cen1 Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hey guys. total newbie to the forum. I've talked to Rob a couple of times and am set on getting an exterra 705 real soon. I live in Western Pa along the Ohio line. I've been checking out a creek running through woods behind by house and have found very nice black sand and a small piece of quartz with a little gold on it. I've got a keene sluice and have made a nice self contained water recirculator with it. Am I just not in the right area to find quality gold? Would detecting help? I've got a GPAA chapter just about 10 miles away and they claim to have found gold on their property. I've just gotten started prospecting, but really don't want to waste time around my area if no real gold can be had. All comments welcome, you've got a great site guys, thanks!Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 There are some parts of Ohio with real fine sized glacial gold. Its pretty sparse and very vew pieces are large enough for a metal detector (even a VLF) to see. I'd say you are just not in a good part of the country for nuget detecting. Probably the best chance to find gold is in the form of jewelry at a park or school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrogMick Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 If you haven't seen it already this GPAA. Gold In Western PA! Lots of good info there and GPAA would probably be a good to join to see what's really up with prospecting in your area. There are 6 GPAA Chapters in PA so they must be finding something, the wives wouldn't let them old boys out of the house if they was just drinking beer and swapping lies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave wiseman Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Cen1,there probably is a Dept. of mines /or natural resources for Penn..check out that and any large university or public library...they would have reports and books on gold,also your local county historical society.Seems unlikely you find the only piece of quartz gold in the area ..where's the rest of it? Is it glacial gold?........Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianSF Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hi cen1-Another newbie here... A quick search at Google Books found this out-of-copyright text regarding gold in your area. Found in US Geological Survey Bulletin #59, dated 1889. You can probably find more at http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search by trying various keywaod searches "Pennsylvania" and "Gold".http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search------------------Found in the US Geological Survey Bulletin #59, dated 1889. GOLD NEAR THE GLACIAL MARGIN.A few words should be said respecting the frequent discovery of goldnear the glacial margin, since it is so often the cause of serious delusion.The whole region covered by my special investigations and lying west ofthe Blue Ridge in Pennsylvania, is covered with stratified deposits of theUpper Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous ages. So little disturbedare they that it would be hopeless to look for gold in them. The naturalexplanation, then, of finding gold any where in this region would be thatit was a part of the glacial transportation from the granitic region tothe north. I soon learned from experience that tho gold diggings weresure to be located near the glacial margin, where it might be supposedthat the till had been most weathered and washed, and which had,presumably, been skimmed from the disintegrated surface of the northernrocks on the first advance of the glacier over them. In this bordergold has been found frequently in quantities to repay a moderate expenditurein washing the gravel, but never in large quantities. I foundsuch deposits in Brown County, Indiana (and indeed in all the southeasterncounties of Indiana), in Brown, Clermont, Licking, and Knox Counties,Ohio, and in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania In all cases themdeposits are within the glacial boundary, and are near the glaciatedmargin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cen1 Posted July 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Hi cen1-Another newbie here... A quick search at Google Books found this out-of-copyright text regarding gold in your area. Found in US Geological Survey Bulletin #59, dated 1889. You can probably find more at http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search by trying various keywaod searches "Pennsylvania" and "Gold".http://books.google.com/advanced_book_search------------------Found in the US Geological Survey Bulletin #59, dated 1889. GOLD NEAR THE GLACIAL MARGIN.A few words should be said respecting the frequent discovery of goldnear the glacial margin, since it is so often the cause of serious delusion.The whole region covered by my special investigations and lying west ofthe Blue Ridge in Pennsylvania, is covered with stratified deposits of theUpper Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous ages. So little disturbedare they that it would be hopeless to look for gold in them. The naturalexplanation, then, of finding gold any where in this region would be thatit was a part of the glacial transportation from the granitic region tothe north. I soon learned from experience that tho gold diggings weresure to be located near the glacial margin, where it might be supposedthat the till had been most weathered and washed, and which had,presumably, been skimmed from the disintegrated surface of the northernrocks on the first advance of the glacier over them. In this bordergold has been found frequently in quantities to repay a moderate expenditurein washing the gravel, but never in large quantities. I foundsuch deposits in Brown County, Indiana (and indeed in all the southeasterncounties of Indiana), in Brown, Clermont, Licking, and Knox Counties,Ohio, and in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania In all cases themdeposits are within the glacial boundary, and are near the glaciatedmargin.Thanks so much IAN, I will check this out. Dave, I'm not sure if it's glacial gold, how can I tell. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave wiseman Posted July 30, 2009 Report Share Posted July 30, 2009 Scott,Is the quartz/and or the gold somewhat rough/Check with a loop....don't really know about glacial gold except what I've learned on the alaska gold forum,and a little I've read about.Seems most of the gold,if any would be very small and smooth from the glacial scouring over a long period of time.Can you post a photo of the quartz gold,or have someone do it for you......as I mentioned before get the mining/mineral reports from that county and state........Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cen1 Posted July 31, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Scott,Is the quartz/and or the gold somewhat rough/Check with a loop....don't really know about glacial gold except what I've learned on the alaska gold forum,and a little I've read about.Seems most of the gold,if any would be very small and smooth from the glacial scouring over a long period of time.Can you post a photo of the quartz gold,or have someone do it for you......as I mentioned before get the mining/mineral reports from that county and state........DaveDave, it's very rough, with a few very small smooth surfaces, I'll try to post it tomorrow.Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave wiseman Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Ha,ha,......might be getting interesting..very rough hasn't traveled far...keeping quiet about your find would be in your best interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[email protected] Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 Hey guys. total newbie to the forum. I've talked to Rob a couple of times and am set on getting an exterra 705 real soon. I live in Western Pa along the Ohio line. I've been checking out a creek running through woods behind by house and have found very nice black sand and a small piece of quartz with a little gold on it. I've got a keene sluice and have made a nice self contained water recirculator with it. Am I just not in the right area to find quality gold? Would detecting help? I've got a GPAA chapter just about 10 miles away and they claim to have found gold on their property. I've just gotten started prospecting, but really don't want to waste time around my area if no real gold can be had. All comments welcome, you've got a great site guys, thanks!ScottCen1, as a GPAA member and resident of western PA, I can in fact verify that the NW corner of PA has glacial gold deposits in the streams. The gold found in areas of Greenville (Mercer County) tend to be very fine glacial drift gold. Origin of the material is high in the canadian shield and was pushed down into the "Hogbacks" of the region during glacial periods. I found a few colors when i was first at the GPAA property in Greenville this past summer. It takes some work and a good spot to get, but it is there. HAving done some homework and personal surveying of the area, I have found several other streams in that area that produce as well. I found that streams that cut down to the light gray clay produce the best results. Look for low lying areas right after a sharp curve in the streams where the brown to gray border show. Also of note for the area are the many garnets that can be found in streams as well as very abundant fossils in the sedimentary rocks. Most gold found is of the very fine variety with lots of weathering. Tiny little balls of rolled gold are what i find. Nothing that a detector will pick up. Sluicing in a good area will give the best results. Please be aware of local laws concerning prospecting in PA waterways prior to breaking out big gear! Best of Luck!Rockhound Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jgold1 Posted June 26, 2021 Report Share Posted June 26, 2021 Is the presents of black sand always mean gold is near? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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