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Property Overview

The Governor Mine is a series of workings just west of the Palomas Gap in the Sierra Caballos range. The mines are located in the Caballo Mountain District. The district is famous for some of the most impressive fluorite to ever come out of the United States.

This property should be viewed as a gem mine. Fluorite as a gem has a very high resale value as samples and specimens.

Access to the mines is via a good, high clearance 4WD road. There is road access to all of the primary workings on the site and large trucks could access the site with minimal road repairs.

The region of the mine is very old. Placer gold deposits were worked by Spanish and Mexican miners as far back as 1500 and likely older. Copper minerals were important to the local tribes for their brilliant blue color. In 1886-87, the Governor mine was located for copper, galena (silver) and gold deposits. The miners of the area were subjected to Indian attacks and the mine was abandoned by 1896. After Indian treaties, miners flooded back into the region and the Governor was worked in earnest from 1904 into the 1940's. The Governor, during those years, was mined for copper, fluorite and galena. The metal values oft times increased with depth, but miners had to cut through a thick layer of calcite and fluorite.

By 1934 Fluorite was a valued commodity and the mining of fluorite had a larger return than silver or copper. Fluorite was a valuable for many scientific purposes. By the 1950s, Fluorite was being mined in other countries and imported at a greatly reduced cost which shut down most fluorite mines in the US.

Fluorite today is highly valued for gem and mineral values. Real fluorite is difficult to come by and synthetic fluorite is what is commonly sold at rock and mineral shows. Large fluorite samples with specific qualities can sell for more than $5000 per pound in a specimen grade.

The fluorite at the Governor is varied grades and also undercut by calcite in some areas. There are various variations of copper based minerals throughout the site.

A series of adits and shafts work through the site and allow an insight for the minerals still contained below the surface. An estimated 1,800’ of development combined on the site. The workings on the Governor are cut into stable, competent limestone host rock.

The value of the property is in the mineral specimen and samples that can be taken from the subsurface workings. Galena is common in the area and there are examples of fluorite and copper being shot through with galena crystals.

Positioned in a very temperate climate the property could be worked year round with proper permitting.

Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc. does offer mining consultation services and assistance with permits for a small fee.

Training courses for underground work and exploration can be found here: https://stayoutstayalive.com/training/