Large traprock Copper (Hauck Coll.)

Item Description

An impressive, large cabinet specimen of native plate copper from the famous Chimney Rock (Bound Brook) Quarry of New Jersey. The Chimney Rock Quarry was excavated on top of the old Chimney Rock Copper Mine and has been known for its copper minerals for many years. Although the copper minerals occur in the veins that transect the basalt, most of the copper is found in the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic (225 to 190 million years ago) Passaic Formation sediments immediately beneath the basalt. The Passaic Formation beds are red-bed mudstones. Molten copper deposition in the laminated mudstones gave this striking piece its shape and the mudstone coats much of both sides. This is classic "traprock copper" material from old finds. It comes from the major Richard Hauck Copper Collection and his label has a September, 1991 date. The piece is probably much older, though. Such pieces turn up rarely, and this is a large and significant specimen