RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Iron Mask
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 3 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Gold, Silver) and 6 of our card minerals overall. That ties with 2 other site(s), so we broke the tie by mine status (past producers first), then USGS record quality, then name. USGS lists it as past producer for Zinc, Lead, Silver, Gold, Copper. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Gold, Pyrite, Galena, Copper, Silver. Approx. location 46.340, -111.652. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Status not recorded.
Was producing when the record was made.
A processing plant site.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Gold
Mohs 2.5–3. Soft, heavy and bright yellow; it doesn’t tarnish. Mindat
272 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
190 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
101 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
40 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
34 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
10 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
5 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
5 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Galena 31Pyrite 19Chalcopyrite 13Sphalerite 12Gold 8Tetrahedrite 7Limonite 7Smithsonite 6Pyrolusite 3Fluorite 2Malachite 2Molybdenite 1Commodities
Gold 231Silver 77Lead 72Copper 52Zinc 33Tungsten 9Iron 7Titanium 6Fluorine-Fluorite 5Graphite 4Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argo Mine | Silver, Gold | Ankerite, Chalcopyrite, Chrysocolla, Malachite, Quartz | Past Producer | 46.687, -111.583 |
| Custer Mine | Gold | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 46.451, -111.667 |
| Hyantha Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver | Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 46.447, -111.667 |
| Marietta Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 46.365, -111.707 |
| Marietta Mine | Gold, Silver, Lead | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Gold, Sphalerite, Tennantite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.376, -111.713 |
| Chartam | Zinc, Lead, Copper, Gold | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Plant | 46.444, -111.668 |
| Radersburg | Gold, Lead, Copper, Silver | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite | Producer | 46.200, -111.668 |
| Kleinschmidt Mine | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Stephanite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.391, -111.713 |
| January Mine | Silver, Lead, Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.420, -111.693 |
| Hellgate, Argo | Copper | Chalcopyrite, Malachite | Producer | 46.700, -111.584 |
| Normandy | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Occurrence | 46.517, -111.284 |
| Boulder Mtn. | Fluorine-Fluorite, Gold | Fluorite | Occurrence | 46.550, -111.351 |
| Sentinel et al. claims | Zinc, Copper, Lead | Galena | Occurrence | 46.339, -111.673 |
| Sulliran and Stewart Claims. | Lead, Zinc | Galena | Occurrence | 46.608, -111.397 |
| Little Joe | — | Galena | Prospect | 46.376, -111.704 |
| Miller | Gold | Galena, Gold, Chalcopyrite | Past Producer | 46.620, -111.415 |
| East Pacific Mine | Gold, Silver | Galena, Gold, Pyrite, Tetrahedrite | Producer | 46.421, -111.700 |
| Bonanza Mine | Silver, Lead | Galena, Limonite, Pyrolusite | Occurrence | 46.257, -111.783 |
| North Home Mine | Silver, Zinc, Lead | Galena, Limonite, Smithsonite | Past Producer | 46.180, -111.735 |
| Sitting Bull | Silver, Gold | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.378, -111.706 |
| Confederate Gulch, Backer | Lead, Copper, Gold | Galena, Pyrite | Producer | 46.583, -111.451 |
| Alberta | — | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.706 |
| Anna Lode | Gold, Silver | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.703 |
| East Etta Lode | — | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.376, -111.706 |
| Big Jack Lode | Silver | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.703 |
| June Lode | Lead | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.703 |
| Park | Copper, Gold, Silver, Lead | Galena, Pyrite | Producer | 46.367, -111.718 |
| Jack Smart | — | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.704 |
| Alice Lode | Lead | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.377, -111.703 |
| Virginia Lode | — | Galena, Pyrite | Prospect | 46.376, -111.706 |
| Iron Mask Mine | Silver, Copper | Galena, Pyrite, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.342, -111.666 |
| Santa Anita Claim | Lead, Zinc | Galena, Smithsonite | Occurrence | 46.150, -111.751 |
| North Star Mine | Gold, Lead, Silver | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.417, -111.684 |
| Iron Mask Mine | Zinc, Lead | Galena, Sphalerite | Producer | 46.350, -111.701 |
| Blue Bird | Lead, Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Occurrence | 46.258, -111.618 |
| Silver Saddle Mine | Silver, Lead, Gold | Galena, Sphalerite, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.420, -111.714 |
| January Mine | Silver, Gold | Galena, Tetrahedrite | Past Producer | 46.415, -111.697 |
| Indian Creek Placer | Gold | Gold | Producer | 46.305, -111.666 |
| White Creek | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 46.610, -111.504 |
| Confederate Gulch Placers | Gold | Gold | Past Producer | 46.599, -111.417 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 39 fossil collection records in Broadwater County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Jefferson County · Lewis and Clark County · Meagher County · Powell County · Silver Bow County
Montana mineral guides
- Tourmaline in Montana
- Quartz in Montana
- Garnet in Montana
- Gold in Montana
- Mica in Montana
- Feldspar in Montana
Back to all Montana counties.
How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.
Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.
Updated