The Cup or Second vein is situated on the east rim of Silver Cup Basin, on the upper northern slope of Nine Mile Mountain, 14 kilometres northeast of Hazelton.
On the Cup property, quartz-filled fissure veins contain galena, sphalerite, jamesonite and pyrite in a gangue of quartz. The Second vein, situated at 1450 metres elevation on the Cup II claim, was exposed for more than 76 metres running east-west along the steep slope of the Silver Cup Basin. The vein occurs at the contact between hornfelsed tuffaceous sandstones and argillites of the Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Bowser Lake Group and granodiorite of the Late Cretaceous Bulkley Intrusions. The vein strikes east, dipping shallowly south, and ranges in thickness from 25 to 60 centimetres. The vein branches, pinches and swells, and is displaced by faults.
Another mineralized vein, situated 305 metres southwest of the peak of Nine Mile Mountain on the Cup I claim, was exposed for approximately 61 metres in two trenches. The vein consisted mainly of antimony or jamesonite, pyrite and minor galena and sphalerite.
The first discovery of silver-lead-zinc ore containing antimony was made on Nine Mile Mountain in 1908. In the years that followed, numerous other mineral-bearing veins were discovered in the area. Between 1910 and 1913, small shipments of high-grade silver-lead ore were made from 15 properties.
As of 1980, the Cup claims were owned by Short Staun Minerals Corporation. That year, a program of regional geological mapping and prospecting was carried out over the claims and surrounding areas.
By 1981, the area immediately to the east was held by Sunrise Metals Corporation. As part of a joint venture agreement with Sunrise Metals, Westmin Resources Limited began work on the Sunrise property. That year, exploration consisted of geological mapping, rock sampling, soil geochemical surveying and trenching. Exploration continued in 1982 with an induced polarization and resistivity geophysical survey over the central portion of the property.
The ground lay dormant until 2005, when Cadre Capital Incorporated staked new claims over the Nine Mile Mountain area and the Sidina Creek area to the north as part of their Hazelton project. The following year, Golden Sabre Resources optioned the claims and carried out a limited exploration program of rock sampling and soil grid geochemistry. Between 2006 and 2012, the claims appear to have been dormant.
By 2012, TAD Mineral Exploration Limited (formerly known as TAD Capital Corporation) expanded their Sidina property to include additional claims covering the Nine Mile Mountain area to the south, formerly held by Cadre Capital. That year, Rio Minerals Limited conducted grid surveys and soil sampling near the Silverton occurrence (MINFILE 093M 038).
A grab sample (N-9-3) from the Second vein assayed 602.8 grams per tonne silver, 7.08 per cent lead and 15.3 per cent zinc (Assessment Report 8706).