Bishop Mine

The Bishop mine is sometimes also known as the Bishop Manganese mine or the Bishop Copper prospect.

It is actually quite difficult to determine whether the manganese mine and the copper prospect are the same site, unfortunately.

For a long time, this locale was the only known source of crystalline Turquoise, although since that time others have been discovered.

The locale was worked for manganese between 1868 and 1945. The turquoise the site was known for was first found in around 1909, but collectors began to work the site in around 1941.

In 1963, the site was opened on a fee basis, but sometime in the 1970s it appears to have closed and perhaps been considered an extinct locale. It seems some collectors may have reworked the dumps for specimens; it is unclear as to whether any further specimens will ever come to market.

Further reading

• https://www.mindat.org/loc-7981.html
• https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA102658830&sid=googleScholar&v=2.1&it=r&linkaccess=abs&issn=00264628&p=AONE&sw=w&userGroupName=anon%7E51dd5240&aty=open-web-entry
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281718048_Famous_mineral_localities_The_Bishop_copper_prospect_near_Lynch_Station_Campbell_County_Virginia

We may have specimens from specific locales around Virginia including:

• Bishop Mine, Lynch Station, Campbell County, Virginia, USA

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