The Virginia Lynn

About This Claim

"A proven polymetallic copper-silver-gold lode mine with platinum group elements, existing underground workings, a 70+ year documented history, and ore that has already been shipped to smelter... What could be better than the Virginia Lynn?" Copper Gulch • Dolores County • Colorado • San Juan National Forest

Historic Lode Mine Privately Held for Decades Finally Released to the Public... Tucked in the timbered slopes of Copper Gulch on the south side of the Willow Divide in Dolores County, Colorado, the former Little Silver Mine, a 82.64-acre lode mine with 5-acre mill-site, now known as the Virginia Lynn, sits on a rare spot on the planet. The claims find themselves centrally located on an extensive fault network on the San Juan Mountains, created from the clash of the intrusive San Juan Volcanic Fields and the pre-existing Mesozoic/Paleozoic rock structures. This clash created huge faults spanning for tens of miles all around the claim, and left a particularly dense cluster of breaks that Virginia Lynn sits square on top of. This fault network hosts some of the highest-grade copper deposits found in recent history. Silver is found in commercial quantity, and gold is sprinkled within. Uninterested in commercially developing the property themselves, the owners of this claim have decided to open this well-guarded gem for sale to the public, in hopes of seeing the legacy of this centuries-old mine be carried on... A Centuries-Old Historical Mine With over 70+ years of recent, well-recorded history, the Virginia Lynn claims have been formally examined by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Mines on multiple occasions — in 1973, 1977, 1988, and 1990 — with each examination confirming the presence of valuable copper-silver mineralization (reports downloadable here!). The 1988 Forest Service Mineral Report concluded that the land contains mineral values sufficient to justify extraction, and numerous assays of the property's ore reconfirm the same sentiment. Federal examinations and personal assays made by the long-term owners identified other key minerals: platinum, palladium, titanium, and consistently high amounts of barium. The presence of these commercially valuable minerals found within target ore is a notably good sign, pointing to higher returns and less costly gangue material waste when processing. There's evidence too that suggests this mine was opened and worked long before the historic mining boom at nearby Rico, possibly as early as the mid-1800s. With early prospectors having entered this very same mine earlier than the birth of the Rico mining district, the echoes of your footsteps through the portal of the Virginia Lynn is the same echo heard centuries ago by some of Colorado's earliest prospectors.

"Observable geologic features, sampling and assay results, proximity to past producing mines, and favorable geologic conditions all indicate that the land contains mineral values which would render their extraction profitable." Andrew G. Raby, USDA Forest Service Mineral Report, 1988

Mineral Structure The Virginia Lynn claim group lies near the Rico Mountains intrusive complex, at the center of an extensive fault system on the Willow Divide with subparallel and continuous faults radiating 20 to 30 miles to the East and West from where the Virginia Lynn sits. This intrusive complex is the geologic engine that powered the legendary Rico and Lone Cone mining districts to the East, and their rich precious-metal deposits -- of which the Virginia Lynn is directly connected to! The primary mineralization is structure-controlled — hydrothermal fluids migrated along faults and invaded the sedimentary country rock, fracturing it and depositing copper, silver, and gold wherever they found favorable conditions - conditions like what we see in the Virginia Lynn; the breccia dike exposed in the crosscut, the fault-controlled coaly layers, and the extensive fracture network all point to a robust mineralizing system with significant depth potential. Further, Federal reports suggest the Virginia Lynn finds itself in a very unique area. Capturing three separately formed specimens of copper; oxide-zone, supergene enriched-zone, and sulphuric copper mineralizations, give hints as to where the Virginia Lynn sits in relation to the original igneous intrusion. With the Virginia Lynn already seeing these highly-enriched supergene minerals, it's highly likely the mine has penetrated past the oxidized zone and into a local enrichment band, on-course to discover the igneous source at its root! The 2023 XRF spectrometer analysis confirmed a rich polymetallic suite far beyond copper alone. Samples returned extraordinary copper values — up to 27.9% Cu in the named "Blue Rock" sample, others seen as high as 33.8% Cu — along with elevated arsenic, barium, fluorine, and sulfur, all hallmarks of a deep-seated hydrothermal system. The detection of platinum and palladium adds a dimension that the original Forest Service examiners never explored. Geological inference suggests a copper-silver mineralization trend extending several miles in length, with local enrichment zones at fault intersections that "may extend several hundred yards along strike, tens of yards in width, and hundreds of yards vertically."

"The copper present is ... heavy black metallic black Chalcocite (copper and sulphur) and a little dark green Malachite (copper carbonate). The copper and silver contents are of commercial interest and value." — Ed Phillips, The Colorado Assaying Company, 1986

The Beauty of the Ores The mineralization seen here produces something uncommon in the world of copper deposits: nuggets up to two inches across with dark, heavy chalcocite and bornite cores wrapped in vivid blankets of green malachite, deep blue azurite, and possible indigo covellite. That kind of natural color zonation — black to iridescent purple to green to blue - suggest five separate combinations of copper and minerals that create beautiful palm-sized specimens; a hand-held kaleidoscope of the mineralogy under the feet of everyone hiking the Willow Divide. But there's more for show under the earth here. The 1986 Colorado Assaying Company spectrographic analysis described the host rock as a fine-grained siltstone of white feldspar, quartz sand, flake mica, and soft limestone — a clean, contrasting backdrop that makes the minerals pop. Fracture surfaces throughout the accessible workings are stained with malachite and azurite. Ruby silver (pyrargyrite), cinnabar, arsenopyrite, and marcasite have been reported and also make an occasional display. ``-----------------------------------------------------------------`` /Download the Federal Mineral Reports Here/ //Download the Combined Assay Reports Here// ``-----------------------------------------------------------------``

