Gold prospecting in South Carolina

[Cstyle00]

Hey fellow prospectors and treasure hunters. I started this thread to see what people had to say about gold still in South Carolina. I aq'uired a small tract of land in Smyrna, York County. Land has been untouched since the California rush (except the little old lady that lived there since 1912). Basically I'm wondering has anyone ever picked up a nug in SC. I understand that it would be rare and would be quartz, not like a nug found in the west. If anyone knows of the Dixon Mine, Martin Mine, Horn Mine, or Southern Gold Mine which all closed in 1939 I think by Roosevelt because of the war. I'm near there. They were pulling some good size nugs from the myths. So let me know of your stories of gold found in SC.

Using a White's GMT. So far about 20 hrs. prospecting. Digging everything under 85% iron somtimes I dig targets anyway off of fence lines. Slow going lots of nails and .22 cal. bullets in rocky soil. Found a few buttons with no markings and some worn down axe heads about 14" down under large roots. Makes you wonder what happened to make someone be so careless with such a valuable asset of the time. I'm going to search it all of course, consentrating on the tickest areas of the forest first since the leaves are down and try to hit as many ridges and hillsides before summer slows things even worse. I'm detecting the area first then I'll dig some prostpecting pits. What gold have you guys seen in SC?

 

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[Delmarvapackrat]

This may be of interest.

In the late 1980's my husband and two children moved to a subdivision called Burdine Springs in Easley, SC.

Our one-acre property bordered a spring fed stream. The house is on the left as you enter the subdivision.

The stream was full of black sand which my children played with like an Etch-A-Sketch. The land around the house was solid quartz.

We only lived there a couple years.

Since I became interested in MDing, and knowing what I know now about gold, I wonder if that stream had gold in it...

I did find a big topaz in the stream. It was a nice one that I took to a gem and mineral show to verify.

Black widow spiders there were the size of marbles is what I remember the most!

 

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[djpitr]

I can go and check it out its 10 min from my house

 

[djpitr]

No did not found gold there

 

[Dan Carey]

Well what happened to the GPAA chapter?

 

[Cointoss82]

Hey there. I'm looking to get premission to some property to pan on. Haven't been out since I left Colorado and would love to get back into it.

 

[Jwoot]

Does anybody have any Pickens county experience? Especially on the western side around crow creek?

 

[csande480v]

I've got two places, both where lode mines operated. Only one you can see on the maps. One of them you can put a magnet in the sand at bottom of the bed rock and it comes out with a ball of black sand stuck to it. At the top of the bedrock the splits and cracks are by the hundreds.

The other spot is on public land by a county park. Not many people that live right there even know of it. There are mines within 5 miles of this that anyone can find if the research. But this spot, an old timer told everything he remembered about the shafts. I've been there several times and have found rivines filled with trash but I know there an entrance . The old man told me and one more person before me about it..... believe what you want but I don't just listen to any ole treasure story. The other guy before me worked it a few weeks out of the summer while he was in college closeby but not from this area . Found a lemon/fist sized 30oz piece of that good stuff.

My whole reason posting this is for one guy who really knows his ****. To come out there. And let's dig. Every time I look anywhere I get so distracted thinking it may be here or here or here. I've read all I can been to several spots with old sluices laying around. Haven't found anything. Once I get it I've got it. You keep what you find just show me how you do it

 

[arizau]

I've got two places, both where lode mines operated. Only one you can see on the maps. One of them you can put a magnet in the sand at bottom of the bed rock and it comes out with a ball of black sand stuck to it. At the top of the bedrock the splits and cracks are by the hundreds. View attachment 1433321

The other spot is on public land by a county park. Not many people that live right there even know of it. There are mines within 5 miles of this that anyone can find if the research. But this spot, an old timer told everything he remembered about the shafts. I've been there several times and have found rivines filled with trash but I know there an entrance . The old man told me and one more person before me about it..... believe what you want but I don't just listen to any ole treasure story. The other guy before me worked it a few weeks out of the summer while he was in college closeby but not from this area . Found a lemon/fist sized 30oz piece of that good stuff.

My whole reason posting this is for one guy who really knows his ****. To come out there. And let's dig. Every time I look anywhere I get so distracted thinking it may be here or here or here. I've read all I can been to several spots with old sluices laying around. Haven't found anything. Once I get it I've got it. You keep what you find just show me how you do it

Don't take this the wrong way......If you are looking for the mine then good luck and keep hunting. In the mean time if you are looking for placer gold in the creek(s) then do sample panning (learn how if you don't already know) until you find it... or not. There is a lot of info on this forum on how and what spots in a drainage are likely to hold gold and it sounds like you have already read up on it. Black sand doesn't mean there is gold but where placer gold is found there are usually black sands found with it.

