Copper Queen Mine

Copper Queen Mine Tour, Sept 2008
Classic Bisbee Azurite and Malachite specimen from the Copper Queen mine. This specimen was in the personal collection of Dr. James Douglas, and was later donated to the Smithsonian by his son.[1]

The Copper Queen Mine was a copper mine in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Its development led to the growth of the surrounding town of Bisbee in the 1880s. Its orebody ran 23% copper, an extraordinarily high grade.[2] It was acquired by Phelps Dodge in 1885.

In the early 1900s, this was the most productive copper mine in Arizona.[3] While copper mining declined in the area in the 1930s and 1940s, the Copper Queen continued to be mined by the open-pit process during the years following World War II. With decreasing returns, Phelps Dodge closed it in 1985.

  1. ^ For a photo of the Smithsonian display case of Dr. Douglas' specimens, see File:Minerals from Bisbee at the Smithsonian.jpg
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference stevens was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Horace J. Stevens (1909), The Copper Handbook, v.8, Houghton, Mich.: Horace Stevens, p. 1457.