A Detector Large Gold Find

[Frank Tillman]

In the eighties I was dredging a claim around Downieville CA and
people in Downieville were talking about an old miner who had died
and someone with a metal detector went over the area he had lived
and found a large sized coffee can 2/3 full of gold nuggets and gold.

What that would be worth today.

 

[kcm]

Not being a coffee drinker, I think the large can is a #10, which is 6 3/16" dia x 7" tall. 2/3 volume for this would be 140 cu". How much actual space these nuggets took up would depend on their size, shapes and how well they were packed in (had they settled in place?). If buried, I would guess probably moderately well settled, so let's figure 75%, which is 105 cu". Now you have to figure the purity of the gold, which can go from an 80% gold electrum up to gold that is, or is very near, pure 24k! You're more familiar with the gold in this area than I am, so will let you figure out the particulars.

 

[Frank Tillman]

I didn't say what would it be worth? I said dreaming "what that would be worth today", like wow, what a find.

Sorry, I didn't mean to actually calculate it, I was just commenting that it would be a nice day, and
things like that are possible. Just relating something that happened that I found interesting.


It would make my day.

 

[mikeraydj]

Finding a 64 Rosie makes my day.

 

[vpnavy]

Dang - just getting up in the morning makes my day!

 

[Dave N Japan]

Hand over the can mister"

 

[perry2]

I think we sometimes forget that Gold was pegged at about $22.00 per oz from 1849 till after 1900.

In the 1850s the Tin cup mine had the miners fill a tin cup each day before quitting. I think that would be 5-8 lbs or 50 -80 oz $1100 -$1760 they were paid less than $22.00/day (+ what they could Highgrade ////)Perry