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Moss Mine

Past Producer in Goochland county in Virginia, United States with commodities Gold, Zinc, Lead, Vanadium, Copper, Sulfur-Pyrite, Tellurium
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079866
MRDS ID W030611
Record type Site
Current site name Moss Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -78.08527, 37.84783 (WGS84)
Elevation 134
Relative position 1.5 MI (2.4 KM) SW OF TABSCOTT
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Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Virginia Goochland

Comments on the location information

  • 0.2 MI (0.3 KM) OFF SE SIDE OF STATE ROAD 605, 0.85 MI (1.37 KM) BY ROAD SW OF JUNCTION WITH STATE ROAD 681.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Zinc Tertiary
Lead Tertiary
Vanadium Tertiary
Copper Tertiary
Sulfur-Pyrite Tertiary
Tellurium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • VANADINITE OCCURRENCE.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Covellite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyromorphite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Vanadinite Ore
Feldspar Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Tourmaline Gangue

Analytical data

Result IN 1835 SAMPLES FROM TWO SHAFTS WERE ASSAYED AT $105 PER TON. IN 1904 THE ORE ASSAYED $15 PER TON FROM THE NUMBER 1 SHAFT. ORE FROM THE SECOND SHAFT AVERAGED $150 PER TON. THE TAILINGS INDICATED AN AVERAGE OF $2 PER TON. GRAB SAMPLE FROM DUMP WAS ASSAYED BY IRON KING ASSAY, HUMBOLDT, AZ IN APRIL, 1985 - RESULTS AG - 0.6 OZ/TON.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 273
USGS model code 36a
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz vein
Mark3 model number 27

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock > Hornblendite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Ordovician
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Ordovician
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist
    Rock unit name Arvonia Formation
    Rock description Arvonia Formation

Nearby scientific data

(1) -78.08527, 37.84783
ListMap

Geologic structures

Type Description Terms
Regional Columbia Syncline , Ne-Sw Trend
Local Faulting (One Fault Shows 1m Vertical Displacement)

Ore body information

  • Strike N 60 DEG E
    Dip 45 DEG SE
    Depth to top 0M
    Width 0.8M

Comments on the geologic information

  • COPPER SULFIDES BECOME MORE ABUNDANT ON 69.5 M LEVEL.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1835
Discoverer John Moss
Year of first production 1836

Mining district

District name Gold-Pyrite Belt

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Moss Mining Co.
  • Type Owner
    Owner General Commonwealth Corp.

Comments on the production information

  • A SMALL AMOUNT OF AU ORE WAS PRODUCED IN 1891.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Unknown
    Length 130M
    Overall depth 70M

Comments on the workings information

  • IN 1974, TEN CAVED PITS, COVERED DUMPS, OLD BUILDING CONTAINING AN OLD JIG AND CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS SEEN. FROM 1836 TO 1838 THE MINE WAS DEVELOPED BY TWO INCLINED SHAFTS, 9.5 AND 15 M (31 AND 50 FT) DEEP, CONNECTED AT THE 9-M (30-FT) LEVEL BY A DRIFT 21 M (70 FT) LONG. IN 1891 THE MANNING SHAFT, OR NO. 1 SHAFT, WAS SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 14.6 M (48 FT)? IN 1893 THE SHAFT WAS FURTHER DEEPENED TO 22 M (72 FT), AND THE OLD STEVENS SHAFT WAS SUNK ABOUT 21 M (70 FT) SOUTHWEST OF NO. 1 AND THE TWO SHAFTS WERE CONNECTED BY A DRIFT ON THE 22-M LEVEL. FROM 1902 TO 1904 THE NO. 1 SHAFT WAS DEEPENED TO 36 M (118 FT)? AT THE 19-M LEVEL A SET OF 3 DRIFTS, ONE DIRECTLY OVER THE OTHER, IN LIEU OF STOPING, WAS RUN FOR A TOTAL DISTANCE OF 87 M (285 FT) ALONG THE VEIN. A SECOND OLD SHAFT, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE OLD STEVENS SHAFT, WAS SUNS TO 40 M ON THE INCLINE, AND DRIFTS WERE RUN 18 M (60 FT) IN EACH DIRECTION ON THE VEIN AT A DEPTH OF 33.5 M (110 FT)? THE LAST 6 M (20 FT) OF EACH DRIFT WAS STOPED TO A
  • HEIGHT OF 6 M (20 FT) ABOVE THE FLOOR OF THE DRIFT. IN 1931 A DRAINAGE SHAFT 21 M (70 FT) IN BACK OF THE VEIN WAS SUNK ON A 45 DEG INCLINE TO A DEPTH OF 40 M (132 FT) SOLELY FOR DRAINING THE UPPER PORTIONS OF THE OLD WORKINGS TO PERMIT THEIR RETIMBERING. THE NO. 1 SHAFT WAS RECONDITIONED AND SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 46 M (150 FT) ON THE INCLINE. AT THE 46-M LEVEL DRIFTS WERE RUN 32 M (105 FT) NORTHEAST AND 53 M (173 FT) SOUTHWEST. NO. 2 SHAFT,63 M (208 FT) SOUTHWEST OF NO. 1 AT THE SURFACE ALONG THE STRIKE OF THE VEIN, WAS SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 32 M (106 FT) ON THE INCLINE. DURING 1936, NO. 2 SHAFT WAS SUNK TO A DEPTH OF 70 M (228 FT) ON THE INCLINE, PASSING THROUGH SEVERAL OLD DRIFTS. IN NO. 2 SHAFT DRIFTS WERE RUN AT THE 27-M (90 FT) LEVEL 21 M (69 FT) NORTHEAST AND 17 M (55 FT) SOUTHWEST. AT THE 38-M (125-FT) LEVEL A DRIFT WAS RUN 6 M (20 FT) NORTHEAST. AT THE 70-M LEVEL DRIFTS WERE EXTENDED ABOUT 4.6 M (15 FT) IN EACH DIRECTION. IN LATE 1984, AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO REOPEN THE OLD NO.
  • 2 INCLINED SHAFT. THE RAILS FOR THE MINE CARS WERE UNCOVERED AS WELL AS AN ADJACENT INCLINED SHAFT. TIMBERS WERE ALSO OBSERVED IN THE SHAFT BEFORE IT CAVED IN AGAIN.

