Always wondered about something

[pepperj]

I may have missed it but was the question based on a person finding this treasure on their own property?

I think it’s fair to assume a very small percentage of found valuables come from the finders own property.

Let’s assume your swinging at the local levy, it’s your fifth time out there, you’ve invest nearly 30 hours scouring the area and you find a 4 oz nugget. You are so excited people not far away notice and inquire, you show them what you’ve found. Word spreads like wild fire, next the news wants to cover your find. Some small town bureaucrat takes notice and finds some obscure rule / law to try and strip you of your find.

We live in a world where “public officials” will order a barn / house removed over easement infractions or some other nonsense that is a total BS issue. It’s about the officials narcissistic ego hidden behind a desire to follow the regulations.

Maybe I am Jaded. Scratch that, I AM JADED! . I deal with city and county officials on building permits and inspections. While the vast majority are totally worthwhile and centered on public safety I have had insane interactions over the most petty crap. These things can only be chocked up to a need to satisfy the inspectors ego.

Our world is not black and white. Never has been. If your find is not on your own property and on “public lands” I’d keep my trap shut.

I have been told and I have instrumented this actual one.
Have a code violation that is obvious( gives the inspector a carrot)
They'll usually forgive another that is a grey area one.
They usually need something to justify their existence.

 

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[Tesorodeoro]

See now there is a difference.
Being that you're using a gold detector vs a regular detector.
Yes both will detect.
Though there's less actual IDing a target when it comes to a gold mode/gold detector?
You are saying that you are possibly digging Hob nails, where as most other detectors
would Discriminate them out.

Yes, the chances of finding nuggets or a vein go dramatically down if you are swinging a coin detector.

VDI numbers are unreliable when searching for gold. It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. They are just an indicator that gives you confidence.

I’ve not used a detector capable of finding small gold that can “discriminate” broken square nails or boot hob nails. They just sound really good and you will be passing up good targets if you try and avoid them.

I suppose you could run around trying to cherry pick nuggets, but you will be passing up good stuff by doing so.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Little float gold since that’s the topic of the OP. Found “somewhere” in Northern California.

 

[pepperj]

Little float gold since that’s the topic of the OP. Found “somewhere” in Northern California.

View attachment 2153775

That photo seems vaguely familiar.
Top self recoveries sir.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

That photo seems vaguely familiar.
Top self recoveries sir.

I can’t take credit for those particular specimens. The image was borrowed from GoldRush Nuggets who purchased the gold. I think the photo has been posted on numerous forums by several people.

There is definitely more just below the surface and that was just a portion.

 

[Ohiogoldfever]

I have been told and I have instrumented this actual one.
Have a code violation that is obvious( gives the inspector a carrot)
They'll usually forgive another that is a grey area one.
They usually need something to justify their existence.

Yes sir. That hits the nail on the head. Something must be found. God forbid they look it over and say “good job fellas, looks like you got it covered”.

I have left low hanging fruit for a local guy around here. He has a reputation of always I mean ALWYAS finding something. Now we make sure he does. What a douche. He has cost me a fair bit of money on a couple projects on gray areas that are open to his interpretation of the code.

He is just one reason I don’t trust people in positions of Authority unless they’ve proven themselves trust worthy. The human condition is far more complex than most people care to admit.

 

[Limitool]

"He is just one reason I don’t trust people in positions of Authority unless they’ve proven themselves trust worthy. The human condition is far more complex than most people care to admit."

That is a very true thought and statement.... AGREED...!

 

[TORRERO]

I may have missed it but was the question based on a person finding this treasure on their own property?

I think it’s fair to assume a very small percentage of found valuables come from the finders own property.

Let’s assume your swinging at the local levy, it’s your fifth time out there, you’ve invest nearly 30 hours scouring the area and you find a 4 oz nugget. You are so excited people not far away notice and inquire, you show them what you’ve found. Word spreads like wild fire, next the news wants to cover your find. Some small town bureaucrat takes notice and finds some obscure rule / law to try and strip you of your find.

We live in a world where “public officials” will order a barn / house removed over easement infractions or some other nonsense that is a total BS issue. It’s about the officials narcissistic ego hidden behind a desire to follow the regulations.

