Gold and Minerals Part I
276. Alaska. Gold. Alaska Placer Gold Nuggets. Lot of 2 gold nuggets. The two nuggets are indicative of the type of gold nuggets for which the miners flocked not only to California, but Alaska, Australia, Nevada and other famous gold rush areas. These are rounded on corners and differ greatly from specimen pieces. Weight: 0.36 oz troy. Est. $100-250
277. Alaska. Kuskokwim River. Kuskokwim River Gold. Alaska has produced well over 950 metric tonnes of gold since lode and placer began in the mid-1890's. This bright, stream-worn, crystallized gold nugget is part of the Alaskan bounty. It was found in the Kuskokwim River (Alaska's second longest river). The gold production from the Kuskokwim region began in 1908. Gold production from the Kuskokwim region from 1908 to 1960 totaled 640,084 ounces, 94% of which came from placer deposits. Very nice nugget. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 6.8 grams, 31mm x 12mm x 4mm. Est. $200-350
278. Alaska. Rampart. Gold nuggets. Lot of 2. 10mm x 5mm each. One weighs 1.20 gm and the other 1.11 gm. Nuggets rounded, elongate, one heart-shaped, one with some white quartz included. Moderately bright gold. Est.$50-150
279. Alaska. Rampart. Gold Nuggets. Lot of 2. 15 x 6mm, weighing 1.52 gm and 11 x 5mm weighing 1.10 gm. Moderately bright gold, flattened nuggets. Est. $50-150
280. Australia. Western Australia. Day Dawn Mine Gold Quartz. Discovery of major alluvial and lode gold deposits during the late 1880's and early 1890's caused a series of gold rushes to various parts of the state of Western Australia. Annual gold production from Western Australia reached its peak in 1903 when the state produced over 2,000,000 ounces. Production from major goldfields like Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie, Dundas, Murchison, Marble Bar, and Nullagine have made the state of Western Australia the nations leading gold producer since 1897. This specimen exhibits bright, crystallized gold in a quartz matrix. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 121.0 grams. 50mm x 40mm x 35mm. Est. $800-1600
281. Bolivia. La Paz. Bolivian Leaf Gold in Quartz. Gold occurs as an accessory mineral in many of the tin-silver deposits of Bolivia. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 3.2 grams . 20mm x 20mm x 9mm. Est. $25-50
282. California. Calaveras. Calaveras County Gold. A cluster of bright, skeletal octahedral gold crystals. Largest individual being approximately 4mm on edge. 4.6 grams, 20mm x 10mm x 6mm. Est. $125-250
283. California. Calaveras: Calaveras County Gold: In 1849, a placer gold deposit was discovered in Calaveras County along Carson Creek, a Tributary of the Stanislaus River in the Mother Lode District. A year later, on Carson Hill, above the placer deposit an extremely rich gold-quartz lode deposit was found. This important discovery and others in the area precipitated a rush to the county and the town of Melones was founded. Lode mining in Calaveras County from 1880 through 1960 yielded over 2 million ounces of gold. Since its beginning in 1849, it is estimated that placer gold mining produced nearly 3 million ounces. The state of California has yielded a tremendous bounty of gold. The famous California gold rush, touched off by the discovery of placer gold in El Dorado County in 1848, accelerated a migration of hearty souls to California (and the entire mountain west region) that changed the course of American history. From 1848 through 1965 over 106 million ounces of gold were produced in California. Gold mining continues today in California, but, the historically important placer and lode gold mines have been largely replaced by large open pit, heavy leach mining operations which are now processing huge volumes of sulfide and oxide ores to recover gold. The famous Mother Lode Gold Belt, as well as the East Gold Belt and West Gold Belt which bracket the Mother Lode, extend for over 120 miles through the Sierra Nevada geomorphic province. This 120 mile long series of gold-bearing quartz veins and mineralized schist/greenstone extends through Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Counties. California's gold production is not limited, however, to the Mother Lode district. Significant quantities of gold have been mined in 41 of California's 58 counties. In fact, the Grass Valley-Nevada City District, which lies outside of the Mother Lode district has produced well over 12.6 million ounces of gold. Many of the world's finest crystallized gold specimens and spectacular gold nuggets have been found in the lode mines and placer gold deposits of California. (Ref: Principal Gold-Producing Districts of the United States-USGS Professional Paper 610, Koschmann and Bergendahl, 1968). This piece is a crystallized gold specimen featuring a combination of very bright, sharp octahedral to slightly skeletal octahedral gold crystals along with tightly packed dendritic gold crystals. The largest of the individual octahedral crystals being 4mm across and the majority being 1mm across. Superb. 8.9 grams, 26mm x 25mm x 5mm. Est. $1000-1500
