Gold nugget ID on Gold Bug Pro

Bryan V

Jr. Member
Dec 13, 2009
83
17
Washington State
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 800
Minelab Monster 1000
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Hi everyone. I was testing some nuggets with my Gold Bug Pro to help see if they were real and
I got a 68 to 72 ID on one of the 6.6 gram solid nuggets. My other nuggets have always come in around the low to mid 50s although they are much smaller nuggets.
What do you think. Gold plated copper nugget? Looks and feels legit but you never know.
I don't have any acid for a test.
 

Upvote 0

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,654
6,349
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Read up on how to do a specific gravity test. It works, but you might go through a period of trial and error as you figure it out.

All the best,

Lanny
 

IMPDLN

Full Member
Mar 18, 2014
218
431
Central Arizona
Detector(s) used
Minelab SD2100 V-2, Gold Bug SE, SDC2300, GPX4500
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
You really can't expect any metal detector to give a specific reading on different sizes of gold or anything else. Too many variables involved. It could be because of different amounts of metals in the alloy that makes up a nugget. No gold nuggets are 100% pure gold in nature. Always alloyed with other stuff like silver and copper just to name a couple of the most common possibilities. Other things like size and density as well as distance from coil and mineralization of soil and even ground balance will have some effect on what readings you might get on the screen. If you read the manual it will tell you the readouts are approximate and that they are just visual references.

Any full service jeweler could do a common scratch test for approximate purity. Dennis
 

Hoser John

Gold Member
Mar 22, 2003
5,854
6,721
Redding,Calif.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Readouts are merely a "approximate" of composition as seen them all over the dial readings in conjunction with base formulation rock composition. Even saw this past week or so an detected area that produced dozens and dozens of times absolutely refuse the GBPRO and capability to even work?? Just chatter like a wet hen,3 different units,5 coils and now quieted down again?? Microwaves,solar flare,never seen before in 52+ years of detecting.-John
 

Featherdfishead

Full Member
Apr 4, 2014
230
378
Callahan-ScottValley-Salmon River, Ca
Detector(s) used
Primarily Minelab SDC 2300
and Gold Bug Pro with NEL Sharpshooter, Grey Ghost Phones, an EzSluice, a good Pan, various Diggn Tools, and a Good'Ol Dog or Two
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Hoser John, did you by chance hear a plane or choppers on the day your GBPro didn't function correctly. Over the last few weeks, the military has been flying allot out of Klamath Falls, over my house here in Callahan, in Scott Valley, over Scott Mountain southward into Trinity County. Usually have a formation of two cargo( dual rotor) or big huey looking choppers along with one or two Apaches or jets. I 've noticed my FM radio go crazy when they fly by but I haven't ever had my GBPro on. I'll fire it up next time though. Also heard the deep thwop of the big choppers about a month ago at night and turned on my Am radio to check for interference, and there was. Possible radar jammers? Not sure but an Idea.
Happy Days-Happy Hunting
AJR
 

EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
629
California
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Whites TDI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Readouts are merely a "approximate" of composition as seen them all over the dial readings in conjunction with base formulation rock composition. Even saw this past week or so an detected area that produced dozens and dozens of times absolutely refuse the GBPRO and capability to even work?? Just chatter like a wet hen,3 different units,5 coils and now quieted down again?? Microwaves,solar flare,never seen before in 52+ years of detecting.-John
Interesting John! About a month ago, I was on the Merced river with my TDI. When I turned it on and set as normal, the thing went beserk. Every time I brought it near the ground for GB, it would scream like a banshee. I went home and the following day, took it outside to double check it, but then it worked perfectly normal. I haven't figured out what was going on before. It was like I didn't turn the GB switch on. (I double checked that, and it was on).
 

IDdesertman

Full Member
Dec 8, 2007
178
207
Boise, Idaho
Detector(s) used
GPX4500, Gold Bugs
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Agreed, I wouldn't depend on any detector to check the authenticity of a nugget like that. Take it to a jeweler or spring for a simple acid test kit.
 

fred1944

Newbie
Apr 4, 2014
1
0
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
about 25yr's ago this man stop by my ranch house he new i was a gold miner i had a shop there this rock he ask if i could tell him if it was gold or what i said i cant right now but ck back in a day or so he left and naver came back ? so i had this rock noy for all this time the rock his dence for its size 2 1/2 x 2 x 1 3/4 black over coat with silver and gold tones to it looks like it could be pt Or pd with au know test on it as yet what do you all think out there ??? let me know asap fred1944 out
 

strickman

Bronze Member
Jan 27, 2008
1,865
115
Villa Rica georgia
Detector(s) used
gold bug pro,garret,whites,tesoro,bounty-hunter,,.....
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Interesting John! About a month ago, I was on the Merced river with my TDI. When I turned it on and set as normal, the thing went beserk. Every time I brought it near the ground for GB, it would scream like a banshee. I went home and the following day, took it outside to double check it, but then it worked perfectly normal. I haven't figured out what was going on before. It was like I didn't turn the GB switch on. (I double checked that, and it was on).
I have had the very same thing happen with my gb pro . I was wondering if the batteries were a litlle weak. But next day was fine. This was in the N.Ga. area .It was fairly hot ground , and it usually does good there. there were no power lines nowhere near the area.
 

EagleDown

Bronze Member
May 13, 2010
1,857
629
California
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT, Whites TDI
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I have had the very same thing happen with my gb pro . I was wondering if the batteries were a litlle weak. But next day was fine. This was in the N.Ga. area .It was fairly hot ground , and it usually does good there. there were no power lines nowhere near the area.
Same here. I was in the Merced River canyon. No power lines, no one else anywhere around. The canyon is so deep, you can't even get cell-phone reception. It's working fine now though.
 

Lanny in AB

Gold Member
Apr 2, 2003
5,654
6,349
Alberta
Detector(s) used
Various Minelabs(5000, 2100, X-Terra 705, Equinox 800, Gold Monster), Falcon MD20, Tesoro Sand Shark, Gold Bug Pro, Makro Gold Racer.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
about 25yr's ago this man stop by my ranch house he new i was a gold miner i had a shop there this rock he ask if i could tell him if it was gold or what i said i cant right now but ck back in a day or so he left and naver came back ? so i had this rock noy for all this time the rock his dence for its size 2 1/2 x 2 x 1 3/4 black over coat with silver and gold tones to it looks like it could be pt Or pd with au know test on it as yet what do you all think out there ??? let me know asap fred1944 out

Fred,

I hope someone can answer your question for you. Perhaps you should post it as a separate thread? Then it might get the attention it deserves.

All the best,

Lanny
 

nuggy

Sr. Member
Aug 22, 2010
460
62
Detector(s) used
Fisher Gold Bug Pro, had; Minelab Eureka, Bounty Hunter, Garrett, Fisher and Whites.
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Well Fred you have kept faith with him for 25 years, that is probably 24 years longer than most people would. If you didn't know the guy, you probably wouldn't recognize him now if you saw him! In many countries after 7 years someone can be declared dead - if they are missing for that long. I would probably have given up on him after ten years.
He may have left the area, died or who knows what. Whatever you decide to do with the sample is up to you now. nuggy
 

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