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It’s short notice but there’s a big resource / exploration investment conference coming up in Montreal in November, and it’s focused heavily on mining and precious metals. There will be numerous speakers and specialists, booths with over 45 publicly traded mining companies, and a bunch of investors (more info at http://cambridgehouse.ca/index.php/montreal-investment-conference.html). If there’s a way MMM or someone can attend with to work the floor there, that could be a chance to locate an investor…or at least some real leads. Those kind of guys will be there, and will know others. Maybe make up a bunch of presentation folders with Executive Summary, Use of Proceeds, etc. to pass out. Talk to other companies and other players. I’ve also got some rough marketing material I could provide. I’d be willing to chip in maybe $50 if necessary if Michael or someone appropriate could make it for this purpose. If 20 or more shareholders could do this maybe it could cover most of the expenses of getting there and staying a couple nights? 16 To 1 is a real win-win for the company and the investors if we can find a right match. It’s a good opportunity to dialogue with many people who might just recognize what an opportunity the company is.
I implore the current Atourney General of the State of California, before you run for the next Governor of the State of California again, to please address this blatant aggregious disregard of Constitutional Law: investigate CDAA vs. Original Sixteen to One Mine.
All lcoal economies these days seem to be suffering and I would guess that Grass Valley isn’t any different. For years the owners of the Idaho-Maryland Gold Mine have been attempting to get the mine back into operation. Although everyone will agree that environmental considerations are important, the State regulators it seems are not making it easy for owners to get the mine up and running again. If the mine were operating today there would be from 200 to 400 new jobs for residents of Grass Valley and the surrounding areas.
California has so much potential to add jobs to its shrinking job market if only regulators would only get real and take a look, if that’s possible, at what could make things a little better.
In the years ahead gold will be benefiting local economies around the world as it continues to advance in price while the economics and governments that support mining companies for its extraction contribute to them. Mining could be creating all types of jobs with the mine workers plowing their paychecks back into local economies and supplying badly needed revenues for local governments.
The kind of personal turmoil that is caused by eroding wealth and income casts heavily upon us all along with the knowledge that the State gets deeper into the red and may never be able to balance their books again without the beginnings of some major type of creative reform that attempts to halt this vicious countertrend.
Our current mess is being orchestrated by political and business clubs for themselves and their friends at the expense of our future. A Russian philosopher has his own thoughts concerning our dismal state of affairs. Mr. Igor Panarin is predicting a complete disaster for our country. Not only will life change forever but the country will fragment into pieces. The Wall Street Journal even considered Mr Panarin’s reflections noteworthy and printed them on its front page.
Basically, the following quotation sums up Mr. Panarin’s forecast:
“Panarin’s disintegration divination comes complete with a map. In it, Alaska goes to Russia. Hawaii goes to Japan or China. “The California Republic” — the West from Utah and Arizona to the Pacific — goes to China. “The Texas Republic” — the South from New Mexico to Florida — goes to Mexico. “Atlantic America” — the Northeast from Tennessee and South Carolina up to Maine — joins the European Union. And “The Central North-American Republic” — the Plains from Ohio to Montana — goes to Canada.”
Our past excesses along with all the accumulated debt from them brings us to this place in time where we may have gone past the point of no return.
When circumstances dictate the need for change, political organizations bury their heads in the sand and tax wealth. If this isn’t half-ass backwards I don’t know what is. Instead of acting foolish by assessing an indirect tax on a proud Californian gold producer of profits and jobs for the economy and revenues for the State, the Water Board needs seriously to get another kind of religion.
A complimentary start for the Water Board and other State agencies would be to listen with an open mind at the needs of envionmentally friendly miners, not to curse them with name calling, taxing and legal actions.
California was admitted as the 31st state in 1850 as a result of the discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in 1849 and the significant placer amounts that were found that year and the following one.
The State’s newly found wealth quickly brought it the new title of the “Golden State.” One wonders what will become of the State if the millions and millions of ounces of gold continue to be held hostage in the ground by an inflexible rules book and the power crazed unelected public officials who hear and see no good from some of the hardest workers in the State, the Alleghany miners.
The political appointees and the elected ones need to accept that California’s past and its future will, under hell and high water, always and forever be supported by the gold mining industry. In California there are 13,470 historic gold mines and prospects(the data is from the California Geological Survey and Office of Mine Reclamation in 2002). Someone must have thought gold mining was a good business and the government agreed with them. Sure, some operators abused the environment but that was yesterday when we were dealing with wars and the population was smaller. Now because of the past lack of respect for Mother Nature we really need to be self responsive and viligilant and yes, offenders need to be dealth with in an effective manner that corrects REAL threatening problems.
Gold is widely dispersed throughout California with it being more concentrated in the Sierra Nevada’s, the Klamath Mountains and in the Mojave Desert. We haven’t even heard yet of the big name mines yet to be in California’s mining future because of the fact that California is still known around the world as being “mining unfriendly” because of excessive and abusive regulations.
An unfortunate aspect of the State regulatory process for folks in their potential cross-hairs is the regulator’s carte blanche for excessive regulating and their being issued a big cop citation books. Who knows what really goes on behind the curtain?