Maybe I am Jaded. Scratch that, I AM JADED! . I deal with city and county officials on building permits and inspections. While the vast majority are totally worthwhile and centered on public safety I have had insane interactions over the most petty crap. These things can only be chocked up to a need to satisfy the inspectors ego.

Our world is not black and white. Never has been. If your find is not on your own property and on “public lands” I’d keep my trap shut.

I think some of you guys are missing the point, so I will try to give you a better example..
I'm driving around Mecklenburg county, home to hundreds of abandoned gold mines, Charlotte it is said, they generally find gold mine tunnels when digging the foundations for buildings downtown, etc... I come across an open field where all the trees have been cleared and I think... ha !! possible old relics or CW spot or something... So I get out fire up the old machine and well .... nothing ... ok so there wasn't CW stuff in this spot... a few shotgun shells and a few small caliber bullets later I leave dejected... But I am digging EVERYTHING minus the iron of course, and I have never found so much as a HOT ROCK ... why not ? We hear about this stuff in Australia ... and in Alaska ... and maybe in California ?? but NEVER here in NC... or has someone actually walked around a barren field around here and picked up some small gold nuggets ?
I know that people pan and sluice for gold in the streams around here... That's really what I'm asking....
Does anyone know if its ever happened around here ? and what exactly was found ? (other than the Reed's Gold Mine nugget)

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I think some of you guys are missing the point, so I will try to give you a better example..
I'm driving around Mecklenburg county, home to hundreds of abandoned gold mines, Charlotte it is said, they generally find gold mine tunnels when digging the foundations for buildings downtown, etc... I come across an open field where all the trees have been cleared and I think... ha !! possible old relics or CW spot or something... So I get out fire up the old machine and well .... nothing ... ok so there wasn't CW stuff in this spot... a few shotgun shells and a few small caliber bullets later I leave dejected... But I am digging EVERYTHING minus the iron of course, and I have never found so much as a HOT ROCK ... why not ? We hear about this stuff in Australia ... and in Alaska ... and maybe in California ?? but NEVER here in NC... or has someone actually walked around a barren field around here and picked up some small gold nuggets ?
I know that people pan and sluice for gold in the streams around here... That's really what I'm asking....
Does anyone know if its ever happened around here ? and what exactly was found ? (other than the Reed's Gold Mine nugget)

Not specific to your state. But..

1.) I won’t simply hop out and start detecting someone’s property without permission because it looks good as I drive by. Bad for the hobby and my local reputation.

2.) I would have zero confidence of finding nuggets by stopping and detecting some random field even though I’m smack dab in the middle of California Gold Rush ground. Folks in Australia target known gold reef’s they are not aimlessly detecting. Gold is either found in situ or deposited by some natural force of nature. It’s not just laying around everywhere. I metal detected in gold country for 24 years without ever finding a nugget. Then I specifically targeted it with a detector designed for the task. It’s a little easier now after I have honed my thought process and found small success as a result.

3.) Just because there are gold mines nearby does not mean there are detectable sized gold deposited. Most of the worlds gold is recovered through chemical means and is microscopic. Either that or it is finely distributed through the matrix (ends up as flour/flake). They tunnel for flour/flake gold too.

It’s good to be questioning these things.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Not specific to your state. But..

1.) I won’t simply hop out and start detecting someone’s property without permission because it looks good as I drive by. Bad for the hobby and my local reputation.

2.) I would have zero confidence of finding nuggets by stopping and detecting some random field even though I’m smack dab in the middle of California Gold Rush ground. Folks in Australia target known gold reef’s they are not aimlessly detecting. Gold is either found in situ or deposited by some natural force of nature. It’s not just laying around everywhere. I metal detected in gold country for 24 years without ever finding a nugget. Then I specifically targeted it with a detector designed for the task. It’s a little easier now after I have honed my thought process and found success as a result.

3.) Just because there are gold mines nearby does not mean there are detectable sized gold deposited. Most of the worlds gold is recovered through chemical means and is microscopic. Either that or it is finely distributed through the matrix (ends up as flour/flake). They tunnel for flour/flake gold too.

It’s good to be questioning these things.

If you watch the reality tv mining shows, you will notice that the prop gold that they repeatedly film being poured out is nothing a metal detector would detect. That’s the bulk of what is found in many places and they go to great lengths to get it.

Nuggets are kind of rare really (even though in specific areas they are more common).