Silver Dog Doug Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 In April 2006, I had a mesquite plank that I bought for a coffee table, being Kiln dried Southwest of Tucson. After picking it up, and sense I was close to a couple DGD claims, I thought that I would swing the coil for a while. I worked at it all morning and not a bite, except trash. After lunch I drove to another area on the claim. I was new to metal detecting and wet behind the ears. I had a MXT, and thought that it would find small gold(it won't), but it will find large silver nuggets. Thought that I would try the washes.After an hour or so, I decided to get on higher ground, while swing my coil up the side of the wash, It over loaded. Oh no, more trash and this must be big. I started to dig, after about 6 inches, I saw something that I thought was a Horseshoe, it happened to be the tail of the Dog. I thought that it might be Silver, not sure. I put it in the back of my pick up, and went back to beeping. About an hour later, I began to think about all the backpacks and trash around,may be I could have company and not know it, so I got out of there. On my way home ,I called my wife to tell her about this thing that I had found, told her that it must weigh at least 10 pounds. It weighed 19.92 lbs., and is 83% Silver. A couple days later, I took it to the DGD meeting. It was the non Gold find of the year. For me, it is the find of a life time. And that is the story about the Silver Dog. The Silver Dog as it is now, and when I first found it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacGump Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 That dog will hunt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Doug-Great story and thanks for posting. Always wondered about that name. Has anyone given you an estimate of it's value?Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 I have been fortunate to have had the chance to hold this slug of silver. It is a genuine jaw dropper! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredmason Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Yes, very fine and if you had ignored the big noise you would never had found that whopper...fred 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Ron Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Doug, do you know if it is in its natural form or was it melted by someone? Reason I asked is that about 10 years ago I met a guy in Wickenburg who said he had been hunting for silver that had been stolen in a stage coach robbery near Wickenburg. He said he had been following clues for several years and had just found what he was looking for. The robbers had stolen silver coins which was Army payroll and then they had gone to a wash where they melted the coins and poured some of the molten silver into leather gloves, using the glove fingers like molds. They also had left some blobs of silver on the ground where they smelted it. He found both the bunch of bars and the splattered silver. I didn't see any of it, but the way he described the blob was much what your Silver Dog looks like. Just curious. Awesome find. Cheers, Unc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Dog Doug Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Doug-Great story and thanks for posting. Always wondered about that name. Has anyone given you an estimate of it's value?Steve Spot in todays market would be about $9,000.00. I was offered 5 K for it when I found it and Silver was at$13.00 an oz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Dog Doug Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Ron, I think that you might be right. I found it near Silver mines,Some say that it is native and others think that it is a spill. There isn't any sand or gravel in it. I just don't know, and I guess that we will never know just how it evolved. And the Green turds come from the same area. Green turds are made up of Quartz,Lead,Silver,Copper,and sometimes a small amount of gold. They really piss a Guy off when he diggs a 2 ft. hole and finds a Green Turd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonoran Dave Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Melted or natural... still an awesome find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 I just have to believe it's natural. Find it hard to fathom that someone smelted almost 20 pounds of silver then lost it for some reason. Doesn't make sense... It was found in an area where silver nuggets have been found and am sure much larger pieces have been located in the past...Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 If its in the right area could b e Planchas de Plata (sic) there were slabs of silver found there eons ago.....Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank c Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks for posting Doug, beautiful find !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Dog Doug Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 George,Steve. It is a slab of silver for sure, and may be it had been there for Thousands of years. There have been smaller Silver nugget found near by. We can only guess and will never know for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Doug-There's no doubt in my mind it's natural and has been there for a long, long, time. Up in Canada, a town named "Cobalt" was the site of a humungous native silver strike years ago.http://giantcrystals...rica/cobalt.htmMetal detectors were being used to locate large chunks of silver back in the 70's ,80's and 90's from the dumps and surrounding area. I had thought about going up there years ago but decided against it.Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Dog Doug Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks for the site,Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldfinger Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Doug- It is a neat site and one of my favorites is the one from Naica. I'm sure most of you are familiar with this mine. Just amazing.http://giantcrystals...erica/naica.htmSteve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Yup my call is natural as well and there have been many nice silver nuggets found on that claim along with some gold nuggets as well....Now there are more backpacks and water bottles than you would believe with trails everywhere used by illeagles coming into AZ from Mexico....Thanks for the story Doug and I have several large green turds here that I dragged home from that area years back.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Dog Doug Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Bill I have found Gold there also. I can't guarantee a gold or Silver nugget,but I can guarantee a green turd. Doug Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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