Latest Patches Have Got Me Thinking

[Nedkelly]

My last 3 patches have all been below old reef mines. The old timer's surfaced the ground below the reef workings until the ground got to deep then sank holes. I found a few scattered pieces on the surfaced ground and the mullock heaps down further and thought I got most of the gold. Then I tried the left and right edges of the surfaced  area. Standing on the bottom of the slope and looking up towards the reef mine at the top,  the right hand sides on all 3 surfaced areas were barren of detectable gold but the left sides had a narrow strip of ground running down the slope that the old timer's didn't dig that was full of species. Makes me wonder why they didn't dig a bit further to the left. Were they all right handed diggers? LOL. Here are a few pics with some of the results. 

[Nedkelly]

Over 9 oz so far. A couple more pics after processing the species before I sold them . Gotta love the gold price at the moment. 🙂

[Valens Legacy]

Fantastic hunting and you walked away with some great looking gold. One of these days I am going to find the time to do some detecting for gold as I have been working to much.

Good luck on your next outing and stay safe out there.

[Nedkelly]

I have a few theories why the left hand edges have gold and not the right. 

1 - The surfaced area was very rich and the original diggers found less and less gold the further they dug to the left hand side so they abandoned it . Probably. 

2 - They started digging on the right hand side for whatever reason. Working right to left across the run of gold , throwing the overburden behind them on the already dug ground . So there could be gold on the right edge covered by overburden that's out of range of my detector.  Possibly. 

3 - Pure coincidence and the pattern that is emerging is all in my head.  Good chance. But I'll always be giving the left hand edge of similar sites a lot more attention. 

4 - Most of the diggers were right handed. Unlikely. 

I think the diggings have been worked twice , 1870's and 1930's going by the dates of coins found . Anyway it was good of them to leave some for me. 

 

 

 

[Dan Smith]

Hey Ned awesome gold. Do you have a photo of the ground for some context? Could have also been from a lack of water maybe. 

[Dan Smith]

Hey Ned awesome gold. Do you have a photo of the ground for some context? Could have also been from a lack of water maybe. Or the strip was once a road or track used to cart the ore from the mine?

[beatup]

good on you , any patterns you can find and use detecting is always a good thing

 

[Nedkelly]

1 hour ago, Dan Smith said:

Hey Ned awesome gold. Do you have a photo of the ground for some context? Could have also been from a lack of water maybe. Or the strip was once a road or track used to cart the ore from the mine?

Yes true , fair way to any water source. Track maybe? The reef  mines aren't all that big or deep , just 1 or 2 mounds of dirt and rock and a shallow hole or 2.  Maybe up to 15 or 20 feet deep and wide , more like small open cut mines. Hard to say as they have partly filled back in over the years . I don't think you would see much in a photo as the whole area is covered in waist high dead grass.

[Norvic]

Ned, seems from my experience to be caused by strike and dip of reef, sometimes even going to the extent of appearing to have travelled uphill but not so if you think of the reef weathering taking into account its strike not necessarily following ridge lines. But I must add after years of making 11235634121 theories of why gold is where it is, I surrender and accept the Irish saying "tis where tis", assuming any theories of why sometimes can cost you gold, but sometimes are on the money. Enjoy the fun you are having.

[Nedkelly]

6 hours ago, Norvic said:

Ned, seems from my experience to be caused by strike and dip of reef, sometimes even going to the extent of appearing to have travelled uphill but not so if you think of the reef weathering taking into account its strike not necessarily following ridge lines. But I must add after years of making 11235634121 theories of why gold is where it is, I surrender and accept the Irish saying "tis where tis", assuming any theories of why sometimes can cost you gold, but sometimes are on the money. Enjoy the fun you are having.

Thanks Norvic , yep I'm over laying in bed unable to sleep at night thinking about it. I'll just have fun and enjoy. Your right , you need a open mind for gold prospecting  otherwise it can mean missed gold. 

Gold is where you find it.  Where she be there she be .🍀