Salida, CO Elks Lodge Collection The Elks Club in Salida, Colorado housed a display of several diverse mineral suites from Leadville, Bisbee, the Tri-State district and others, many with historic labels affixed to the specimens. The club decided to dispose of the collection, and we bought it this spring (2014).

Not the prettiest cuprite from Bisbee, but this is a very cool historic specimen. The old label is wonderful, stating “ruby copper crystals, Bisbee, A.T.” Since the piece is from “Arizona Territory” that means it was collected before 1912 when Arizona attained statehood. There are several little groups of rich red cuprite crystals on the somewhat iridescent goethite matrix.