What happens in Grass Valley to their economy is certainly not being supported in any swift manner relating to employing miners and support crews in starting up the Idaho-Maryland Mine by the State. In early 1996 locals got very excited concerning the reactivacation of the Idaho-Maryland as they drove up the price of the interested company’s stock to about $7.50. Lately, the shares have remained in complete dormancy around the 5 1/2 cent level awaiting State guideline approvals. That’s a time period of over 13 years while the Idaho-Maryland still awaits the workers and the local economy continues to shutter more as a result of the continuing excremental implosion brought about by both State and Federal regulators.
Their mantra seems to be, “Too Big to Fail, Too Small To Succeed.”
FYI, Scoop’s message cracks a smile and a frown because it is sadly true…the EPA and the CRWQCB and the rest of the effers are looking for random symptoms to blame and fund their existence, end up logging data with hystorical (note the pun) and discard the hitorical significance from a century removed (check your history records) and then scratch their collective heads, angling for a new now-time blame game funding angle.
Scoop’s reference to the price of mercury relates to the monetary waste involved in any modern-day environmental study…spending millions looking for demons and failing to look in the mirror.
To minierbear. it’s not a simple answer. Wiki answers with quotes at 36 cents a gram. 31.1 grams per ounce x 16 = 497.6 grams per pound or $179.13. A flask is 76 pounds and ranges between $500 and $600. Purity makes a price difference. The EPA spends $1 million or more for an ounce (in Grass Valley CA) and other places.
what is a pound of liquid mercury cost ?.
Our gold specimens for sale
I visited http://www.jsmineset.com tonight and saw a picture of Jim Sinclair showing some of his physical gold.
I did see a gold specimen that wasn’t that too eye-appealing that appears to have come from the Red Lake Mine at Red Lake, Ontario. It might be a good idea to send him one of our gold brochures so in his next photo-op he can display some impressive 16 to 1 gold which is certainly more impressive.
Also, send some brochures to the managers of some of gold investment funds.
Dear Mother with two Boys,
Last week on the North Fork of the Yuba River, two men found some beautiful gold placer nuggets. I saw them at the Sierra Gold store in Downieville. They were nuggets, not flakes. They were striking in color and shape. The young fellow said the nuggets came from sluicing and panning. The find was impressive.
They dug under a large rock, using shovels and buckets. The river is low so they spent some time testing areas the looked promising. (Get your kids some good gold books or equipment at Sierra Gold in Downieville or other convenient locations, so your boys can use the experiences of successful gold finders in their mining.)
Your request of the Sixteen to One is one we hear frequently. What the other writer was saying to your request is that this company has responsibilities to its owners, and in today’s litigious society the rewards are not worth the risks of a lawsuit. Also the property is very large and the dangers are many.
You must not be discouraged to give your boys a “gold experience”. In the past our Company geologist has volunteered to prepare boy scouts for a geology or mining badge at the Sixteen to One mine. There are a few really exciting experiences that are free and available to almost everyone. Finding a nugget of California gold is one of those. Happy hunting. Remember: gold is where you find it and most of the gold in California has not been found.
Thank you Mr. Miller, and I do understand, its a shame things have to be so difficult. The rewards of all those little faces would sure be wonderful though. Thanks for the advice and your time.
Mom with 2 boysNot a huge corporation, just a mother with two boys, wondering why nobody want to help keep the love for this alive. You would think that you would profit off of something like this.
I would suggest to the party
who wishes to work the 16-1
tailings that he should consider buying out all the
other stockholders then that
party can rework tailings to
that one’s heart’s content,
orhterwise it will be the 16’s
option to rework or not rework.I live here somewhat locally, and my family loves to prospect. Not having a whole lot of experience at prospecting though, its hard to know where to go that is safe, and that welcomes you. I have seen many pay and pan advertisements in other states that people really seem to enjoy. I know would love to work the tailings of your mine, and i’m willing to bet the gold i havent found yet (and that is quite a bit) that a lot of others would too. So I’m asking would you please, please, please consider it.
However, you may not be aware that suction dredge mining is currently regulated with respect to endangered and threatened species, with seasonal and size restrictions that prevent harm to these species. Suction dredge mining has been subjected to many studies that indicate this activity not only is de minimis to fish and their habitat under current regulations, but this is the only activity that occurs in our state waters that provides mitigation.1
Suction dredge mining creates dissolved oxygen and breaks up compacted gravels, creating the spawning areas, holes and cooler waters necessary for a healthy fish population. The DFG spends millions of dollars to create this same scenario for spawning fish.2
Suction dredge mining removes harmful lead, mercury and man-made debris from our waters. Washington has set up a program, in cooperation with suction dredge miners, to collect harmful metals and debris. Over a 12-month period the Washington Department of Ecology took possession of over 150 lbs. of mercury that had been recovered by suction dredge miners.3
California Mining Journal, Inc.
dba ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal
cc Honorable California Legislators
1 Effects of Small-Scale Gold Dredging on Arsenic, Copper, Lead, and Zinc Concentrations in the Similkameen River, Washington State Dept. of Ecology, March 2005, Publication No. 05-03-007.