284. California. El Dorado. El Dorado County Gold: The California Gold Rush was precipitated by news of the discovery of gold in 1848 by James Marshall at Coloma, on the south fork of the American River, El Dorado County. Thousands of prospectors descended upon El Dorado County and in the 1850's it was one of the most populous areas of the state. Placer deposits started the gold rush, but, lode discoveries in quartz veins, contact metamorphic deposits, and replacement deposits within the Mother Lode, East Belt and West Belt prolonged gold exploration in the County. Gold production data for the period of 1848 to 1880 is unavailable, but, from 1880 to 1960 over 1.25 million ounces of gold were produced. This piece consists of a bright cluster of platy gold crystals, which exhibit an unusual pseudohexagonal habit and have beautiful triangle-shaped growth features on their surfaces. Super. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.6 grams, 29mm x 16mm x 5mm. Est. $900-1600
285. California. El Dorado. Forest Hill. Forest Hill Gold Quartz. An aesthetic cluster of sharp, bright gold crystals on quartz matrix. The specimen exhibits several different habits of gold crystallization including skeletal, deformed octahedral gold crystals and branching arborescent crystals. Super piece. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 17.5 grams, 25mm x 40mm x 15mm. Est. $650-1300
286. California. General Gold on Bull Quartz. Attractive specimen with gold around and atop bull quartz. Weight: 0.08 troy oz. 16mm length x 13mm wide x 12mm tall. There is one quartz crystal that is in a crystal shape with the classic "pyramid" shape on one end. Unmounted. Est. $100-200 Weber
287. California. General Gold on Bull Quartz. One side of this specimen is mostly gold covered. The other side shows the bull quartz matrix. The quartz is in rough crystal form showing its classic hexagonal shape. 22mm length x 16mm wide x 10 mm tall. Gold is slightly dulled by a hematite stain in places. Weight: 0.10 oz troy. Est. $100-300
288. California. General Gold on White Bull Quartz. A classic specimen of gold stringers through quartz. Pieces like this fed the gold frenzy of the Western States Gold Rushes. Bright gold is embedded within and atop white quartz. 22mm length x 10mm wide x 8mm tall. Weight: 0.14 oz troy. Est. $75-100
289. California. General. California Gold. Moderately lusterous, leaf gold with minor quartz association. 0.5 grams, 14mm x 13mm x 6mm. Est. $25-50
290. California. Mariposa. French Creek. French Creek Gold. Mariposa is the southernmost of the Mother Lode counties. Gold production from the period of 1880 to 1960 was approximately 2.15 million ounces; with roughly 25% of the production total coming from placer deposits and 75% being recovered from lodes. This specimen is a tightly packed group of bright, wire gold crystals. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.5 grams, 12mm x 8mm x 5mm. Est. $25-50
291. California. Mariposa. Gold & Quartz Specimen. Crystalline gold & white quartz sections from the Colorado Quartz mine. This choice piece resembles a portrait of a Scottish Terrier and displays nicely. The specimen consists of poorly formed elongated, twined octahedrons. This mine is a very famous gold specimen-producing locality, nestled in Mariposa County, Cal, and has produced some of the finest crystallized gold specimens in the world. Few pieces have come out in the last 10 years, as production has been minimal. 5x3x1.5cm, 30.8 grams. Est. $750-1500
292. California. Mariposa. Sherlock Creek. Diltz Mines Checks. Lot of 8 unissued checks, and Time Cards (33), dated April 4 to 17, 1936. Unissued checks, dated 193x, 6 1/2 x 8 1/2 , black print on blue safety print, on the Bank of America, Mariposa, CA branch. Time Cards, black print on white paper form, pencil and ink entries for miners, 8 x 11. Bound in manila folder. Also attached, sheet with list of 18 employees, and their meal charges for 3 meals per day. Miners wages are shown as $4.00 per shift ($0.50/hr) for mucking and tramming, $4.50 per shift for hoistman, $5.00 per shift for mining & timbering, $6.00 per shift for mill man. The Diltz Mine, located at Sherlock Creek, was discovered in the 1860's and operated intermittently until about 1952, and was still listed in 1957. In the early 1930's several large masses of almost pure crystallized gold valued at $7 to $10.5 thousand each were found. The total production is estimated at between $750,000 to $1 million. All in very fine condition, with some foxing and tears. [Ref: California Gold Camps, p.317]. Est. $25-75
