The Silver Dollar claim (L. 2842) is located 15 kilometres east of Beaverdell and 48 kilometres north of Rock Creek. It lies at approximately 1400 metres elevation, north west of Stewartson Creek on the crest of Lake Ridge. The area has been extensively logged, resulting in a network of four-wheel-drive roads. Access to the property is by logging roads from either the main Kettle Valley road to the east or Beaverdell to the west.
The area is underlain by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the upper Paleozoic Wallace Formation (Anarchist Group) and mainly middle Jurassic igneous intrusions. The Wallace Formation consists of fine- grained andesitic tuffs and lava flows, chert, and volcanic-derived sedimentary rocks with some interbedded north-trending limestone. This succession is intruded by quartz diorite and related dikes associated with the Jurassic Westkettle pluton (Nelson Intrusions). The Anarchist Group is intensely hornfelsed along the contact with the quartz diorite.
Locally, pyrite, pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite mineralization is hosted by a dense metamorphosed greenstone, cut by light- coloured (Eocene?) dikes. The mineralized bodies found in the greenstone in this area are, as a rule, lenticular in shape and often disconnected.
In 1999, analyses of several samples of massive arsenopyrite and pyrrhotite from old workings of the Silver Dollar assayed up to 4.52 grams per tonne gold (Assessment Report 26043).
In 1951, 0.91 tonne of ore was reported to have yielded 373 grams of silver, 138 kilograms of lead and 112 kilograms of zinc (Property File - unknown [unknown]: Description of the Showings - Project #280, South Okanagan).
By 1898, there were many stakings on Lake Ridge (Horseshoe Mountain) and considerable surface and near-surface work was done prior to 1903. At this time the Silver Dollar claim was Crown granted to C. Newman and J. Patterson. Subsequently, activity in the area waned. The principal workings on the property consisted of a shaft, approximately 12 metres deep, with a crosscut tunnel at a depth of 6 metres.
In 1928, H.E. Hunnings and Company began development work on the Mogul claim (L. 2857; MINFILE 082ESE068). Soon after, the Mogul Mining Co. Ltd. was formed and many claims in the area, including the Silver Dollar, were acquired by the company. The first work consisted of extending the underground development on the Silver Dollar claim to block out reserves. In 1929, the company drove a tunnel approximately 11 metres from the bottom of the shaft to tap the possible downward extension of mineralization found in the shaft above. An augite syenite porphyry dike was encountered near the bottom of the shaft. The tunnel was driven in a semicircle in the porphyry until the greenstone unit was intersected again; however, no additional ore-grade material was discovered. Between 1933 and 1940, several tonnes of ore were shipped from the Mogul (MINFILE 082ESE068) claim. No recorded production exists for the Silver Dollar. In 1938, production from the nearby Barnato claim (MINFILE 082ESE109) resulted in renewed activity throughout the area. At this time, Cominco optioned much of the ground and completed an exploration program consisting of mapping, prospecting, test pitting and drilling. The work showed that the veins in the vicinity were erratic along strike and diminished in thickness and grade with depth.
From 1965 to 1966, Amcana Gold Mines conducted a program of road construction, claim surveying, trenching and diamond drilling (four short holes) in the area of the Barnato and Hackla (MINFILE 082ESE157) claims. In 1994, Phelps Corporation of Canada, Limited conducted 40-line kilometres of soil sampling in the area. In 1997, Emjay Enterprises Ltd. conducted a soil geochemical survey in the area, and in 1999 they continued their exploration with additional soil sampling, a ground magnetic survey and rock sampling.