Impact of suction dredging on water quality, benthic habitat, and biota in the Fortymile River, Resurrection Creek, and ChatanikaRiver, Alaska, US Environmental Protection Agency, June 1999.
2 Evaluating the Success of Spawning Habitat Enhancement on the Merced River, Robinson Reach, California Department of Fish and Game, 2002.
3 Miners Clean Washington Rivers and Streams, ICMJ’s Prospecting and Mining Journal, May 2007.
Waterborne Carbon Increases Threat Of Environmental Mercury
ScienceDaily (Dec. 11, 2007) — Mercury is a potent neurotoxin and a worrisome environmental contaminant, but the severity of its threat appears to depend on what else is in the water.
See also:
Earth & Climate
Hazardous Waste
Environmental Science
Geochemistry
Environmental Issues
Sustainability
Pollution
Reference
Mercury poisoning
Soil contamination
Hazardous waste
Pesticide
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have found that the presence of dissolved organic material increases the biological risk of aqueous mercury and may even serve as an environmental mercury source.
Mercury is present throughout the environment in small quantities in rocks and in watery environments, including lakes, wetlands and oceans. It accumulates in fish living in mercury-contaminated waters, posing a health risk to animals and humans who eat the tainted fish.
The greatest threat comes from a form called methylmercury, which is more easily taken up by living tissues. The methylation process, therefore, is key to understanding the potential danger posed by environmental mercury, says UW-Madison geomicrobiologist John Moreau.
He presented his research findings at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco today (Dec. 10).
Environmental mercury is predominantly methylated by naturally occurring bacteria known as sulfate-reducing bacteria. These bacteria – Moreau calls them “little methylmercury factories” – absorb inorganic mercury from the water, methylate it and spit methylmercury back out into the environment.
“The bacteria take mercury from a form that is less toxic to humans and turn it into a form that is much more toxic,” Moreau says. “[Methylation] increases mercury’s toxicity by essentially putting it on a fast train into your tissue – it increases its mobility.”
Many previous studies have focused on the chemical interactions between mercury and sulfur, which is known to bind to inorganic mercury and may regulate how well the bacteria can absorb it. However, scientists do not understand the factors that control the methylation process itself.
“Those studies have related methylation potential to geochemical variables,” Moreau says. “We would like to take a bacterium that we know methylates mercury very efficiently and let it tell us what it can methylate and what it can’t, under given conditions.”
Moreau and colleagues at the U.S. Geological Survey, UW-Madison, the University of Colorado and Chapman University chose to look at the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), a richly colored brew created as plants and other organic materials decay into a soup of proteins, acids and other compounds. DOC can tint wetlands and streams shades of yellow to dark brown.
DOC has noticeable effects on bacterial mercury processing. “They seem to methylate mercury better with DOC present,” says Moreau.
In the current studies, the scientists looked at the effects of DOC samples collected from two different organic-rich environments, a section of the Suwannee River and Florida’s Everglades.
“We found that different DOCs have different positive effects on methylation – they both seem to promote mercury methylation, but to different degrees,” Moreau explains.
Because DOC is virtually ubiquitous in aqueous environments, its effect on mercury processing may be an important factor in determining mercury bioavailability.
Moreau and his colleagues are now working to understand how DOC promotes methylation. One possibility is that DOC acts indirectly by increasing bacterial growth, while another is that DOC may directly interact with the mercury itself to boost its ability to enter bacteria.
Although mercury already in the environment is there to stay, Moreau says an understanding of what regulates mercury toxicity is critical for developing ecosystem-level management strategies.
“Strategies to deal with methylmercury production [should] lead to hopefully more efficient ways to reduce human consumption of methylmercury and lead to less potential human health problems,” he says.
Adapted from materials provided by University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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University of Wisconsin-Madison (2007, December 11). Waterborne Carbon Increases Threat Of Environmental Mercury. ScienceDaily. Retrieved August 29, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releasesIn late September 1977 a local air taxi operator sighted a large shark stranded on a beach 16 miles southwest of Ketchikan, Alaska. Fisheries biologist Robert Larson examined the shark on 30 September 1977. The adult male White Shark was 15 feet 4 inches in total length. Upon dissection of the shark’s stomach about “”***100 opaque circular objects were discovered, each about 0.25 inches in diameter. John E. Fitch, Research Director, California Department of Fish & Game, Long Beach, subsequently identified them as lenses from fish eyes, most probably salmonids.***”” The number of lenses present in the shark’s stomach suggests that fish might provide a larger percentage of adult White Shark nutritional requirements than previously thought. Although White Sharks appear to prefer pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) as their main staple after attaining maturity, they still consume fish. This fact has been overtly omitted, or frequently understated, over the last two or three decades by some White Shark researchers. The irrefutable evidence from this stranding tells us that adult White Sharks are apparently opportunistic predators and will readily take any prey species that is available.