293. California. Mariposa. Sherlock. Diltz Mines Book of Purchase Orders, 1934-1937. 697 pages. Purchase order forms black print on yellow paper, 7 x 11. Typed carbon copy purchase orders for mine parts and supplies. Orders for camp groceries, powder, carbide, drafting paper and ink, and all manner of items required to operate the mine and mill. See above for description of mine. Est. $100-300
294. California. Mono County. Golden Eagle Mine Gold Quartz. Commercial gold mining began in Mono County in 1860. From 1880 to 1960, nearly 1.2 million ounces of gold were produced in Mono County. Most of the production was from lode mines in the Bodie district, but, small amounts of placer gold were mined near the headwaters of the Walker River, Virginia Creek, Dog Creek and at Bodie Digging, north of Mono Lake. This specimen is a plate of stream-rounded gold crystals, with very minor quartz grains trapped by the gold. Some iron oxide staining present on the specimen. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 6.5 grams, 25mm x 16mm x 3mm. Est. $175-350
295. California. Nevada. Drilling Bar Mine Gold Quartz. A spongy mass of gold which has been acid-etched from the encasing quartz vein material. Nice. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 10.5 grams, 28mm x 20mm x 10mm. Est. $300-600
296. California. Nevada. Drilling Bar Mine Gold Quartz. Acid-etching of the encasing quartz vein material has exposed a halo of sponge gold around a central core of etched quartz. Attractive. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 75.9 grams, 67mm x 40mm x 22mm. Est. $700-$1400
297. California. Nevada. Drilling Bar Mine Gold Quartz. An attractive specimen of sponge gold which has been acid-etched from its quartz vein rock. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 60.0 grams. 44mm x 33mm x 20mm. Est. $700-1400
298. California. Nevada. Drilling Bar Mine Gold Quartz. Specimen features bright, skeletal crystals of gold which have been acid-etched from the encasing quartz vein material. Nice. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 13.4 grams, 25mm x 20mm x 10mm. Est. $500-1000
299. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grass Valley Gold Quartz. A mass of sponge gold on quartz matrix, sizing at 3.5 x 2.0 x 0.7 cm. Minor sulfide mineralization observed within the gold and matrix rock. Attractive. Ex-F. J. Barlow Collection. 42.6 grams, 34mm x 45mm x 15mm. Est. $500-900
300. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grass Valley Gold. A cluster of very sharp, lustrous, skeletal octahedral gold crystals; with individual crystals to 3mm. Excellent piece. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 7.8 grams, 20mm x 13mm x 9mm. Est. $500-1000
301. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grass Valley Gold. A razor-sharp, lustrous crystallized gold specimen from Grass Valley, California. The largest crystal being a 5mm octahedron. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.5 grams, 18mm x 10mm x 5mm. Est. $1000-2000
302. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. Grass Valley Gold. A superb cluster of bright, platy gold crystals. Largest individual crystal measuring 1cm across. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 3.1 grams, 33mm x 13mm x 1.5mm. Est. $450-900
303. California. Nevada. Grass Valley. New York Hill Mine Gold Quartz. Total gold production in Nevada County from 1850 to 1960 was approximately 17 million ounces. Both placer and lode mining operations in the county have been significant producers of gold. The most important gold producing district in Nevada County, and among the largest lode gold producing deposits in the United States, is the Grass Valley-Nevada City District. Gold mining began in Nevada County in 1850, when gold-rich gravels were discovered near the present site of Nevada City. In October of 1850, the first lode deposit was discovered in the county at Gold Hill which is on the outskirts of what is now the town of Grass Valley. Lode mining was not economically successful in the early years of the district. Placer mining and the working of gold-rich Tertiary gravels by hydraulic methods was the preferred method of gold recovery.
By 1867, however, 1600 men were working the lode mines and running stamps to crush the lode ore. Production from the Grass Valley-Nevada City District during the period 1850 to 1960 is estimated at 2.2 million ounces of placer gold and 10.4 million ounces of lode gold.
