Mining shovel

[IDAu]

I found quite a few over the years, but never one this intact.


Any guesses on the date? Late 1800s to early 1900s? Makers mark says Stambouli, but I can’t find anything online

 

[IDAu]

It’s looking like my Place claim hasn’t been work since the 1800s or maybe early 1900s. Found this old shoe that was made with nails in one of the tailing piles.

 

[potsherd_creek]

Cool find there ! I have a lot of old tools although no antique or vintage shovels in the collection. No pic of the back so the 5 outer rivets, is that original to the shovel or repair reinforcement? I could not find anything either on a web search so rare or maybe shovel collectors are rare. Make a handle or google Beaver-Tooth Handle Co.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

I would say 1850’s. The early western gold rush shovels appeared heavily reinforced, but were made of thin material that usually rolled on the leading edge of used for anything other than shoveling loose material. What is found is typically the reinforced portion. The rest typically rusts away over time. The corker style boots were also common between 1850-1860 ish

 

[IDAu]

I would say 1850’s. The early western gold rush shovels appeared heavily reinforced, but were made of thin material that usually rolled on the leading edge of used for anything other than shoveling loose material. What is found is typically the reinforced portion. The rest typically rusts away over time. The corker style boots were also common between 1850-1860 ish

Thanks. What’s making me scratch my head is why it’s mixed in tailings from a bucket dredge that I think didn’t come through for another 50-80 years.

Edit: I’m taking this as a good sign I have some good gold that hasn’t been worked in over 100 years. I swear I read all this material has been gone through multiple times. But if that was the case I don’t think they’d still be in perfect winrows with these items in them

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Perfect winrows of tailings indicates 1930’s. All of the old tailings were hand stacked around here. I think you mentioned earlier that you thought it had been mined several times.

 

[IDAu]

Perfect winrows of tailings indicates 1930’s. All of the old tailings were hand stacked around here. I think you mentioned earlier that you thought it had been mined several times.

Do you know if bucket dredges ever hit the same area twice? Maybe another company came in later on?

I seem to be getting wildly different dates in historical records on when it was dredged.

There are giant mountains of boulders and winrows.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

It’s highly likely they mined in that area several times. Once during the beginning of the early gold rush, where they hand stacked boulders. Then a little later larger partnerships were formed and better materials were available, they would use a Derrick to move the boulders and pile them up. I believe this photo was 1898. 40 men worked 24 hours a day on this mine using pitch torches for light.

Then starting around the time the railroad came through, they started with the bucked dredges. There was a lull during WW1, with mining resuming during the Great Depression.

 

[IDAu]

It’s highly likely they mined in that area several times. Once during the beginning of the early gold rush, where they hand stacked boulders. Then a little later larger partnerships were formed and better materials were available, they would use a Derrick to move the boulders and pile them up. I believe this photo was 1898. 40 men worked 24 hours a day on this mine using pitch torches for light.

View attachment 2207232

Then starting around the time the railroad came through, they started with the bucked dredges. There was a lull during WW1, with mining resuming during the Great Depression.

Well damn. It’s a lot of work and money to set up for something that may have been worked multiple times. I know they mined several times using different methods. Hydraulic, bucket dredges, etc. I just don’t know if these tailings are from a single go


Still don’t know why 1850s stuff would be in the newer dredge tailings.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Well damn. It’s a lot of work and money to set up for something that may have been worked multiple times.


Still don’t know why 1850s stuff would be in the newer dredge tailings.

Well to really date the shovel, you’re going to have to find the manufacturer. Make sure you have the spelling correct.