Money Making Sol

mrslojo

Jr. Member
Oct 24, 2015
63
198
Eastern, KY
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Rebel - KGC

Gold Member
Jun 15, 2007
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Does anyone know the stories of Money Making Sol Mullins? I've read that he found the Swift Silver Mine and used the silver to counterfeit money. Through research i could only find that he did in fact exist and was caught by the feds counterfeiting money. So it is possible he found one of the mines but was just wondering if anyone had any info on it.
HA! Sol Mullins was a "crafty" Melungeon; his WHOLE family was involved in the "new enterprise" of counterfeiting coins, with SILVER from Melungeon SILVER MINES. Have several books on him from Swift SILVER MINES & Melungeon SILVER MINES; much R & I is necessary. HH! Good Luck! Have FUN! :coffee2: Bee Ale (BEALE)...? BTW, I like this info; "google" Counterfeitin' Solomon Mullins of SW VA, E KY, & WV. Heh...
 

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mrslojo

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Oct 24, 2015
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Eastern, KY
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Thanks Rebel, I googled Sol and found tons of info on him, just been trying to tie him to the swift mines. In some of the info it states that he claimed he found the swift mine and used the ore for the money he made. Best i could find so far is he lived at Holly Creek which is present day Clintwood and he coined the silver on a cliff they called Sols Cliff. I've been trying to find the location of the cliff with no luck yet. Gotta dig deeper lol.
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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Thanks Rebel, I googled Sol and found tons of info on him, just been trying to tie him to the swift mines. In some of the info it states that he claimed he found the swift mine and used the ore for the money he made. Best i could find so far is he lived at Holly Creek which is present day Clintwood and he coined the silver on a cliff they called Sols Cliff. I've been trying to find the location of the cliff with no luck yet. Gotta dig deeper lol.
You have already found it... where the flat rocks are.
 

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mrslojo

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Oct 24, 2015
63
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Eastern, KY
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I was thinking it could be Sols Cliffs but wasn't sure. It makes sense cause the cliffs are near an old homestead that was owned by a mullins family. I haven't got to comb the area to well so far but im gonna try to further investigate it this weekend if time and weather permit. Thanks for all the help
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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I was thinking it could be Sols Cliffs but wasn't sure. It makes sense cause the cliffs are near an old homestead that was owned by a mullins family. I haven't got to comb the area to well so far but im gonna try to further investigate it this weekend if time and weather permit. Thanks for all the help
Yeah... that "old homestead" MAY be the site of the ORIGINAL SM home; I saw a "pic" that you "posted" of a "BLOCK ROCK", which MAY have been where he did the "striking" for counterfeit coins. Check top of that squared rock for "wear" in the middle. HH! Good Luck!
 

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mrslojo

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Oct 24, 2015
63
198
Eastern, KY
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'll be sure to check the squared rock out on the next trip there. I might take a trip to the water cave this weekend, I haven't been there in a few months and my cousin has been wanting to go back so I guess I'll take him back lol. I never pass up a chance to go there lol.
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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I'll be sure to check the squared rock out on the next trip there. I might take a trip to the water cave this weekend, I haven't been there in a few months and my cousin has been wanting to go back so I guess I'll take him back lol. I never pass up a chance to go there lol.
HH! Good Luck! Be Careful of wet rocks!
 

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mrslojo

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Oct 24, 2015
63
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Eastern, KY
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Thanks Rebel, if i get to go I'll try to get some cool pics. Both you and DeepseekerADS are right. The stories are very similar, I'm sure a lot of counterfiting went on back then. The people who counterfited the coins had all the resources and perfect places to hide their operations.
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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Thanks Rebel, if i get to go I'll try to get some cool pics. Both you and DeepseekerADS are right. The stories are very similar, I'm sure a lot of counterfiting went on back then. The people who counterfited the coins had all the resources and perfect places to hide their operations.
You BETCHA!
 

jim bridger

Tenderfoot
Feb 13, 2017
9
40
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Thanks Rebel, I googled Sol and found tons of info on him, just been trying to tie him to the swift mines. In some of the info it states that he claimed he found the swift mine and used the ore for the money he made. Best i could find so far is he lived at Holly Creek which is present day Clintwood and he coined the silver on a cliff they called Sols Cliff. I've been trying to find the location of the cliff with no luck yet. Gotta dig deeper lol.

Sutherland's Pioneer Recollections of Southwest Virginia has quite a bit of info on Sol Mullins. A quick look at the index shows 30-plus references to him.
 

DeepseekerADS

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Mar 3, 2013
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SW, VA - Bull Mountain
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CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
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I thought that legend was over near Rt. 58 heading up to Lover's Leap - one of those mountains there. I've never heard of any silver on Bull Mountain, though more than a decade ago a gold nugget was found in a stream on Pole Bridge Creek (?). I've panned and sluiced my creeks with nothing found.
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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Well, I heard/read of Silver "veins" up there; logging operations (with ROADS!) were just a "COVER"... dunno.
 

Rebel - KGC

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Jun 15, 2007
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"Google" Patrick County, Va. - GOLD Veins; Patrick County, Va. - SILVER Veins. Wife found some SILVER at Fairy Stone State Park...
 

DeepseekerADS

Gold Member
Mar 3, 2013
14,880
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SW, VA - Bull Mountain
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CTX, Excal II, EQ800, Fisher 1260X, Tesoro Royal Sabre, Tejon, Garrett ADSIII, Carrot, Stealth 920iX, Keene A52
Primary Interest:
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https://thediggings.com/mines/usgs10079800

Apparently the gold was found in 1955, but by 1974 it was determined it was not commercially viable to mine it.

Pole Bridge Road is about two miles to the East of me - thus my interest. It was named after the creek the road follows, but the spot it was found could be a bit further geographically.

And that is why I've panned and sluiced my waterways. No color here, thus far.
 

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