This piece is a very attractive specimen of plate gold on quartz matrix. Several small octahedral gold crystals are observed growing among the plates. Minor sulfide mineralization present in the quartz. The specimen was acquired by the American Museum of Natural History, New York from the Foote Mineral Company, Philadelphia in April of 1916. Specimen comes with a label and a photocopy of the inventory file card from the A.M.N.H. - Specimen #G18190. Also included is a specimen label from Lawrence H. Conklin, a New York mineral dealer, who acquired the specimen from the A.M.N.H. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. This specimen was described in detail in the book on the F. John Barlow Mineral Collection, SANCO Publishing, 1996, Chapter 7, Page 192. 176.7 grams, 85mm x 65mm x 40mm. Est. $4500-7000
304. California. Nevada. Nevada City. Nevada City Gold Calcite. A specimen of leaf gold from the important Nevada City mining area. The leaf gold is associated with vein-filling calcite. 5.3 grams, 23mm x 11mm x 12mm. Est. $125-250
305. California. Nevada. Nevada City. Nevada City Gold. Lustrous leaf gold with some platy gold crystals. 2.0 grams, 15mm x 13mm x 6mm. Est. $75-150
306. California. Nevada. Nevada County Gold Quartz. Specimen features numerous, bright gold leaves rising from a milky quartz matrix rock. Several euhedral crystals of arsenopyrite are present on the specimen. Super piece. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 43.1 grams, 40mm x 35mm x 27mm. Est. $1500-3000
307. California. Nevada. Washington. Red Ledge Mine Gold Quartz. An attractive, bright cluster of gold dendrites and sharp euhedral gold crystals rising up from a crystalline quartz matrix. Primary cluster of gold crystals measures 20mm tall x 10mm wide. Excellent specimen. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 15.1 grams, 20mm x 42mm x 10mm. Est. $750-1500
308. California. Nevada. Washington. Red Ledge Mine Gold Quartz. Specimen features an aesthetic group of lusterous, sharp dendritic gold crystals on an iron-stained quartz matrix. Primary dendritic group measures 23mm tall x 10mm wide. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 9.8 grams, 20mm x 42mm x 12mm. Est. $1000-2000
309. Cal/Nev/Wash. Red Ledge Mine Gold Quartz: The Red Ledge gold mine is located on the eastern side of the Melones fault zone-serpentine belt in central Nevada County. Gold was discovered at the site in 1907. The mine has produced crystallized gold, rich sulfide gold ore which assayed at several thousands of dollars per ton, and interestingly chrome ore (chromite). Over the years, the mine has produced numerous, large, spectacular crystallized gold specimens. Many of these large, crystallized gold specimens (some as large as a man's forearm) have been preserved in Natural History museums and in private mineral collections, worldwide. One Red Ledge mine gold specimen, worthy of mention, was displayed at the 1950 California State Fair. It is described as being a 18 tall feather of gold on quartz/gold matrix rock. The feather was composed of overlapping leaves of gold which were laced around the edges by sharp, mirror-bright gold crystals. This is a superb specimen of lustrous, leaf gold on crystallized quartz. Octahedral, flattened octahedral, and flattened pseudohexagonal gold crystals have developed at the edges of the leaves. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 8.5 grams ,48mm x 20mm x 10mm. Est. $2000-4000
310. Cal/Nev/Wash. Red Ledge Mine Gold. An attractive cluster of bright, platy gold crystals exhibiting a pseudohexagonal form. 2.4 grams, 31mm x 16mm x 1.5mm. Est. $300-600
311. California. Nevada. Yuba River Gold Quartz. A very aesthetic stream-rounded gold nugget with quartz. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 52.7 grams, 45mm x 27mm x 19mm. Est. $1000-2000
312. California. Placer. Gold. Platy Gold Crystals Cluster. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.0 grams, 18mm x 6mm x 4mm. Est. $300-500
313. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold Quartz. Two bright, octahedral, 4mm gold crystals on quartz matrix. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 17.0 grams, 23mm x 24mm x 17mm. Est.$75-150
314. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. A razor-sharp and very bright dendritic crystal group featuring several flatten octahedral gold crystal to 5mm. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.6 grams, 18mm x 15mm x 1.5mm. Est. $200-350
315. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. A sharp, bright dendritic floater crystal group composed of platy pseudohexagonal and octahedral crystals. Largest of the individual platy crystals is 6mm across. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 2.8 grams, 32mm x 13mm x 1.5mm. Est. $450-900
316. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. A sharp, bright dendritic floater crystal group featuring numerous flattened, skeletal octahedral gold crystals. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 2.0 grams, 25mm x 11mm x 1.5mm. Est. $150-300
317. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. A sharp and bright dendritic crystal group featuring a platy pseudohexagonal gold crystal and several large flattened octahedral crystals to 6mm across. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.2 grams, 21mm x15mm x 1mm. Est. $150-275
318. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. A sharp and bright dendritic crystal group featuring flattened octahedral and platy pseudohexagonal gold crystals. Individual crystals up to 5mm across. 2.0 grams. 26mm x 11mm x 1.5mm. $225-350
319. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. An aesthetic, razor-sharp, bright dendritic floater gold crystal group. Numerous flattened, euhedral gold crystals of varied forms, to 4mm across, terminate the dendritic growths. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 2.5 grams, 32mm x 15mm x 1.5mm. Est. $475-900
320. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. Placer County is chiefly known for its placer gold deposits. Gold was discovered in 1848 in Auburn Ravine. In the 1850's placer deposits in the American River and its tributaries were worked. Lode mining is centered primarily in the Ophir District, where 255,000 ounces of gold was produced from first discovery in 1867 to 1960. Total gold production for the county from 1880 to 1960 was in excess of 2 million ounces. During the decades of the 1980's and 1990's collectors of gold specimens have been treated to spectacular, new crystallized gold from the De Maria Mine in the Michigan Bluff District, Placer County. Hundreds of feet of drifts have been driven in an attempt to intersect clay-filled quartz pockets which contain the crystallized gold. Many of the gold specimens have been collected and carefully trimmed so that they retain some of the milky quartz matrix rock. Other gold crystal specimens are discovered suspended within the pocket clay, having no point of attachment to the matrix rock. These floater crystal groups often exhibit some of the finest crystal development. Crystal habits and forms from the De Maria mine include: dendritic, leaf, plate, octahedral and a variety of other euhedral crystal forms. The crystals typically have great luster and color. This piece is a very sharp, bright dendritic gold floater crystal group. Several flattened euhedral gold crystals are perched upon the dendrites. Nice. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.4 grams, 21mm x 13mm x 2mm. Est. $200-400
321. California. Placer. Michigan Bluff. De Maria Mine Gold. An aesthetic grouping of super lusterous and razor-sharp gold dendrites. More of a 3-dimensional arrangement than most. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 2.7 grams, 19mm x 12mm x 5mm. Est. $200-375
322. California. Placer. Placer County Gold Quartz. A group of leaf gold (16mm tall x 12 mm wide) growing from a large piece of milky quartz matrix. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 36.8 grams, 40mm x 40mm x 20mm. Est. $650-1,300
323. California. Sacramento. Sacramento. Gold Nugget Café/316-18/"K" St./Sac'to//GF/1.00/IT. Rd, brass, 31mm. Great name for gold aficionados. Vf. Toned. Est.$15-25
324. California. Sierra. Alleghany. 16 to 1 Mine Crystalline Gold Specimen. Nice 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" specimen of crystalline gold in bull quartz from the 16 to 1 mine near Nevada City, California. Mounted on 1-1/2" square lucite base. Est. $75-150
325. California. Sierra. Alleghany. 16 to 1 Mine Crystalline Gold Specimen Nice 3/4" x 1" specimen of crystalline gold in bull and crystalline quartz from the 16 to 1 mine near Nevada City, California. Mounted on 1-1/4" lucite base Est. $50-100
326. California. Sierra. Alleghany. 16 to 1 Mine Gold Quartz. Sierra County has two major-gold producing areas, the Alleghany and Downieville districts and the Sierra Buttes District. From 1880 through 1960, more than 2.2 million ounces of gold were recovered in Sierra County with most of the production coming from lode mines. The Sixteen to One gold mine is the most productive lode mine in the Alleghany district. Not known for exceptionally well crystallized gold, the 16 to 1 mine has produced attractive specimens featuring spongy gold in quartz. This piece is a spongy mass of gold aesthetically perched on a quartz matrix which has been acid-etched to expose the gold. Nice. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 17.9 grams, 30mm x 40mm x 13mm. Est. $325-600