Good Luck.

PS: Learn how to use this site. http://www.mylandmatters.org/. Aerial views of the area you are searching may give you some clues for places to look and with a GPS you can relocate them while on the ground.

 

[csande480v]

Ive tried mobile but I'll try desktop.

 

[Dfd00123]

Im new to the prospecting thing but I live in spartanburg and have access to the middle and south tyger river. Ive dug down a foot or so and panned and found some gold where a sandbar had formed. Im new to the area but are there any good places i can go to find some good gold?
Thanks
Stevie

 

[vän]

Middle Tyger is the better of the two. Look for the gravel bar before the sandbar and dig... heavier materials drop out 1st... look for oxidized rock formations. If you were told where to find the good gold, everyone else would be there also.

 

[ArthurC]

I’m in Batesburg Leesville and would like to meet some people who want to do some prospecting.

 

[ihadmail]

Hey everyone. I just learned of the potential for prospecting here in SC last week.

This weekend I took my children, ages 7 and 4, to some family property near the Blythewood mine.

We found 1 singular flake of gold in around an hour, with nothing but a pan and a small shovel. The boys were very excited to have found some “buried treasure”. Honestly, it excited me too and made me feel like a kid again.

I know I wasn’t digging in the most appropriate spot, nor deep enough, to really find any quantity of gold. I had fun, the kids had fun and we were enjoying the nice weather outdoors.

If any of you experienced prospectors are still active here and willing to share some tips I would be happy to meet up anywhere in the general central SC area for some technique lessons. I can provide manual labor of digging in exchange.

Here’s a pic of our gold flake, I had to add the water droplet to get my phone to focus on it:

 

[Gary M Herndon]

Hey fellow prospectors and treasure hunters. I started this thread to see what people had to say about gold still in South Carolina. I aq'uired a small tract of land in Smyrna, York County. Land has been untouched since the California rush (except the little old lady that lived there since 1912). Basically I'm wondering has anyone ever picked up a nug in SC. I understand that it would be rare and would be quartz, not like a nug found in the west. If anyone knows of the Dixon Mine, Martin Mine, Horn Mine, or Southern Gold Mine which all closed in 1939 I think by Roosevelt because of the war. I'm near there. They were pulling some good size nugs from the myths. So let me know of your stories of gold found in SC.

Using a White's GMT. So far about 20 hrs. prospecting. Digging everything under 85% iron somtimes I dig targets anyway off of fence lines. Slow going lots of nails and .22 cal. bullets in rocky soil. Found a few buttons with no markings and some worn down axe heads about 14" down under large roots. Makes you wonder what happened to make someone be so careless with such a valuable asset of the time. I'm going to search it all of course, consentrating on the tickest areas of the forest first since the leaves are down and try to hit as many ridges and hillsides before summer slows things even worse. I'm detecting the area first then I'll dig some prostpecting pits. What gold have you guys seen in SC?

Giving Old Mine names as to where you are, unless your readers are from around you is pretty off key. I'm in Bladen County NC, a hop and skip from the NC/SC state line. Last time I searched for any Carolina Gold was decades past like just after graduating high school 1982, in 1985 I set my eyes on Arizona Gold. Everytime I leave AZ I always leave with WAY more money than I entered lol

 

[Jessy James]

If anyone is a member of the LDMA/GPAA and wants to try out the Vein Mountain LDMA Mine in North Carolina, I know a good spot there to get a lot of Gold! That is, if no one else has found my secret! I used to go there quite often with a friend that is a member of the LDMA and GPAA and we used to get a lot of powder and flake Gold. The last time we were there which was about 6 years ago, I even brought up some small pickers and small nuggets as I had just gotten into the sweet spot. While running a test pan of material, we turned around in time to see a Black snake and a Copperhead floating down the creek, fighting for life and death. Since that time, I cannot get my friend to go back there and I do not hold a LDMA/GPAA Membership, so I have to be a guest of a member. So, if any LDMA/GPAA members want to give it a try, just PM me and I will show you the spot and we can split what we get.


Frank

Hello! My name is Jessica Porter I live in South Carolina! I would absolutely LOVE 2 GO WITH U! SOUNDS LIKE SO MUCH FUN!