————————————————————
|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SB 670|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|1020 N Street, Suite 524 | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
————————————————————THIRD READING
Bill No: SB 670
Author: Wiggins (D)
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 27 – UrgencySENATE NATURAL RES. & WATER COMMITTEE : 8-3, 4/28/09
AYES: Pavley, Benoit, Kehoe, Leno, Padilla, Simitian,
Wiggins, Wolk
NOES: Cogdill, Hollingsworth, HuffSENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
SUBJECT : Vacuum or suction dredge equipment
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill imposes a temporary moratorium on the
granting of new suction dredging permits until the ongoing
environmental review is certified. It provides that the
issuance of permits is not a ministerial act, and that,
therefore, such permits may not be issued until a valid
underlying environmental document is in place.ANALYSIS : Under existing law, the Fish and Game Code
prohibits suction dredging except when permitted by the
Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and when consistent with
regulations adopted by the department. The statute
requires the regulations to designate streams where dredges
may be operated pursuant to a permit, streams where
dredging is not allowed, and the time or times of year when
CONTINUED,,
SB 670
Page
2dredging is allowed.
Permit fees for residents are established at $25(47.00 )*unless a
site inspection is necessary in which the fee is $130.(194.00 ADDITIONAL)* The
respective non-resident fees are $100(185.25)* and $220. (222.00 ADDITIONAL)*
Approximately 3000 permits are issued annually.
*LIES YOU NEED TO CHECK THE FEES*It is illegal to use a suction dredge within 100 feet of a
closed area.This bill imposes a( temporary) moratorium on the granting of
( new) suction dredging permits until the ongoing
environmental review is certified. It provides that the
issuance of permits is not a ministerial act, and that,
therefore, such permits may not be issued until a valid
underlying environmental document is in place.Background
According to a recent report by the Sierra Fund, an
estimated 26 million pounds of mercury were used to extract
gold from ore in California. Half of this mercury was lost
in the environment in placer and hard rock mining
operations where it remains in watersheds where it is
commonly encountered. Mercury runoff from these watersheds
is a source of mercury contamination of the California
Bay-Delta.Suction dredgers remove gravel from riverbeds with a hose
powered by an engine. The water quality controversy
involves what opponents characterize as the “tendency” of
dredging operations to “flour”(THIS DOES NOT OCCUR) mercury in the water, making
it more readily available for bacteria to methylate, a
process that converts base mercury into a (developmental
neurotoxin) (NAME IT?) that accumulates in the food chain and that
humans ingest through fish that they consume. (WE TAKE OUT THE MERCURY)(ALONG
WITH LEAD FISHING WEIGHTS)Dredgers may try to separate mercury from any amalgamated
gold, and the recovered mercury is then either stored or
disposed of in an unauthorized (SAYS WHO)manner. Storage of mercury
is subject to regulation also, but there is no available
information from state agencies that mercury obtained by
dredgers is regulated. (THEY WOULD BE REGULATED JUST THE SAME AS OTHER AMERICANS)CONTINUED
,,
SB 670
Page
3Dredging permits issued by DFG state that the applicant
will comply with all appropriate water quality regulations.
However, the State Water Resources Control Board does not
have a program to regulate suction dredging.
The board(WHAT BOARD?) found, however, in a 2003 study, (REFERENCE THE STUDY) that dredging
exacerbates mercury contamination of rivers and streams.FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No(ASK THE LOCAL SMALL TOWNS THAT MINERS FREQUENT)SUPPORT : (Verified 5/11/09)
Cal Trout
California Coastkeeper Alliance
California Tribal Business Alliance
Clean Water Action
Friends of the River
Karuk Tribe
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
Planning and Conservation League
Sierra Club California
Sierra Fund
Sierra Nevada AllianceOPPOSITION : (Verified 5/11/09)
County of Siskyou
New 49’ers
Regional Council of Rural CountiesARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : Friends of the River supports the
bill but believes the temporary moratorium should be
expanded to include more than salmon streams.(SB760 COVERS ALL RIVERS,OBVIOUSLY THEY DID NOT READ THE BILL.) It believes
that suction dredging affects wild and scenic rivers, wild
trout populations, other wildlife, and river-based
recreational opportunities.Many supporters categorize suction dredging as a rather
crude technology by which miners “literally vacuum up our
river beds and spawning grounds, and disturb and mobilize
the mercury left behind by gold mining operations” as was
stated in several letters. All of the supporters agree
that the rules governing this practice are outdated.CONTINUED
,,
SB 670
Page
4Sierra Club California and Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen’s Associations point to the ban on commercial
salmon fishing and argue that the salmon crisis threatens
thousands of jobs. Sierra Club California concludes that
“It simply does not make sense to jeopardize an entire
fishery, and to ask commercial fishermen to sit idle, while
allowing ongoing environmental harm for a recreational
hobby.” WHAT ABOUT THE DAMS?HOW DO THEY HELP THE SALMON.ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : The Regional Council of Rural
Counties argues that the existing regulations are
sufficiently restrictive and protective and allow