327. California. Sierra. Alleghany. 16 to 1 Mine Gold Quartz. Spongy mass of gold which has been acid-etched from the encasing quartz vein material. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 53.3 grams, 39mm x 32mm x 16mm. Est. $225-400
328. California. Sierra. Alleghany. 16 to 1 Mine Gold Quartz. This specimen exhibits bright masses and veinlets of gold which have been randomly deposited in a fractured quartz matrix. Ex-F. J. Barlow Collection. 83.1 grams, 37mm x 35mm x 28mm. Est. $350-600
329. California. Trinity. Hayfork Area Gold Quartz. Mining of placer deposits in the Trinity River Basin began in the early 1850's. Gold production from the gravels of the Trinity River basin has exceeded 1.75 million ounces. The gold-bearing gravels are related to the erosion of the Klamath Mountains. This specimen is a very attractive gold nugget with quartz. One small euhedral crystal of quartz has been preserved between two waterworn gold crystals. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 26.1 grams, 28mm x 19mm x 15mm. Est. $650-1,200
330. Canada. Ontario. Timmins. Timmins Gold, Quartz. Timmins, Ontario, located 680 km north of Toronto, is a major mining center. Originally known for rich gold deposits. While still producing gold at reduced capacity, the primary metals being recovered from mining activities at Timmins today are copper and zinc. Timmins gold specimens were offered for sale to collectors at several major mineral shows in the United States during the mid to late 1980's. This attractive specimen features crystallized gold in a white quartz matrix with minor associated sphalerite. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 26.0 grams, 25mm x 33mm x 20mm. Est. $300-600
331. Chile. Antofagasta Province. Chuquicamata Lode Gold Cluster. Crudely formed, bright gold crystals from a lode gold deposit. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.1 grams, 9mm x 6mm x 3mm. Est. $25-50
332. Chile. Antofagasta Province. Chuquicamata. Chuquicamata Gold. A small, but, fine group of bright, well-formed gold crystals exhibiting a combination of the cubic and octahedral forms. The specimen has very minor quartz association. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 5.1 grams, 12mm x 9mm x 7mm. Est. $200-400
333. Chile. Antofagasta Province. Chuquicamata. Lode Deposit Gold. A small cluster of very sharp, bright gold crystals from a lode gold deposit. Under magnification, crystal surfaces exhibit interesting striations and other growth features. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. Chuquicamata is situated in the northeastern part of the Atacama desert. The area has been known since the 1400's as a copper producing deposit. Copper artifacts, which pre-date the Spanish conquest of the 1530's, have been found in graves of local Indians. It is estimated that by the year 2010, over 2.25 billion tons of 1% to 2% grade copper ore will have been produced from the Chuquicamata deposit. Gold, on the other hand, is considered to be very uncommon in the Chuquicamata area. 1.5 grams, 8mm x 5mm x 5mm. Est. $35-75
334. Chile. Copiapo. Mina La Farola Gold Paratacamite. Specimen features numerous small, bright leaves of gold (to 2.5mm across) that have crystallized upon fracture surfaces on a dark gray, weakly metamorphosed volcanic rock. Also occurring on the fracture surfaces, and occasionally underlying the gold is the green-colored copper mineral paratacamite. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 326.5 grams, 60mm x 60mm x 50mm. Est. $125-250
335. China. Guangxi Province. Yang Suo Mine. Green Pyromorphite Miniature Specimen. Located near Guilin. Candy-apple green in color, lustrous pyromorphite crystal sprays, growing on a rare and contrasting matrix of white quartz crystals. 6.5x6x3.5cm. Showy. Est. $150-200
336. China. Hunan Province. Yao Gan Xian Mine. Scheelite on Quartz Specimen. Displays a very aesthetic and unusual combination of 2 lustrous, root-beer colored, octahedral scheelite crystals poised on white prismatic quartz crystals. This specimen is from the rarer of the 2 known scheelite-producing mines in China. Location- Yao Gan Xian Mine, Hunan Province, China. 7x6x5cm. Est. $100-200
337. Colombia. San Cudo. Gold Limonite. A small specimen featuring crystallized wire gold, which has intergrown into an attractive mass. Minor amount of iron oxide (limonite) is adhering to the wire gold in several places. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.4 grams, 20mm x 15mm x 9mm. Est. $300-600
