Gold Seeker

Very nice Ray, nothing like getting off the beaten path, down and dirty to find the best!!

Here's the website for the various Stavrscoops, they look to be very good scoops made of stainless steel, but what I see that I don't like is the absence of a handle, I think a metal handle welded to the scoop is a must for overall durability, with the Stavrscoops it appears you need to add the handle yourself and there's one photo of one having a wooden handle on page 2 "..the Konus 12..", which I think will break over time, that being said I guess you could add a metal handle which unless you have DIY skills will cost you more to have someone add the handle, but for the prices I see for the Stavrscoops I think a handle should be included. http://stavrscoop.com/en/8-sand-scoop That all being said, the sandscoops we have over here would cost you a arm and a leg for shipping to Spain, I would look for one locally to you, get one that is build very well and strong, welded metal handle with braces if possible, it could be aluminum or stainless steel, which ever scoop you decide on hold it in your hand and imagine scooping in wet packed sand, if it seems strong enough for wet packed sand it will work in loose dry sand.

A little info for Steve and others as to help in their advice to Junkman, I know many gold prospectors in Virginia, the ground is very hot in most if not all of the areas that has gold and in most all of the Civil War relics areas, that being said the guys I know that detect for gold and relics in Virginia were driven crazy using VLF detectors in the hot ground up there, the VLFs just can't handle the ground very well and almost all of them now use Minelab PI machines and doing rather well with them after learning how to operate them, I don't want to sway Junkman's decision one way or the other, but I thought this info would be useful in any advice being giving. There have been many very nice nuggets from a couple of ounces down to gram size found in Virginia and most all I have seen were found with GPX 4500 or the GPX 5000, I haven't heard of anyone finding any nuggets with VLFs, I haven't heard of anyone using a SDC 2300 yet, but I would venture to say it would do well up there.

I'd like to add that most gold in the mid-west, in this case Indiana and close by states is not native gold, it was deposited by glaciation, so the gold originated in Canada an areas further north, so other than gold will be low pressure zones of streams, etc. all other rules of thumb on where gold is found goes out the window, the one rule of thumb for glacial gold is to look in drainage areas where there is glacial moraine that is your best chance of finding gold in the mid-west. I would recommend if you haven't read it, is to get Chuck Lassiter's book..."Midwest Gold Prospecting", one of the best books out there for finding glacial gold, he lives and does a lot of prospecting in Indiana and considered to be the best authority on gold prospecting in the mid-west. http://www.midwestprospector.com/book.html

Rick could be the same story, it's been a while and I can't find where I read about any longer, the link I had to the story was on another computer which is no longer working.

It's the vinegar in ketchup that does the trick of removing the stain on the gold, so if you don't have any vinegar use the ketchup, but just plain vinegar will be less messy.

A few years ago a guy metal detecting up in Oregon found an old tobacco can full of nuggets.

Although gold doesn't tarnish it can have surface stains from minerals in the ground from which it was in for a unknown period of time, gold jewelry being relatively unpure compared to natural gold which is usually at least twice as pure as most common gold jewelry would be more susceptible to staining, we have all seen raw gold that is stained from the minerals it was entombed in for eons, it's no different for gold jewelry that has been buried only the jewelry would stain in a shorter period of time. Soaking it in apple cider vinegar would most likely bring it back to it's original luster, or if you have a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would do the job as well. Here's a website where you can get an idea of it's value base on the spot price of gold, you would need to know the exact weight of the bracelet. http://dendritics.com/metal-calc/