individuals to legally mine their claims of precious
minerals. It points to parts of rural California where
mining remains an important port of the culture, history,
and economy of some local communities. Siskyou County
separately asserted these same concerns.The New 49’ers, a mining advocacy group, argues that no
scientific information points to suction dredging as a
cause in the collapse of salmon, that the collapse is due
to ocean conditions and an over-reliance on hatchery fish,
and that a moratorium would violate the private property
rights of those who have federal mining claims and create
“takings” liability on the part of the state.CTW:nl 5/11/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
**** END ****
AGAIN OUR LEGISLATORS FAIL TO READ A BILL (SB 760) THAT THEIR SO EAGER TO PASS. CLOSING ALL THE RIVERS TO SUCTION DREDGEING WILL NOT HELP THE SALMON. ESPECIALLY THE ONES THAT FLOW EASTWARD FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE SIERRAS. NOR WILL IT DO MUCH ON ALL THE WESTERN FLOOWING RIVERS THAT ARE DAMED UP WITHOUT FISH LADDERS. THE KERN RIVER FOR EXAMPLE HAS NO WAY IN HELL FOR A SALMON TO SWIM UP STREAM FROM THE OCEAN. WE HAVE NO MONEY TO KEEP PRISONERS IN JAIL, YET WE WILL FUND A STUDY AND CRIPPLE AN INDUSTRY THAT PROVIDES 60 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR TO OUR CALIFORNIA ECONOMY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE A EVNVIRONMENTAL REPORT ON SUCTION GOLD DREGING WAS COMPLETED BY THE STATE IN 1994.DREGERS TAKE OUT MURCURY AND LEAD FROM THE RIVERS WICH ARE FAR MORE DETRAMENTAL TO OUR ENVIRONMENT. IF WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO WASTE IN OUR BUDGET PERHAPS A SELECT GROUP OF RIVERS THAT HAVE SALMON WOULD BE A BETTER CHOICE. YOU GUYS MIGHT WONDER,WHY WE HAVE LOST FAITH. ***
pat wiggins santa rosa ca please send letters to the press democrat P.O. box 910 santa rosa 95402 att. let the public speak. Dredging she is a fool, just a power grab
BAD BAD NEWS: The judge in Alameda Superior Court put out an order to suspend the issue of dredge permits by the fish and game.
There is a lot of iron on the mine site. You should see the old bone yard up the road. The crew hauled many loads of scrap iron to a site close to Henness Pass where transports will haul the scrap to Sacramento. Too bad the price dropped but there will be $$$ left over costs.
Now get this! Miners save iron stuff. Scoop asked the same thing and one afternoon pointed out iron junk. You should have heard the ear full about this part or that part, this just needs a ??? and it goes right back to work or Scoops favorite: this has copper, aluminum great hoses look at these valves worth saving and on and on.
A plan is underway to sell useless scrap (junk to many). Scoop will let you know when the first truck load leaves Alleghany.
After the last share holders meeting ,I was really amazed at the amount of steel and stuff left rusting all around the mine. Is there some way the mine could sell all the scrap metal and bring in a little cash just to pay the electric bill maybe? It seems a shame to see all the compressors and equipment just sit there and rust to death. I know that stuff was not cheap to buy.
AlanIS THERE ANYONE OUT THERE WHO POSSESSES ONE OR MORE OF THE MINE’S ORIGINALLY ISSUED 1OZ BULLION BARS? IF SO, I WOULD APPRICIATE SPEAKING WITH YOU REGARDING A POSSIBLE PURCHASE OF AT LEAST ON BAR. THIS IS FOR HISTORIC REASONS, AS I HAVE SEVERAL SAMPLES OF GOLD IN QUARTZ, BUT THE MINE HAS NOT HAD THE 1OZ BARS FOR SALE FOR ABOUT 8-10 YEARS NOW. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO ANY FEEDBACK YOU CAN PROVIDE.
BEST REGARDS,
DAVE
I just ran into the following and thought it might be of interest to some:
http://www.goldgold.com/legal/670_flash-actionalert.htm
The vote to Ban suction Dredging in California is coming Monday….
We just received word from our lobbyists in Sacramento that Senate Bill 670 (anti suction dredging legislation) will be put up for a vote in the senate this coming Monday, May 18! Because this is moving forward as “urgency legislation,” 27 “Aye” votes will be required in the Senate to keep this bill alive. Therefore, if we all act quickly, we have a real chance at defeating this very bad bill. Here is a link to our Action Alert:
http://www.goldgold.com/legal/670_flash-actionalert.htm
Included there, is a link to help those of you in California to locate an email contact form for your State senator. For those of you residing outside of California, our very capable lobbyists have targeted 6 senators for you to direct faxes to. We will need all emails and faxes to get to these senators no later than 12 noon on Monday, May 18. That’s only a few days away! Our Action Alert also includes a link to some talking points from which you can copy and paste to create your own messages. Emails should be kept short to prevent them from being rejected by automated electronic filtering! Please remember that your own names and addresses must be included with any messages that you send. I am sorry this is happening on such short notice. It’s the way things are when our adversaries control the legislative process! We can still win this battle though; but only if we all pitch in right now and make our voices heard to these senators by noon, this Monday! Thanks for whatever you can do to help!
They have studies up the Wazo that Small mining dredging actually cleans the gravel, cleans the Mercury from natural and historical deposits,
It’s good for fish and spawning beds. And it helps local economies.
If you have access to a Fax….pop off a short missive.It is very important to get as much support on the opposition of this bill. A simple phone call to your state Senator informing him or her that you oppose SB 670.
