🥇 BANNER 153 lbs of Silver.

cryptic

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Oct 10, 2009
174
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Went metal detectecting in the old silver tailings around here and I got a great signal on the F75. It came in at around 67 on the screen. Oh great another piece of tin i thought to myself. Oh well, dig everything because you never know what it might be. After about 35 minutes of digging and having the hole collapse in on me many times I finally saw the target. It was a nice pink coloured rock. That is a good sign since around here a lot of silver has Cobalt in it. That is one of the ways the miners would find silver veins back in the old days. Anyways, after finally digging it out, I couldn't lift it out of the hole. It was too heavy for me. It was also a very deep hole. I had to get a ratchet strap from my truck and pull it out of the hole. It is so heavy that I could hardly carry the thing over the tailings piles and through the bush. I ended up dragging it most of the way with the ratchet strap which finally gave in and broke apart from the abuse. I ended up rolling/carrying it the rest of the way. When I got home I found out the true weight of it. It weighs over 150 lbs. I still have to clean it up. It has cobalt and calcite in it and I estimate it to be at least over 75% silver. I rubbed it up a little bit to show some of the silver. It still has to be cleaned. :hello2:
 

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Upvote 48

d2

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Mar 18, 2005
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That's why we dig all the signals! Great job...d2
 

jeff of pa

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Dec 19, 2003
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Wow, now that is impressive!!! I sure hope that you follow through and update us all with the final results. Digging that up from within a rockbed had to be a real chore. I hate to admit it, but I do believe I would have given up after getting down 8 or 9 inches without a payoff. My hat is off to you.

Coinhound

I agree keep us updated.

Not to be a downer, I know nothing about raw silver, & only see a rock.
you of course have it, & see different :thumbsup:
if you get an assay or professional opinion let us know.
(of course if your a professional, My apologies for not knowing)

And an advanced congrats !
 

leprechaun

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Feb 20, 2012
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Awesome find,if it turns out to be silver I'd vote BANNER also so keep us posted.:icon_thumleft:
 

bradk05

Jr. Member
Jun 3, 2012
67
8
Roughly $63,000 worth of silver if all turns out correct that u do have 75% silver. Given that it goes around $33 dollars an ounce.
Not sure the refine cost though.
Banner for sure if silver!!!
Say there be more in that area. Can't be only silver Laying around solo!!!. Hahaha
Congrats again
 

OP
OP
C

cryptic

Full Member
Oct 10, 2009
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I will try and go back out there later tonight to see if there might be any more around. I did find another piece of silver in the same hole as the 153 pounder. It weighs maybe 4 pounds. Today I will try and clean the rock up some more and take some better pictures of it. It would be cool to have it assayed but I have no idea what that involves.

Awsome find I'd keep looking in the area there is probably more where that came from maybe even checking up hill if there is a hill above it.
Oh yes, there is a hill above where I dug the big piece out. It's a huge tailings pile. I had to drag the rock up this thing!
 

Last edited:

MrSchulz

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Mar 29, 2012
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Keep us posted.
 

Calvin.Coin

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Sep 27, 2012
289
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Southwestern America
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Yeah, be sure to keep us posted...that's what sweet dreams are made of!

I'll be voting banner once you verify the silver content. I love how the pics show the work involved. Either way and whatever it's value, it was no free lunch...you certainly earned it. Excellent job!!!

cheers,
cc
 

Calvin.Coin

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Sep 27, 2012
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Edited to Add:
I'd stick with zoomed in shots and avoid revealing too much terrain, also make sure the gps is off on your phone (if that is what you use for pics)
 

hamiddetecting

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Feb 22, 2012
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Very prety!
 

coinshooter

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Mar 20, 2003
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Are you 100% sure it is sillver and not Galena (lead ore).
Time to whack a piece of that off and take it to someone who can I.D. it.
Maybe you can just take the 4 lb piece.to an assayer. You might have a geologist look at it first though, it will save you the assay costs if it is Galena (176 lbs of lead might get you $200?).
 

Jason in Enid

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Oct 10, 2009
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.75x 153 = 114.75x16 = 1836x35$ = 64 THOUSAND DOLLARS. Someones getting a new car and detector if your correct about this


You used standard ounces, not troy ounces. it would be 1673.3 troy x $35 = $58,566. Of course, refining costs will probably take about 20% since it's still in ore form. Unless you can get someone to buy it as a specimen.
 

northcal

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Sep 17, 2008
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Jason in Enid said:
You used standard ounces, not troy ounces. it would be 1673.3 troy x $35 = $58,566. Of course, refining costs will probably take about 20% since it's still in ore form. Unless you can get someone to buy it as a specimen.

Good call Jason
 

Baggins

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Jan 2, 2007
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Super cool find! I hope it turns out to be silver!
baggins
 

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