Silver

This slab specimen, sawn on one side and left rough on the other, offers a vivid cross-section of the high-grade silver–arsenide vein material that made the La Rose Mine one of the most famous and productive operations in the Cobalt silver camp. The sawn face reveals intricate networks of metallic native silver intergrown with arsenides in a carbonate matrix, while the rough reverse preserves the natural vein texture. The two surfaces provide both aesthetic appeal and geological insight into the vein structures that defined this legendary deposit.

The La Rose Mine, situated at the north end of Cobalt, stands among the most historically significant localities in Canadian mining history. The massive open cuts that once yielded extraordinarily rich silver ore remain clearly visible on the cliff faces today, enduring as monuments to the region’s mining heritage. Discovered in 1903 by Fred LaRose, a blacksmith working for the Temiskaming & Northern Ontario Railway, the mine went on to produce over 26 million troy ounces of silver and 1 million pounds of cobalt, ranking it among the greatest silver producers in the world.

As recorded by Grice (1989, Cobalt: The Mining District that Silver Built, p. 87), local folklore tells that LaRose discovered the vein by chance, after throwing his hammer at a red fox, missing it, and accidentally striking a rock that exposed a gleam of silver. Whether fact or legend, this story has become part of the enduring mythology of the Cobalt Camp.

This specimen is a fine, high-grade example of native silver mineralization from the mine that started it all, representing both the mineralogical richness and the storied legacy of Canada’s most famous silver district.