Michigan copper production (and the Phoenix mine) dates back to the mid-1800s, and the Keweenaw area turned copper into a major mining industry in the US. This particular piece is superbly crystallized, with many of the crystals reaching over 1 cm on this dense cluster of copper. A small calcite crystal acts as a nice natural base for this balanced V-shaped cluster. While we don't have an exact date on when this piece was mined, the rich patina on this piece suggests it's quite old (1800s), and specimens with such a strong patina are generally more appreciated than brighter specimens that have been recently cleaned. It previously was in the famed collection of Lawrence Conklin, of New York, who was prominent in the mineral community for decades as both a collector and a dealer. He sold it in the early 2000s to Richard Rossi ($5000 price at that time - certainly fair - is still written on the back of the label). 236 grams