Comments on development

  • DEPOSIT WAS DISCOVERED BY JOHN MOSS IN 1835. THE RICHMOND MINING CO. OPERATED THE MINE FROM 1836 TO 1838. IT WAS REOPENED IN 1891 BY G.H. MANNING WHO SANK THE MANNING SHAFT. A 3-STAMP MILL WAS ERECTED TO AID IN TESTING THE ORE. IN 1893 THE MINE WAS LEASED BY A MR. STEVENS, WHO SANK THE OLD STEVENS SHAFT. FROM 1902 TO 1904 THE TELLURIC GOLD MINING CO. OPERATED THE MINE, ADDING ANOTHER BATTERY OF 3 STAMPS TO THE MILL. IN 1931 J.C. WILLIAMS, SR., AND OTHERS, OPERATED THE MINE AND ERECTED A 3-STAMP MILL FOR TESTING THE ORE. WORK LASTED UNTIL 1933 WHEN LACK OF CAPITAL FORCED CLOSURE. THE MOSS MINING CO. OPERATED THE MINE IN 1936, ERECTING A MILL THAT UTITIZED A JAW CRUSHER, BALL MILL, CLASSIFIER, DENVER MINERAL JIG, CORDUROY BLANKETS, FLOTATION UNIT, CONCENTRATE TANK, AMALGAM DRUM, AND AMALGAMATING PLATES. THE MINE HAS NOT BEEN OPERATED SINCE 1936. NO AVAILABLE ORE EXISTS ABOVE 46 M LEVEL BETWEEN NOS. 1 AND 2 SHAFTS EXCEPT IN PILLARS AND BENCHES.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS W030611

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    PARDEE, J.T. AND PARK, C.F., 1948, GOLD DEPOSITS OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 213, 152 P.

  • Deposit

    SWEET, P.C., 1980, GOLD IN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA DIVISION OF MINERAL RESOURCES, PUBLICATION 19, 77 P.

  • Deposit

    BROWN, C.B., 1937, OUTLINE OF THE GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF GOOCHLAND COUNTY, VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 48, 68 P.

  • Deposit

    TABER, S., 1913, GEOLOGY OF THE GOLD BELT IN THE JAMES RIVER BASIN, VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 7, 271 P.

  • Deposit

    HAMMETT, A.B.J., 1966, THE HISTORY OF GOLD: KERRVILLE, TEXAS, BRASWELL PRINTING CO., 107 P.

  • Deposit

    SWEET, P.C., 1971, GOLD MINES AND PROSPECTS IN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA MINERALS, V. 17, NO. 3, P. 25-33.

  • Deposit

    WATSON, T.L., 1907, GOLD AND SILVER, IN MINERAL RESOURCES OF VIRGINIA: LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, J.P. BELL COMPANY, P. 549-567.

  • Deposit

    1836 DIREXPL RICHMOND MINING CO., FIRST OPERATOR (TO 1838)

  • Deposit

    1902 DIREXPL TELLURIC GOLD MINING CO., IMPROVED SITE (TO 1904)

  • Deposit

    1936 DIREXPL MOSS MINING CO, IMPROVED SITE

  • Production

    BROWN (1937); SWEET, P.C., 1971, GOLD MINES AND PROSPECTS IN VIRGINIA: VIRGINIA MINERALS, V. 17, NO. 3, P. 27-28

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-1979 Meintzer (D.C. Levan), Robert E. Virginia Division of Mineral Resources
Updater 01-DEC-1987 Sweet, Palmer C. Virginia Division of Mineral Resources