Is all you need to do.To move previously mined gold as collectible specimens is an acceptable practice for any mine to gain cash revenue in down times. But in today’s market, I don’t think it’s reasonable to expect these treasures to move at eight times (8x) the spot price. I realize some of these examples have added values due to their art appeal, gross size, sculpted beauty and historical provenance, but you may want to reassess their price points objectively. I too believe you’re “sitting on a gold mine” and wish the best of times for the 16-to-1. I additionally hope your other funding connections materialize so you can get back underground. 🙂
To the board:
Here’s a good example of what happens when outstanding debt starts to consume a mining company:
Van Sun/Reuters say Teck to sell Hemlo interest
2009-02-23 08:54 ET – In the News
Also In the News (C-ABX) Barrick Gold Corp
The Vancouver Sun reports in a Reuters dispatch Saturday that Teck Cominco has agreed to sell its 50-per-cent share of the Hemlo gold operations to joint-venture partner Barrick Gold. The unbylined item says the sale is part of a plan to raise cash and pay down debt. Teck will sell its share of the operation — located in Western Ontario — for $65-million (U.S.). Barrick, the world’s largest gold producer, already owns 50 per cent of Hemlo. Vancouver-based Teck cut costs and began selling assets late last year to pay down billions of debt taken on to finance last year’s $13-billion (U.S.) takeover of Fording Canadian Coal Trust. It agreed to sell its Lobo-Marte gold project in Chile in November and has said its other gold assets would be the first (to) be divested.
We need to turn the gold specimen collection into cash and pay off our debt. Does the board not understand that the whole country is in financial crisis and with our debt we classify as being in line for extended financial trouble going forward?
If the continuing delay in liquidating the collection continues, will someone from the board please inform us how that delay works in our favor?
Bluejay, get a grip! I cannot fault you but please, doom and gloom is selling news casting across the world. I understand your concern. Our finances, our mines and operations are utterly unlike those companies you cited below. The only thing we have in common is we all are gold producers. These companies are selling their mines. Oh how sad for their owners. We are marketing our gold collection not the gold mines.
Our debt can be handled from sales of previously mined gold. Another solid funding possibility is maturing right now that is attractive for working capital and our future. Readers of this FORUM must rest. Doomsday is not in our future. That people with useless money sitting around in lackluster investments who know of the real gold opportunities at the Sixteen to One mine may still be on the sidelines as currencies decline in purchasing power is sad. We (shareholders) are not on the sidelines of the interest in gold. Time will measure the degree of our success as we work towards securing the right funds for the mine. Take a breath. Everyone is having a Tsunami at this moment. Gold is there in our ground, lots of it. We just need to get it. A very competent group of people advises the Sixteen to One.I don’t know if the idea’s been tossed around, but has anyone considered contacting the Smithsonian about publishing a story on the collection and its sale?
Unfortunately one of the most compelling stories to unfold over this century concerning the mine was the politically motivated “assassination” of justice perpetrated by the CDAA and subsequently railroaded through by the courts, all of which “impacted” (a most understated description) the momentum of mining.
I don’t advocate or suggest this be the focus for a story in the Economist…maybe they’ll discover it here.
Anyway, instead let’s do the metal detector angle, and show their impact when initially introduced underground, highlighting the potential that still exists in virgin ground.
Some ideas for an Economist story:
o Historic ties to the gold rush live on in a quaint byway;
o True believers have kept the small operation going even while gold mining has become an industry of massive scale in most places;
o When found, the mine’s deposits are so remarkable as to be of fairy-tale quality;
o There’s doubtless more to be produced, although it is a classic hit or miss proposition;
o The mine’s operators are puzzling over what they can do to attract more capital from investors to continue the search.As a fellow Economist reader, it seems to me that the magazine will want to make such a piece seem quirky or a bit humorous, but that shouldn’t detract from its ability to get the story out.
Yes to your thoughts that exposure is a vital goal for the mine to get working capital and get back into gold production. Exposure has many forms. First, whom are we trying to reach? You guys figure out eBay, I do not have the background. With the gold collection it includes philanthropists (people serious about historical maintenance, education, art, nature and the preservation of something beautiful, rare and worthy) individuals with disposable wealth, adventurers, visionaries (people who can turn this great collection into a money making, touring display.
The biggest goal is finding people who either recognize or may recognize the tremendous investment gains that will follow the implementation of our working plans, who also have a risk/reward mentality and the currency and guts to check us out. Maybe they are philanthropists or opportunists, greedy or fearful of the expectations of future economic trends; but it makes no difference in the ultimate success of becoming a player with the Sixteen to One mine and company. We will package a program that addresses risk/reward. Our plans are well thought out, practical no matter how the global economy treats gold and realistic in application. There are millions of ounces of gold still deposited in our mines
To this end, I want your input and will explain. At the encouragement of a caring friend, I wrote The Economist magazine for its advertising rates. Wow! Rates are very very expensive and completely out of touch. Why not a story instead? Below are my letter to the west coast editor and her reply. Your request is to write reasons or areas of interest or as she asks, “What do you think the most fascinating story angles are?”