Here are the features of the "Virginia Lynn" claims at a glance: Proven, Producing Discovery - A four-time Federally examined, past-producing silver-copper mine with historical records of processed tonnage is just the beginning for this mine. Decades of continued examinations, assays, and hard mining have made this site a proven producer of native copper and more. Established Mine on the Ore - Hundreds of feet of tunnel have already been carved into the mountain, and straight on the pay-dirt. The foundation for a larger operation has been set, but now there just needs to be someone capable of getting it out! Exceptional Assay Values - Modern Reed Laboratories analysis (2023) returned copper from 5% to 33%, gold up to 0.14 oz/ton, and silver up to 3.83 oz/ton (3-5%!). Federal assays and personal assays showed consistent precious metal values with striking outliers— this isn't a single lucky grab sample, it's a mine with a good head. Platinum Group Elements & Barium - Platinum (up to 0.041 oz/ton) and palladium (up to 4.389 ppm) were detected in 2023 PGE-specific assays — an unusual and potentially significant finding for this type of deposit that was never tested for in prior examinations. The presence of barium further increases profitability by reducing worthless gangue material per ton if processed. Rico District Neighbor - Situated near the same intrusive complex that powered the historic Rico mining area — one of Colorado's most productive base- and precious-metal district -- the very same fault systems and mineralizing fluids that enriched Rico run directly through the Virginia Lynn claims! 70+ Years of Documented History - The earliest location certificate on file dates to 1952, with evidence of workings predating the mid-1800s! A mine with maybe centuries of history echoing in its halls and a strange, collapsed section long abandoned to time, this relic of time is both a wonder and a living mystery. Specimen-Quality Minerals - The mine produces nuggets of chalcocite/bornite cores with heavy malachite/azurite rinds up to 2 inches across - but these are just the nuggets of the mother ore! Some specimens have already been sold to mineral dealers, and smaller ones at farmer's markets, but the best ones have yet to be seen. Oxide, Supergene, Sulphuric Mineral Mix - With the mix of oxide-zone, supergene enriched-zone and sulphuric copper-rich minerals found in the adits of the Virginia Lynn suggests the mine lies in a unique local enrichment area chasing the source of the veins! High Accessibility - Access road, portal, and dump are all in place. Access to the claim is easy to get to through various routes, and there's a dedicated, five-acre mill-site at the bottom of the hill. If you're interested in purchasing this unpatented Colorado mine for sale, please email me here.

Mineralization & Commodities

The Virginia Lynn is a significant lode mining claim located in the historic Rico District of Dolores County, Colorado. The district has a long and productive history of silver, gold, and base metal mining dating back to the late 1800s.

Primary and secondary commodities on this claim include:

The Rico District is underlain by Tertiary volcanic rocks and associated intrusive bodies that host polymetallic vein and replacement deposits. Historic production from the district has included significant quantities of silver and gold, with associated copper, lead, and zinc values. The presence of molybdenum and platinum group elements (PGE) on this claim adds to its polymetallic potential and exploration upside.

Geology & Setting

The Virginia Lynn claim is situated within the Colorado Mineral Belt, a northeast-trending metallogenic province that has produced some of the most significant mineral deposits in the United States. The claim area is characterized by:

• Altered volcanic and volcaniclastic host rocks typical of the Rico District
• Multiple vein structures and fracture zones with known mineralization
• Surface exposures of oxidized and sulfide mineralization
• Historic mine workings and prospects in the immediate area
• Excellent road access from State Highway 145

The 87.64-acre footprint provides substantial ground coverage over the mineralized trend, offering both immediate development potential and long-term exploration upside. The claim's size and location make it suitable for small-scale to medium-scale mining operations.

Claim Features at a Glance

• 87.64 acres of contiguous unpatented lode ground
• BLM-verified — active and in good standing
• Rico District, Dolores County, Colorado — historic mining district with proven production
• Polymetallic potential — silver, gold, copper, lead, zinc, molybdenum & PGE
• Road accessible — reachable via maintained county roads and forest service routes
• Year-round access possible — lower elevations allow seasonal mining operations
• Camping permitted on BLM land with proper notice
• All paperwork included in sale price — quitclaim deed drafted, notarized, and filed with BLM and Dolores County

About the Rico Mining District

The Rico District has been an important producer of silver, gold, lead, zinc, and copper since the 1880s. The district is centered around the town of Rico, Colorado, and encompasses a large area of altered volcanic terrain with numerous mines, prospects, and mineralized structures.

Historic production figures from the district are substantial, with millions of ounces of silver and significant gold credits recovered over more than a century of intermittent mining activity. The district saw renewed interest during periods of high metal prices, and modern exploration techniques continue to identify new targets within the established mineralized trends.

The Virginia Lynn claim sits within this proven mineralized corridor, offering both the security of a historic district and the upside of underexplored ground.

Why Buy Through Mountain Man Mining?

• 7+ years in business with hundreds of successful claim transfers
• BLM-verified listings — every claim is confirmed active before listing
• All paperwork handled — no guesswork, no missed deadlines
• Free consultations — talk through the claim, the process, and your goals before you buy
• Post-sale support — we're available to answer questions even after you own it