Copper (rare locality specimen) (ex Chet Lemanski Collection)

Item Description

The Hancock Mine started operation in 1859, and was completely finished in 1919, so this piece is at LEAST 100 years old. Copper specimens from this locality are incredibly hard to find on the market, and this piece is one of only a select few that we've had to offer over the years. The piece is a beautiful flowing arborescent group of semi-crystalline Copper, with minor attached matrix. The Copper has almost formed flat "leaves", which is likely the result of a copper intrusion filling in seams in the host rock. The result is this beautiful and showy display specimen from this famous old mine in the town of Hancock. From the collection of Chester ("Chet") S. Lemanski Jr. of Browns Mills, New Jersey (https://www.mindat.org/user-461.html). Collection #0019CL. Chet was born 1947 in started collecting minerals circa 1957. He worked briefly as a drill runner at the famous Sterling Mine, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey and from 1987 to 1990 he helped convert the mine into a public access mining museum. He has held the role of treasurer, vice president and president of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (FOMS), and has been a board member and vice president of the Franklin Mineral Museum. The rare copper arsenate, Lemanskiite was named in his honor in 1999.