Malachite (circa early 1900s)

Item Description

Bisbee is the largest copper mine in Arizona, in the USA, and once was among the largest, or perhaps the largest, in the world. Although specimens were common in the early days and in the upper zones, before it was converted in large part to an open pit in places, specimens of malachite and azurite were actually the "paydirt" ore that the mine was producing. Most of it, the vast majority, went into the smelters! Fine specimens of this style are known from the late 1890s through the early 1900s, and ended up sold to museums around the world, as well as a few collectors. A.E. Foote of Philadelphia was particularly known for bringing out these old ore minerals at the time. Most of them were plates and big lumpy rocks, from what we have seen. This, however, is an aesthetic small cabinet specimen with great form, pristine condition, and complete all around 360 degrees. Such complete knobs are very rare today, over 100 years later. It has long been in the wide-ranging collection of Bill and Anne Cook. Note that we have not cleaned it. It actually retains a bit of pocket material on it — cleaning it would surely make it shinier, but we loved the obvious and antique look and style as seen here.