The Economist has 1,400,000 subscribers worldwide with 750,000 in the United States. The angle should appear to its worldwide readers. I have lost confidence in the good old fashion of gut level investment capabilities of Americans. We are so over sold on the dollar that we do not see beyond its predictable slide. Send me an email if you want or post it under this topic.
January 8, 2009
To: A. S. K.The New York office gave me your email address so I could present a topic of interest for The Economist readers. I am a long time subscriber of The Economist and value it as a top source of objective information. My business for the past thirty years is in the Gold Sector, an investment and business sector that rarely makes your magazine. I actually am a Californian gold miner, president of the oldest US gold mining company and the longest producer of gold in America. Also we are rather small, sometimes called a boutique operation, which I used to think was odd but have learned to embrace its meaning.
I won’t begin to detail why I am positive that your readers will appreciate and find interesting and useful an article in an upcoming Economist. But I would like you to accept an invitation from me to check out this most unusual gold operation.
The mine is about two hours from Sacramento going towards Nevada City, then north towards Downieville. Gold is a topic of interest now because of the financial turmoil and uncertainties associated with all currencies throughout the world. I believe you will find several stories here in Alleghany that your readers will devour with relish. Also many good people will be stepping into gold in the coming months and years and unfortunately many will make tragic financial mistakes that should be avoided.
I would enjoy showing you or your designee this California gold operation and discuss other points of interest in the important Gold Sector of business. My phone number is (530) 287-3223.
Sincerely,
Michael M. MillerJanuary 12, 2009 (answer)
Dear Michael,This does indeed sound fun, and I’d like to visit some time. Unfortunately it can’t be very soon, because I’m rather backlogged and you seem to be quite out of the way. (Could you give me an address for Google Maps so that I can plot some drive times?)
I’ll add you to my planning list.
In the mean time, do you want to email me about 100 words about what you think the most fascinating story angles are?
Connecting gold to the gold rush is certainly always fun.
Regards, A.S.K.All good ideas Rick. I am in agreement with keeping a presence on eBay for the mine. at least have something running every other week or so. I was happy about the one sale on eBay and the interest in the specimens in general. I was on the otherhand quite surprised the RM piece didn’t sell. That piece felt to me to have a higher perceived value and was unique in its offering of part art and part gold. Also, as for reserves, I too have found that running anything with a reserve tends to scare off bidders. Personally, I would have listed these without any reserve and started the bidding at $1. The trick to eBay is to start a “frenzy” and attract attention to the auction by a high percentage of bidders. A low starting price and no reserve gets everyone in the game thinking they will win the piece for a song. When in reality, when all is said and done, there are usually a couple bidders who will run it up to levels higher than expected. Granted, there is always the risk of the auction “dying” during the last day and the item selling for less, but I’d say 90% of the time I have been pleased with the results.
Listing the whopper is another tactic that could generate great interest in the mine. I’ll have to look into the cost of doing it though as eBay charges fairly high fees for expensive listings. I’m all for it though if the cost of parading such a fine example warrants the fees. I can discus this with MM off line. Getting in with the Bonhams folks is another good idea. The whopper would surely steel the show even if it didn’t sell. BUt there again, I don’t know what their “seller fees” are for taking on such a mammoth item worth over a million.
It’s time to head up a new topic. Ground-swell interest is building for all things gold, and OAu’s two recent offerings on eBay is a good start, yet only that. Maximum exposure for interest in the mine requires more than an occasional sale. We’ve watched the two eBay items this past week, one selling and one not.
I have a new suggestion: listing specimens on eBay should continue, but if there is to be a “reserve” let’s instead consider listing them with a starting bid that would be that reserve amount. It shows valuation from the start and eliminates the questions of what the mine figures is the correct scale for specimen gold.
If the point is exposure and not necessarily the sale, then let’s go BIG. List something so spectacular and high-end that people look at it for the novelty effect. Put the Whopper up for an outrageous price for that matter….people would talk for sure.
The recent Bonhams and Butterfield auction centered upon spectaular gold-quartz specimens from an old famous private collection of Original Sixteen to One pieces…I knew I’d want reference so I purchased a catalogue (beautiful 250+ page glossy color publication) and received the “prices realized” document after the auction closed. Very enlightening. The cover photo and presumed highlight of the auction was a 35.4 ozt crystalline specimen estimated at $100,000-$120,000; it didn’t sell but everyone sure knew about it.
The highlight and surprise sale was item #1293, a 36.7 ozt slickensides piece that although estimated at $60,000-$70,000 did meet a reserve and sold for $52,500.
The point I’m making isn’t necessarily the sale price or the estimated prices, but the exposure the whole concept received.
The mine should consider these avenues: (1) keep the eBay interest going, listing items on a weekly basis, perhaps a few with sacrafice “no-reserve-low-starting-bid” (which in my experience usually sell for higher amounts than those with reserves anyway), and then put up a MAXIMUM EXPOSURE item with an outrageous starting bid simply for show…after all, if it sells, the mine would be ahead of the game; (2) enter specimens into the next Bonhams natural history auction with the same objective; (3) remember the objective:
Obtain interest in working capital to go mining for the next generation of spectacular specimens through maximum exposure, while recognizing that the romantic past can and will repeat itself. that
I’m away from my desk for a few days. After I return back home I shall try and find out how gold-quartz slabs could be channelled into the jewelry trade over here in Europe.
