This hefty sample from the famous La Rose Mine features a prominent portion of exposed silver leaf emerging from a crack that runs through the entire specimen. Smaller bits of silver are visible on the surface, exposed due to the weathering away of calcite. The massive open cuts that produced this high-grade silver are still visible on the cliff faces at the north end of Cobalt. The mine was named after the blacksmith Fred LaRose, who discovered the vein in the summer of 1903. It went on to produce over 26 million troy ounces of silver and 1 million pounds of cobalt, making it historically significant.
According to folklore, Fred LaRose discovered the vein in an unusual manner. One evening, while working at his forge, he noticed a red fox snooping around the camp. He threw his hammer at the fox, missed, but struck a rock that exposed the glitter of silver. Regardless of how the sample was obtained, its significance is unquestionable, leading to the establishment of the La Rose Mine. Grice (1989) notes this story as part of the local folklore on page 87 of his publication.
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