Michigan Native Copper Specimen & Quartz

#Michigan #copper #silver Provenance Statement (Field Documentation) This copper specimen was meticulously unearthed by hand following several hours of systematic ground scanning using professional-grade metal detection equipment in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Once a distinct signal was identified, several additional hours of careful manual excavation—using only picks, shovels, and handheld tools—were required to recover the specimen intact from a depth of approximately one to four feet below the surface. The recovery process was conducted with exceptional care to preserve the specimen’s natural matrix, geological context, and structural integrity, ensuring that its authenticity and historical provenance remain fully documented and unimpaired. The field site lies within the rugged wilderness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—an area inhabited by wolves, black bears, bobcats, moose, and elk—providing a backdrop of wild isolation and raw natural beauty to the discovery of this remarkable specimen Michigan's Upper Peninsula (UP) has a geology rich in ancient volcanic activity, where silver was deposited alongside native copper in a massive rift valley. Formed over a billion years ago, these deposits occur primarily in Keweenaw Peninsula's Portage Lake Volcanic Series and are found in amygdaloid and conglomerate ore deposits. The silver often appears as native masses or intricate, native-amalgamated "half-breed" specimens