In July of 2001 I took a trip to Alleghany, CA, to tour the Original Sixteen to One gold mine. My friend and I had a great time visiting the mill buildings and processing plant and the extensive underground workings of this famous mine. In its long history this gold mine has produced over a million ounces of gold. The mine is currently in operation and is again producing some spectacular gold specimens. Shown above is one of the nice "little" gold samples that has been recently mined. (The Original Sixteen to One gold mine has their own web site. Go to their web site to learn more about the history of this mine and to view some of the "big" gold specimens that they have for sale). This specimen has not been treated with hydrofluoric acid to etch the gold from the surrounding quartz. What you see above is the native gold protruding from a natural quartz fracture face. There is more gold showing on the back side of this specimen, and "candling" with a bright light shows a good deal of gold still burried in the quartz matrix. Based on specific gravity, the people at the mine have determined that this specimen contains 0.074 troy ounces of gold. Although priced at several times the value of the gold content, this is a very attractive specimen from a famous Mother Lode mine. It would be a fine addition to any mineral collection. ( #M197, $80.00). BACK