Tribute to Jerry Hobbs It is with extreme sadness and regret that Public Lands for the People announced the passing of one of its founders, Jerry Hobbs. Jerry passed away peacefully in his sleep Dec. 28th, 2014, after six weeks of struggling with heart issues. He will be missed terribly by Public Lands for the People, the mining community and especially by his family and friends. The Board of Directors for Public Lands for the People pledged to continue to carry the torch in the fight for public lands and mining rights. They have always been committed to doing this, but they are now even more determined to do so in Jerry’s honor. In lieu of flowers, it was Jerry’s wish that people would join PLP; not only donating funds, but getting involved, volunteering to link arms in the cause that he gave his life represented. Some men seem larger than life by their size, others by what they accomplish in life. Jerry was definitely the latter. He accomplished so much in his life for small scale miners, and especially for property rights and for freedom granted us by the Constitution, that any one tribute could not cover it all. Jerry was a mountain of a man when it came to fighting to keep our Public Lands rights, and he stood up to everyone no matter the odds, fighting for what he knew to be right, fair and just. He was a visionary, seeing the onslaught of the environmentalist groups and government regulations long before anyone else hardly had an inkling of the threat to our freedom. He was rare in that he not only identified the threats, but acted proactively to thwart those threats by forming what is now known as Public Lands for the People, a 501-c3 non-profit organization that has been spearheading the fight to restore dredging rights in California over the last 5 years, as well as many other, lesser known battles (with many victories!). Even while lying in his hospital bed, Jerry was more concerned about the affairs of PLP and the legal battles that are underway than his own welfare. Those of us that have known and worked with him over the years were not at all surprised with his dedication to his life’s work, right to the end. You see, these past many years he has dedicated his entire life, morning till night, to helping others. He would often do legal research for anyone that requested answers to public lands/ mining rights/ roads issues. When he wasn’t doing that, he was working on fundraising to keep PLP able to stay in the legal fights. He always had a good sense of humor, except if you were on the wrong side of the issues, then, well, you just don’t cross a man on a mission! Jerry Hobbs, we will miss you. Your legacy will continue in the capable hands and leadership of PLP. We will continue to build on the solid foundation you have laid. We will never give up my friend; for you, for our kids, and for their kids. We will continue to carry the freedom torch in your honor, the one you inspired to be lit in each one of us. You were a rare leader, a man among men; and in many ways, larger than life. We were blessed to be counted among your friends. You are missed. Good bye friend. Ron Kliewer, On behalf of the Board of Directors, Public Lands for the People

Sad news Jerry Hobbs, president of the PLP who has been fighting for the rights of gold prospectors/miners for at least 14 years has passed away, he will be sorely missed, RIP Jerry. http://www.icmj.com/news-detail.php?id=284&keywords=R.I.P._Jerry_Hobbs,_President_of_Public_Lands_for_the_People

I wish everyone a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope the New Year bring good fortune and many great friendships, new and old to all!

What a great nugget, congratulations on finding a beautiful specimen!!

More states have been added, 19 states are now on the site. The site has only been up and running for a little over 1 1/2 months and has had over 1/2 millions visits!!!

Too obvious in the daytime when you're close to roads, to many eyes seeing what is going on, from what I've read they have been followed and had some of their spots jumped, so it best to keep it on the down-low!!!

Whink Rust Stain Remover is about the closest we use to the Albrite, being that they both contain hydrofluoric acid, which one needs to be very careful when using, nasty stuff, but not as bad when in these low %, but I would still highly recommended using all safety measures, such a chemical resistant gloves, avoid breathing the fumes, etc., a good respirator is very good to use when dealing with any acids!!. From the MSDS for Albrite... http://www.septone.com.au/msds/ATA1.htm "This product contains Sulphuric Acid 46 g/L and Ammonium Bifluoride 28 g/L. The Ammonium Bifluoride dissociates to produce a solution containing Hydrofluoric Acid 9.8 g/L (0.98% w/v)." "Hydrogen fluoride (Hydrofluoric acid) (as F) 0-10 %" From the MSDS for Whink Rust Stain Remover... http://www.whink.com/cmssites/ws0811www.whink.com/uploads/Documents/Rust%20%20Stain%20Remover%201204031.pdf "Hydrofluoric Acid (Hydrogen Fluoride) 1.50 – 3.5%"

Congratulations on the notches on the ATX Steve and finding the patch with honest prospecting/research, that's sure is one nice looking nugget and the size is a BIG plus!!

Depending on the consistency and type of mud, knee deep mud can and will wear you out very fast, and can be very hard to get out of if it gets a good suction on your feet and legs, if you get stuck don't struggle, you'll only sink deeper, best bet is to "swim" out of the mud, but then you will be all wet and risk hypothermia, if you're determined to do this outing use your head and make sure you have a partner and or a way to contact someone if you need help.

Also it didn't say if the amount was in AUD or USA dollars, if it was AUD, that's only $250,660 USA dollars

A while back Shelton posted a video on the X-Pointer, the normal X-Pointer is not waterproof, but they have or will be coming out with a waterproof version soon. Here's a link to the topic, and a link to the website. http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/topic/270-pin-pointer-for-gold-prospecting/ http://www.deteknix.com/detectors/pinpointer/underwater_pinpointer.html

Congratulations Ray, that is one great coin, and a rare one at that!!!

A few more states have been added, 13 total and more to come!

The nugget is still on display through today, the end of the Antique Show, so run out and get a look at it, I would if I were out there!!