Europe has a very positive attitude towards the incoming new President. Under US and California Law – would it be legally possible to mint some sort of gold-silver medal to commemorate the inauguration of the first black US-President on January 20, 2009? Such a medal could probably be marketed above daily metal market prices over here in Europe.
And the media hype around inauguration would create an ideal surrounding to collect orders – payable upon delivery.
Try going to a chat room where entries are kept chronologically. I lose all sense of continuity. If the Forum grew to 100 or more topics, the task of reading them or participating in a topic is like having a library without an index file, hard to keep reference material friendly. A decision was made to keep about 20 topics active, which is what we are doing. If no one adds to a topic, like the miners prayers, it may go into the misc. file.
We do our best to keep a sense of balance within the entries and rarely edit a writer’s entry. Actually the misc. is an interesting file to reread once in a while. The Forum had 30 topics. It looked like more would be coming in. Something had to be done. You will find very few Forums where a new reader can easily access old entries. We are always open to constructive suggestions for improvement. Please remember the stated intent of this Forum. Glad you care enough to write.
I think Rick has hit the nail on the head by using the word, EXPOSURE.
What the company has been lacking is positive exposure and what we have with oakrockranch’s efforts aided by his 100% perfect reputation as voted on by eBay users along with his masterful marketing efforts is a great start in improving the company’s exposure to some degree.
It’s an exciting beginning plus it’s also an important step in the right direction.
What we have as shareholders is the ownership of possibly the best high grade gold exploration targets in the world. If we continue to market our potential with our past produced products it may very well help to stir up some interest for some outside investment capital.
I know issuing certificates of authenticity to origin of the offered specimens is a benefit to marketing but how about a grading service putting their stamp of authenticity on the specimens concerning eye appeal and rarity or whatever?
There is an outstanding grading service presently operating in Newport Beach, California by the name PCGS. Originally they were a coin grader and they are currently the most respected one in the industry. I have noticed that they are doing other collectibles lately and wonder if oakrockranch might consider contacting them to see if they have ever thought about grading specimens or would even consider entering the graded specimen field?
Wouldn’t it be positive for the company to have their specimens graded by a reputable grading service and eliminate all the unknowns that a prospective might have which might tend to make that person reluctant as a buyer?
PCGS’s graded coins have eliminated all the unknowns concerning condition, rarity and authenticity and as a result they are bought and sold usually sight unseen. They trade like stock certificates would on stock exchanges and in the OTC markets.
Maybe Hans might have some ideas on possible ways in marketing our jewelry and specimens in Europe. Ever since Hans has joined in on the forum my spirits concerning the company have been lifted.
Thanks for your support Bluejay, as well as from other parties. I too think it is the right step to “expose” the company and its assets. Albeit a small one on eBay, with repetition we could be on to something. Even a simple step of directing consumers to origsix.com in the text is a benefit of running these auctions. You never know who may see these and drill deeper to discover what the 16 to 1 has to offer.
A future step would be to prepare some on line banner ads on “gold” sites that would provide a direct link to the 16 to 1. With the addition of a new landing page that explains in layman’s terms just what is happening and what opportunities exist for investors.
Bluejay’s idea of grading gold specimens is quite sound in theory. I’ll contact PCGS to see if they would be interested in such a service. I think having a third party grade each specimen would bring a whole new level of confidence in buying on line. I see so many crappy pieces of arsenopyrite or other “low-grade” examples on eBay that have been cleverly photographed to appear more golden, hoping to attract innocent buyers. If we introduced a solid grading profile that indicated purity, weight, etc we’d be far better than any other specimen merchant, and thus garner the highest prices and repeat customers.
I find most 16 to 1 gold specimens by using advanced search and typing, Alleghany California. Not that I’m looking for gold specimens. I look for anything to do with Alleghany.
If you’re looking for the best category to list specimens, look at what everybody else is doing and do it, too. Use every possible descriptive word that you can in the title, just in case someone is only searching titles and not the descriptions. I think if someone is serious about finding a good specimen on ebay, they will find it!!!
I see that the same three bidders are after the two specimens that are listed.
Maybe I should list a specimen from the Osceola and see what happens.It took awhile to find the specimens in my normal catagory searches. I usually look under “gold specimen” or “gold quartz” where most listing are found. After using the advanced search method and entering the item number I found them.
I suggest expanding the listing catagories to include both “gold specimen” and “gold quartz” in addition to the current “precious metals.” We’d get a much broader and complete base attention.
Excellent photos and presentation!!!! Now let’s use all our resources to achieve maximum exposure.
Good points on the listing categories Rick, although every segment does add more cost to the auctions themselves. I’ll consider that next time around. The good news is I just looked again this morning, and item #150318914223 has already met reserve. Thanks for watching. 🙂
Just letting you all know, I have posted two auctions of the specimens Michael sent me. They are running live on eBay right now and can be found under the following item numbers: 150318914223 and 150318914539. Get the word out and let’s bid up these beauties!
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