338. Colorado. Clear Creek. Idaho Springs. Dixie Mine Gold. A very aesthetic, small group of leaf gold from the Dixie. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 1.3 grams, 12mm x 14mm x 5mm. Est. $200-400
339. Colorado. Clear Creek. Idaho Springs. Dixie Mine Gold. Lot of 6 specimens. The Dixie Mine is located near Ute Creek, 5 miles south of Idaho Springs. The Dixie has produced very attractive gold specimens. The mine has produced wire gold, leaf gold, and gold crystals often occurring on a gray quartz matrix. Associated species include quartz, amethyst v. quartz, galena and sphalerite. This fine six specimen lot includes excellent examples of the leaf gold and platy gold crystals that occur at the Dixie. The specimens range from very lusterous to a more satiny luster, several of the specimens show an interesting iridescence on the tips and edges of some the leaves. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 4.9 grams total, 15mm x 5 mm x 1mm; 20mm x 8mm x 5mm; 8mm x 4mm x 1 mm; 15mm x 10mm x 4mm; 13mm x 11mm x 4mm; 13mm x 8mm x 2mm. Est. $650-1,150
340. Colorado. Summit. Breckenridge. Breckenridge District Gold. The Breckenridge District in Summit County, Colorado has produced some of the most spectacular crystallized gold specimens ever recovered. This specimen is a nice example of leaf gold from this important district. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 0.6 grams, 13mm x 11mm x 1mm. Est. $50-100
341. Colorado, Teller, Cripple Creek Gold. Calaverite, crystalline, with chalcedonic quartz on face of specimen, 50mm x 27mm x 22mm. Several crystals to 0.5mm x 1 mm. Est.$50-90
342. England. Devon. Hope's Nose. Hope's Nose Gold Calcite. While native gold has been reported to occur at numerous localities in the United Kingdom, specimen gold has rarely been found. The Hope's Nose deposit, a small surface locality with gold occurring in calcite veins that cut through a Devonian Limestone, has produced some fine crystallized gold specimens. 3 kilometers east of Torquay, the locality was worked for specimen gold in 1928-1929 and, again, for several years in the late 1970's. The locality is now closed to further specimen collecting as the deposit has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest where unauthorized collecting is illegal. (Ref: Mineralogical Record, Volume 18, Number 1, Pages 85-88) This specimen exhibits a dense growth of the delicate, arborescent gold crystals for which this locality has become famous. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 6.5 grams, 23mm x 24mm x 10mm. Est. $250-500
343. Georgia. Lumpkin. Boly Field Mine Gold in Hornblende Gneiss. The Boly Field mine was one of the richest lode gold mines of the Dahlonega district of Georgia. A small quartz lens, extremely rich with gold, was found at the locality within a hornblende gneiss during the early 1840's. Mining was conducted off and on at Boly Field until the mid-1930's. Associated species include pyrrhotite, allanite, ilmenite, apatite, and a bismuth telluride. Specimens definitely attributable to the Boly Field mine are extremely rare. (Ref: Mineralogical Record, Volume 18, Number 1, Page 68). A historically important gold specimen. This specimen was part of the mineral collection of Georges de La Bouglise, French mining engineer, until his death. The specimen was acquired by Albert C. Burrage of Boston, Massachusetts, at a public auction of Bouglise's Collection in December of 1911. In 1948, Burrage donated this specimen and his fabulous collection of gold specimens to the Harvard Mineralogical Museum. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. Nice showing of gold in matrix rock. 13.3 grams, 26mm x 20mm x 10mm. Est. $450-800
344. Hungary. Gold Leaf Quartz. Leaf gold on iron-stained quartz matrix. Ex-F.J. Barlow Collection. 17.3 grams, 31mm x 21mm x 16mm. Est. $125-250
345. Mexico. Zacatecas. San Martin Mine Silver. Silver and bornite, from underground mine, now operating at San Martin, western part of the state of Zacatecas, Mexico. Specimen is 11cm x 8.5cm x 4cm.Est.$60-80
346. Montana. American Saphire Co. Lot of 3 similar pcs. Cert #808, #791, 790. Incorporated in New York 1905. All issued to Gaylord Wilshire in 1907. All signed by J. M. Morrison president and J. Garvis treasurer. Vignette of four miners working underground. Brown border and underprint. All uncancelled. Printer - ABN. 7 x 11. G. W. Wilshire is the namesake of Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. One of the certificates has a black ink stain at upper right corner. The other two are extremely fine. Est. $300-500
347. Morocco. Tinighir. Imitir. Kongsbergite Silver. Large, thin slab of massive native silver with kongsbergite, finely crystalline. Specimen is 20cm x 6cm x 2-4mm thick, weighing 134.9gm. Est. $150-200