The Butte Nugget has apparently sold for approximately the estimated selling price of $400,000, the actual selling price is not being revealed nor the name of the buyer. www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Giant-gold-Butte-Nugget-sells-to-secret-Bay-5846149.php "Just one day after it was unveiled to awed crowds in San Francisco, the whopping 'Butte Nugget’ of gold sold Friday to a “prominent Bay Area collector” for an undisclosed amount of money, according to the company brokering the deal. “The new owner wants to be secretive, so we can’t name him,” said Don Kagin of Tiburon, the coin dealer who acted as middle-man between the buyer and the prospector who found the 6.07-pound gold lump — the biggest nugget of its kind found in modern times in Gold Rush country. “Let’s just say it’s a win-win for everybody,” Kagin said. The seller also asked that the price be kept secret, he said. But he added: “We were asking for $400,000 and it obviously wasn’t far from that.” David McCarthy, Kagin’s chief numismatist, said he could only reveal that the buyer is “a prominent bay area collector” who specializes in historical items. “We spoke to six different people who seemed to have legitimate interest and the wherewithal to purchase the item, but he was the first person to make an offer and he had the right price,” McCarthy said. Interest in the nugget had built to a near frenzy among gold and history buffs since its existence was revealed in The Chronicle on Tuesday, with news inquiries coming in from as far away as Australia. When it went on display Thursday at the prestigious San Francisco Fall Antiques Show, hundreds flocked in for a peek. The nugget — which will remain on public display until the antiques show ends Sunday, McCarthy said — got its name because the gold hunter who found it in July dug it out of the ground in Butte County. That man also wanted his name and the location of the find to be secret, to avoid scammers and treasure seekers. “But I can say he’s very pleased with the sale,” McCarthy said."

Nice specimen!! Is that rose quartz or is it just the color of the cloth beneath it making the quartz look pink?

More info at the following link... http://westernmininghistory.com/mine_detail/10310373 "Comment A prospector discovered gold and silver at the surface in 1906, and did some trenching and surface work until 1910, when "a Fuller mining man", from back East bought a half interest and soon bought the whole property. The original Gooseberry Shaft was sunk at that time to a depth of 50 ft by hand. In 1928, J.D. Martin, Sr. purchased a half interest in the Gooseberry Mine from "the Fuller man," and together they operated the mine on a small scale, concentrating on development until the early 1930s when they switched from hand operation to a gas engine and air conditioning for the main shaft. The Martin family took over the mine in mid-1930s and for 40 years sank a 70 degree inclined shaft to the 1000-ft level. Over 9000 ft of drifts were driven at 100-ft intervals with the longest at the 1000-ft level extending 2100 feet west and 1640 feet east. Despite all this development, there was no production recorded from 1906 to 1966. Most of the drift material was stockpiled in dumps at surface, with no development of stopes or vein material. In 1974 the Martin family executed a partial sale of the Gooseberry Mine to APCO Minerals Inc. who sampled and began construction of a 350 tpd mill, shaft and plant. West Coast Oil and Gas (subsidiary of Scurry-Rainbow Oil Limited) took over the mine in 1976 and operated the mine until suspending mining operations in 1981. Asamera Minerals purchased the mine in late 1982. Mill capacity was increased to 500 tpd by the end of 1984. Mine closed down to a skeleton crew in 1985, but reopened in 1987 and production continued throughout 1990. Asamera went out of business in 1992. In December, 2004, the Carson City BLM reported the recent successful clean up of hazardous waste from the 90-acre Gooseberry Mine/Mill Complex. In an on-going program of cleaning up and rehabilitating abandoned mine sites in Nevada, the BLM contracted with Phillips Services Corporation (PSC) for on-site management of mine wastes, including the identification, removal and proper disposal of more than 100 drums of containerized hazardous wastes. Former mine heap leach tailings pond materials were also isolated in a lined containment trench to prevent the materials from contaminating surface and ground water as a result of storm/rain runoff. The site is now considered safe from hazardous waste. Future mine site rehabilitation (such as building removal and grading) will be conducted as funds become available. The former owner and operator of the facility, Pallas Resources (1993-1998) filed for bankruptcy and the private property was deeded to the Storey County Treasurer in June 1998. BLM is working with the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP) and the Nevada Division of Minerals (NDOM) to close and rehabilitate the site." Link to the internet search I did to find the above info, you maybe able to find more info via the search results. http://www.bing.com/search?q=Minedat+Gooseberry+mine+Storey+Co.+NV.&qs=n&pq=minedat+gooseberry+mine+storey+co.+nv.&sc=0-0&sp=-1&sk=&cvid=a9ef922d8c5a48dd83d15f998afb8b22&first=1&FORM=PERE