John B. Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi All In August 07 AZ4AU Mike and QC Gary invited me along on a hunt in Montana :woohoo: . I guess they needed a digger or something :hmmmmmm: ?? Well we were given permission to hunt some private mining claims outside of Helena :whoopie: . These are private claims and the owner will prosecute hygraders :angry-smiley-010: . We all found gold but I found an ugly but interesting specimen :confused0013: . The specimen is a couple of water worn nuggets and lots of little pickers in cemented river gravels. There is no way of doing a specific gravity to determine it's gold content because there is little quartz but a variety of river rubble and gold in natural cement. Judging from the sound on the detector I would guess 2 or 3 dwt's of gold :headphones: . Well to make a long story short while I was dropping them off for loan at the Flandrau there was a camera crew there interviewing a fellow who also has a large gold and mineral collection who makes his specimens available for special events and shows :innocent0002: . I had talked on the phone and emailed this gentleman several times but had never met him. While Shirley introduced us I showed him this piece which she didn't think much of :Huh_anim]: . I told him I thought he would find it interesting and told him where I had found it. Boy was he impressed and he spent some time just admiring and checking out the piece. Well I now have the paperwork and the value placed on just the specimen was $1800.00, not too shabby for a few grams of gold . The basis of this story is value enhancing your finds . Nuggets are just nuggets and specimens just specimens but many serious collectors of minerals look for sight specific info and natural pieces :shrug: . The more historic fame and signifacance the local the better the value :unsure: . I have always kept my finds seperate by goldfields or locations and one of these days I'll sort out my rock shelf :scare: ?? Here's some pix !! Happy Huntin John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heybeerman Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Nice! As always, thanks for sharing John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Thanx for showing John that is an interesting piece...Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi All Nuggets are just nuggets and specimens just specimens but many serious collectors of minerals look for sight specific info and natural pieces :shrug: . The more historic fame and signifacance the local the better the value :unsure: . I have always kept my finds seperate by goldfields or locations and one of these days I'll sort out my rock shelf :scare: ?? Here's some pix !! Happy Huntin John B. How true!!!! There's many mineral collectors who willingly pay large premiums for specimens like these. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ4AU Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hello John B. , You have that all wrong, we needed Bear bait and someone that ran slower than us :innocent0009: . That is one Ugly Specimen, but it is unique . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Paperwork??? I do that every day in the bathroom. If you can get $1800 for that I'd suggest you take it and run....er waddle away as fast as your stubby little legs will take ya. :woohoo: Seriously John B, did that appraisal come before or after you sniffed it up and licked it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted February 21, 2008 Share Posted February 21, 2008 Sounds like an insurance apraisal .They will never buy it for that,Nice pieces and good find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B. Posted February 21, 2008 Author Share Posted February 21, 2008 Hi Gentlemen , You too Slim !! Oh yeah I remember that now Mike , bear bait :sadwalk: !! It's OK though when I bloodied my arm I thought Gary was gonna lay an egg !! Yeah Mike it sure is ugly, but interesting :Huh_anim]: !! Slim If you could afford a couple days here at the Gem and Mineral show you would truely be enlightened as well as many other folks on these forums :innocent0002: !! Happy Huntin John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richs Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Bear bait? John you need new friends . I wonder how many people have found those and smashed them for the gold? :tisc-tisc: How common are these compared to gold in quartz? Either way a fantastic find. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 And to think, I see that kind of cemented gravel in rivers. Only can find it where the old timers never touched the area. I have been know to break up tons of it underwater just to get the nuggests! Darn, learn sumthn' new evry day.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakota Slim Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi Gentlemen , You too Slim !! Oh yeah I remember that now Mike , bear bait :sadwalk: !! It's OK though when I bloodied my arm I thought Gary was gonna lay an egg !! Yeah Mike it sure is ugly, but interesting :Huh_anim]: !! Slim If you could afford a couple days here at the Gem and Mineral show you would truely be enlightened as well as many other folks on these forums :innocent0002: !! Happy Huntin John B. Right, "you too Slim". I knew that would be coming some day. I will have to get down there next year John B. I'll feed Nugget some nuggets and follow him around until he passes them. Then I'll let the turds dry and dip' em in cement. Maybe throw in a couple hot rocks and some quartz. I could make a killing just letting people scratch, sniff & lick! As a matter of fact, I should make a web site at sniffandlick.com to build up some excitement before I get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 darn, JB...Back in the late '70's that was the common form we chipped out of the South Fork of the Scott river just below Blue Jay creek...We dredged down and just busted up the bedrock...Pounds of that, just like your pic, we just crushed it up and pulled many nuggets out of it...It was a shitload of work to get the cement off the nuggets...I sure wish I had some of those cement chunks today...$1,800 for a few dwts, I'd be a very wealthy man these days and wouldn't have lost all that skin to the dredge...Thanks for sharing...Cheers, Unc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Hoser Oates Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 :coffeetime: SELL--SELL---SELL--smoke dreams-- :Huh_anim]: ---John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vini Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 I have seen huge chunk of that thought wondered, "How did that cement get here" i'll be damned its natural thanks guys nice find... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 It can be natural,But i have seen old concrete in Placerville Ca that looks just as good.There is gold in the cement of the old court house there,They have a hell of a time keeping the pickers away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wes Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 What part of the courthouse, Denny? I live real close and never heard of that, but dont doubt it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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