California Gold Production 1848-1995

[OwenT]

I was at the CA state mining and mineral museum in Mariposa (well worth the $4 btw) on Friday where I saw this graph of gold production by year and I was honestly blown away just looking at the first few years. Based on my limited knowledge and the graph, it seems like for those first few years there wasn’t much of any hydraulic or dredge mining so that means that a huge portion of the gold recovered in California was just with shovels, pans, and rockers/sluices. So either during the initial rush there was just an astronomical amount of gold seekers all finding their bit of gold, or they really were just picking nuggets from the rivers left and right. Probably both?

 

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[et1955]

Virgin ground, thousand if not millions of years of deposition, mother nature did all the work for the first timers, no one was mining before them. After cleaning out the easy gold they went for the sources, thus hydraulic mining and other methods.

 

[firebird]

Were there any big nuggets on display there? Last time I was there earlier this year they didn't have any. Just little tiny specimens.

 

[OwenT]

The specimen pieces were great but yes, the Fricot Nugget was also on display. Over 13 lbs, amazing. Other than that I don’t remember that there were any other big nuggets.

 

[dave wiseman]

Don't think the Fricot nuggett was ever there.It was a facsimile of the original piece which was sent to France where it was diplayed and likely melted down.They had a gold robbery at the museum and the bigger stuff was stolen.The original museum was at the old Ferry building in San Francisco......https://www.goldrushnuggets.com/fricotnugget.html....................https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-nov-15-la-me-gold-museum-heist-20121115-story.html

 

[OwenT]

You're saying what I saw was not the Fricot nugget?? I'm confused because the links you shared clearly state that the nugget is indeed there.

There is a good part in the second article "some of the stolen gold with quartz had been recovered"
And here I am just wishing I could find some quartz with gold!

 

[dave wiseman]

Owen T,where is the Fricot nuggett then??You would think it would be on display somewhere,such as the state fair?As dar as finding quartz gold..one must sample the veins in known hardrock gold areas.Sooner or later you'll find your specie or pocket.I did that stuff for 35 years.

 

[OwenT]

Thanks for the advice, maybe I'll pick your brain later about the quartz. As far as the nugget, it seems you think there is some sort of conspiracy going on with the nugget. I saw the Fricot nugget in the museum safe, or so I was told. I would have posted a picture of me with it, but taking pictures isn't allowed for security reasons. It was donated to the museum after turning up in a bank vault in Angels Camp. You live in Angels Camp maybe you have something to do with any funny business?

 

[dave wiseman]

Owen T,Mr.Fricot lived in my county (Calaveras).There is a road named after and a juvenile detention center which the locals call Fricot city.If that Fricot specie was ever in a bank vault here in Angels everyone and their brother would have known about it.I found alot of nice species years ago,but nothing of the Fricot specie quality or size.I don't believe in conspirices or lost mines either.There was a fabulous gold display here in Angels Camp back in the late 1970's at the old bank of America,but it didn't include the Fricot piece.Later,alot of that gold was in a display at the Nuggett casino in Carson City Nevada....seek and ye shall find.

 

[Goldwasher]

The Fricot Nugget was found in Spanish Dry Diggins.Out side of Georgetown, Ca. Right down the road from me.

It was sent to Paris in 1878 it disapeared. It was missing until 1943 when it was rediscovered in a safety deposit box

In Angels Camp!!

It belonged to some old lady . The bank owner had a vast gold collection as well. He had no Idea that piece was in his own bank.

It is the largest known surviving piece of crystaline gold. From the Gold Rush

It is peramnently housed at the Mariposa mineral Museum.

It is occasionaly displayed elswhere.

 

[Goldwasher]

The miners were running large sluicing and hydraulicing operations. Very early in the rush. When and where they had water.

The Fricot was actually foud in a hydraulic/sluicing operation.

From a "Seam Digging"

 

[dave wiseman]

Goldqasher,can you post a link for your Angels Camp bank info?I've known and know many old timers in Angels Camp who are or were alive during this period in time and no one ever heard that story.Everyone in this town at that time period knew the bank officers personally and yet no one knew of this?

 

[Asmbandits]

The miners were running large sluicing and hydraulicing operations. Very early in the rush. When and where they had water.

The Fricot was actually foud in a hydraulic/sluicing operation.

From a "Seam Digging"

I think I remember from my readings that Spanish dry diggins was actually a ancient dry lake bed on the top of the hill. I ride my bike through there sometimes on the way to a couple spot I have.. There is a small airport out that way now close by..

 

[bug]

As they went deeper hydraulicing, the slate hardens up and then they were also sinking shafts chasing the seams. Crazy old timers were tuff. We are bunch of girly boys compared to them.

 

[Goldwasher]

Goldqasher,can you post a link for your Angels Camp bank info?I've known and know many old timers in Angels Camp who are or were alive during this period in time and no one ever heard that story.Everyone in this town at that time period knew the bank officers personally and yet no one knew of this?

I've lived in several small towns.In my experience the towns folk believe they know way more than they actually do.Regardless of who they knew and what they heard....



https://georgetowndivide.wordpress.com/tag/fricot-nugget/

Mention of how the thieves couldn't get into the safe that holds the Fricot
https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2012-nov-15-la-me-gold-museum-heist-20121115-story.html

https://howtofindgoldnuggets.com/16-pound-chunk-raw-crystalline-gold-found-northern-california/

heres the Museum page where they tell you they have the "nugget"
California State Mining and Mineral Museum

it's been at that location since 2000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Mining_and_Mineral_Museum

it was in San Francisco for a number of years after turning up in the safety deposit box.

a quote from one of the links above.

"In 1943, the cluster was rediscovered by a California State Division of Mines employee in a safe deposit box at a bank in Angel’s Camp in Calavaras County, California. Although the bank manager had one of the most extensive gold collections in California and knew the Fricot family well, he had no idea that the famous cluster was in his very own bank! The State Division of Mines employee convinced the nuggets owner at the time, Marie E. Burton, to donate it to the California State Gem and Mineral Collection in memory of her father, Jules Fricot. It was put on display at the Ferry Building in San Francisco."

You can print this and pass it around town if you want so everyone has their info up to date

 

[b3y0nd3r]

They had what was called, the "Tin cup" diggings. Where you can walk to a dry river bed, and dig with a tin cup and find gold.

 

[Goldwasher]

They had what was called, the "Tin cup" diggings. Where you can walk to a dry river bed, and dig with a tin cup and find gold.

It's called that because. The legend was the three miners on the claim. Wouldn't quit for the day until they filled a tin cup with gold.

Its near Downieville

 

[Asmbandits]

Goldwasher is correct , can you imagine that filling a tin cup EACH DAY..

 

[dave wiseman]

GOOD RESEARCH...

 

[Clay Diggins]

Goldwasher is correct , can you imagine that filling a tin cup EACH DAY..

About 3 to 4 pounds of placer gold per tin cup.

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