Placer gold is fun to look for,
but those deposits are worked heavily because of the abundance of weekend prospectors.
I prefer to prospect for deposits of load gold myself due to that fact.
If you have the courage and determination, checking out old abandoned mines can be a rewarding experience,
as was the case with the person who allowed me to use the photos below.
He has been out of work for 8 months, and decided to go check out an old mine in hopes that he might find an overlooked vein, and found far more than he could have ever imagined.
The ore is a 'High Grade" Copper Ore with inclusions of "Plumbjarosite", which is a Lead-Silver Sulfide Ore.
For those who do not know, most old abandoned mines did not stop production due to being mined out.
They quite production due to inefficiency of equipment and production costs, for those that quit back in the late 1800's,
and many of the others ceased operations at around 1930 due to a "Presidential Order" mandating that all US Citizens
give the gold they owned to the US Government, and that anyone who refused, and kept their gold after the return period would be guilty of a Felony. This order also mandated that all Gold Mining cease.
WW1 and WW2 had a large impact on mining as well due to the draft, and the fact that many of those who were drafted died in combat. Many of the owners and operators of those old mines who were drafted never made it back alive, and therefore those mines remained inactive, and eventually were classed as abandoned.
Those facts present an opportunity for today's prospector.
The ban on Gold Mining no longer exists, and it is currently legal to own gold,
for how long though is seriously in question with our economy the way it is.
I have read several posts in various forums pertaining to Gold and Silver where people have speculated that our Government may well once again mandate a recall on all gold in private possession.
Entering old mines can be dangerous, and in some cases can be hazardous, so use cation if you choose to go explore any of them, but if you use some common sense and caution, you may well be rewarded with an astonishing discovery as is the case with the person who took the photos posted below.
The ore in the photos is just a sample of what he discovered, and the ore is for sale,
so if you are a buyer, go to my home page and send me a message through my contact form.
In closing, I hope that this post has been informative, entertaining, and of use to all who read it.
Sincerely, Rick. "The Rock Man".
Geo-Tech. Analytical