by ~700-m-thick succession of Early Miocene (16.57 ± 0.03 to 16.11 ± 0.03 Ma) massive rhyolite and associated volcaniclastic facies. The top of Buckskin Mountain is capped by a 30-m-thick carapace of finely laminated silica sinter and silicified epiclastic deposits. The reddish to gray-black silica sinter cropping out in an area that is 420 × 230 m in size contains high Hg concentrations.

Structure: Two Approximately Orthogonal Fault Sets Have Influenced Rock Distribution And Hydrothermal Mineralization. These R-Un Approximately N-S And E-W.

Alteration: See Comments

Tectonics: The Eruptive Centers And Vein Deposits At National Are Situated Along The Topographic Rim Of A Shallow Elliptical -Basin 14-20 Miles In Diameter, Called The Goosey Lake Depressi-On, Possibly Related To Magma Withdrawal As At Mcdermitt Calde-Ra.

Commodity: Originally located for gold and silver

Deposit: Silver and gold claims were staked on buckskin peak prior to 1907. The buckskin national mine was worked intermittently from 1912 through 1940. The property comprises 2 patented and 9 unpatented claims. The buckskin national gold mining co. Was incorporated in 1912. It was equipped with a 100-ton flotation mill, but the ore was found to be unsuitable for the flotation process. From about 1928 to 1938 the property was run by the Nevada Lucky, Tiger mining co. Under lease. In June, 1937, 50 men were employed producing 50 t.p.d. Development consisted of 3 adits (one 1250 ft. Long), a shaft, and other workings totalling 6500 feet ; info.src : 1 pub lit; 2 unpub rept; 3 field observ.
Mineralization consists of a complete system from surface mg deposits in sinter to Sb-rich upper portions of veins to deeper ruby silver and goldbearing quartz veins.the mines explore 2 n15w, 75s W veins which are parallel to and on strike with the national and birthday veins 7 km to the NW. The eastern vein is the Lawry and the western vein is the Bell vein. The tops of the vein system can be seen at the surface in pits and stopes. The veins are on a 3m wide silicified zone with veins and stockworks of fine-grained chalcedonic quartz with fine laminated crustification. Stibnite occurs in upper parts of these veins; it is absent or late-stage in deeper veins. There are 4 stages of vein mineralization: stage iv (latest, highest in system) stibnite and Ag sulfosalts and fine crustiform chalcedony; stage iii strong py and marcasite; stage ii rhythmically crustified quartzchalcedony veins with Ag lfosalts and native Au (electrum); stage I (deepest) silver minerals associatedwith white kmica and feldsparstable alteration. The tops of these veins "apex" about 200 m belo W the paleosurface (pool sinters, etc.). Fluid inclusions from these veins indicate temperatures of approx 175 degrees c with some indications of overpressure. Hydrothermal breccias noted. The bell vein underground consists of a strong iron-sulfide zone several meters wide with a 2060 cm crustified quartz vein in center.; model name could also be: hot-spring Au-ag.

Deposit type: Epithermal vein, Comstock

Development: In june, 1937, 50 men were employed producing 50 t.p. D.. Asarco has drilled 1000 m or more of core holes. Geologist Pete Vikre led NBMG geologists on a tour of the property in 1983. No activity at that time.

Geology: Geol.com: fissure vein averages 4 ft wide, opened up for 3000 ft. Along strike on the 10-ft level. The rhyolitic rocks are peraluminous.

Ore(s): "Fissure Vein", N-Trending Faults And E-W Trending Faults


Silver and gold claims were staked on Buckskin Peak prior to 1907. The Buckskin National Mine was worked intermittently from 1912 through 1940 and was initially covered by 2 patented and 9 unpatented claims. The Buckskin National Gold Mining Co. was incorporated in 1912. It was equipped with a 100-ton flotation mill, but the ore was found to be unsuitable for the flotation process. From about 1928 to 1938 the property was run by the Nevada Lucky Tiger Mining Co. under a lease. In June, 1937, 50 men were employed mining 50 tons of ore per day. The historic Buckskin National Mine last operated in the 1930s. MC CORMICK ET. AL. 1942. ASARCO was leasing property in 1983 from owners, the time Buckskin National Gold Mining Co. but there was no activity at that time. ASARCO drilled 1000 m or more of core holes in the property. In April 2004 Romarco Minerals Inc. announced the beginning of an exploration program on its newly acquired Buckskin-National Project. Romarco acquired a 100% operating interest in the 103 unpatented lode mining claims that comprise the project area, subject to terms and obligations of lease agreements between Romarco and three private parties. The planned 2004 exploration program will involve a comprehensive approach including mapping the surface and underground geology, logging all available existing drill cores, conducting a widespread systematic soil sampling program, and initiating diamond drilling of bonanza vein targets. Additionally, existing drill core that was never split, sampled, and assayed will be split and assayed for gold, silver, and associated elements. The logging and sampling of existing drill core is currently underway, and field activities will begin in late May or June.

Bonanza gold/silver ores mined during the early 1900's from underground workings along the Bell Vein in the eastern portion of the project area yielded a recorded production of approximately 24,000 ounces of gold and 300,000 ounces of silver from ore averaging approximately of 0.7 ounces gold and 8.8 ounces silver per ton. Bulk mineable reserve reported in1990 was 138,251 tons of ore grading 0.363 ounces per ton Au and 3.37 ounces per ton Ag. In 1997 reserves of 50,221 Au and 466,243 ounces of Ag were reported.

Other Databases

Link to USGS MRDS:	10040312
Link to USGS MRDS:	10310424

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References