what mineral was mined in leadville co
Climax molybdenum mine, Colorado, circa 1924 (USGS photo) The prospector Charles Senter discovered and claimed the outcropping of molybdenite (molybdenum sulfide) veins in 1879, during the Leadville, Colorado Silver Boom, but had no idea what the mineral there was. Senter determined that the rock contained no gold or silver, but retained the claims.