Adam Koch - Gold Prospecting & Placer Deposits: Finding Gold Made Simpler

By Adam Gregory Koch

Copyright 2013 Adam Gregory Koch

First Smashwords Edition

Published By Adam Gregory Koch

All rights reserved.

This book is dedicated to the legacy and heritage ofprospecting so that it may be embraced and continue to be passeddown through our generations that it shall not perish from thisearth so that it will be preserved for posteritys sake and allowfor our generations of youth to be able to experience andunderstand our heritage first hand

I cannot in good conscience dedicate this book,without paying respect to those who have tragically lost theirlives above and below ground doing that job which is necessary touphold any level of civilization beyond the most primitive Whetherit be from Indian attacks on their way to the gold fields duringour westward expansion, or cave-ins and fires underground in recenthistory These people have earned a place among our honored dead assurely as our most valiant of heroes

While no longer are prospectors attacked by Indians,there are those who have sacrificed all in courts of law to upholdand defend that freedom which we have; to mine and prospect; whichis at constant risk of being destroyed by mindless regulationsimposed by the minority elite and the lawsuit happy specialinterest groups

That the 1872 mining laws be not repealed, but rathersupported and embraced as they are the only federal laws on thebooks that grant us, as citizens of the United States, the right toclaim minerals on federal lands which are owned by we the peoplebut held in trust by our government Rights that only largenational mining companies can enjoy in many parts of the world andare too precious to be thrown away It is what throughout Americanhistory has generated prosperity where there otherwise would benone

May it never be forgotten that where one singlefreedom or liberty is trampled and torn asunder regardless of whatthat freedom is, we are all irreparably harmed and the torch ofliberty begins to fade even further away into the depths ofdarkness and despair To quote Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Bewarehow you take away hope from any human being.

I have very large ideas of the mineral wealth of ourNation. I believe it practically inexhaustible. It abounds all overthe western country, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific, andits development has scarcely commenced. Immigration, which eventhe war has not stopped, will land upon our shores hundreds ofthousands more per year from overcrowded Europe. I intend to pointthem to the gold and silver that waits for them in the West. Tellthe miners from me, that I shall promote their interests to theutmost of my ability; because their prosperity is the prosperity ofthe Nation, and we shall prove in a very few years that we areindeed the treasury of the world.

President Abraham Lincoln

Message for the miners of the west, communicatedverbally to Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax by PresidentLincoln on April 14th 1865, before his visit to Fords Theater, andthe speech was delivered by Schuyler Colfax in Denver Colorado onMay 27th 1865 via a speech to a large crowd.

Anyone who knows the history and our heritage knowshow prophetic Lincolns words were with all the major gold rushesand mineral discoveries, and that the importance of mineral wealthand mining to any nation, especially ours, cannot be denied nordestroyed without great consequences to our standard of living andprosperity: For without mining and minerals we would be reduced tothat of a third world nation.

Special thanks to my best friends who have helped meregain my motivation, that I can once again see light at the end ofthe tunnel, and continue to write and publish.

Thanks also to all the rest of my friends

Even though I barely hear from most of youanymore

I should extend my gratitude to President Obama forthe bad job market:

Otherwise I probably would have found a job and notbecome an author!

The time has come to write and publish therevised and expanded edition of Gold Prospecting & PlacerDeposits. Even though it was the Authors best seller so far in itsold edition, it was never viewed by the author as complete. It wasa learning process in the realm of writing and publishing and a lotof progress has been made in regards to quality control andcontent. With two additional books under the Authors belt (Coin& Bullion Scams Exposed, and Video Poker Profits from theGround Up as seen on the last page of this book), it is time toturn this into a quality publication to ensure customersatisfaction and finally release it in paperback for the firsttime.

So, what is new in this edition? More detailsand information for the whole spectrum of prospecting aimed atbeing a primer for beginners, and the somewhat experienced alike.From how to use a gold pan and set up a sluice box, tointroductions on mining claims and the basics behind staking andowning them. How to find places you can prospect is also covered.Even how to sell your gold and minerals is covered! Hopefullynothing of importance has been left out, some of it may be quitegeneral, but it goes into depth where most needed and care wastaken to maintain simplicity so that even someone who has neverprospected before can learn how!

There is no book in the world that can leadyou to the vast riches still buried in the ground. Even if you hada map telling you where a fortune in gold can be found, it is ofsuch a nature that you can literally be inches away from millionsof dollars and never know it especially in hard rock mining. Withplacer mining, you know if there is gold there you can keep digginguntil you reach it, and if you dont hit it, you have to startdigging somewhere else. This is why people have started going backinto mines with metal detectors and scan the walls of the tunnels.Of course, not all mines are in rock formations conducive to theformation of native gold, and in a lot of cases any gold present isnot in visible quantities. Only an assay can tell you what you haveand how much you have. If you glance at a rock and see some gold,sure it is rich ore, but a little bit will look like millions ofdollars to the untrained eye. Many miners have bought up a goldmine assuming to make their riches and went bust. This isnt tomean you cant make a fortune mining gold, you just have to goabout it the right way.

Gold prospecting is not a get rich quickscheme, nor is staking mining claims a way to grab land from thegovernment, contrary to popular myth. It doesnt matter who owns aclaim, if it is unpatented anyone can fish there, or hike there, orcamp there. It does not give you exclusive use of the land. Onlythe minerals present. However, you are allowed to keep people outof areas that are directly being affected by your mining activitiesto keep not only yourself but passers through safe from harm. Asfor prospecting and locating claims: It takes time and experiencenot just on the computer or in the libraries doing research in theoff season, but you can read and talk about it all you want butwithout having practical field experience you will never developyour prospecting skills. It is something you only get proficient atby doing.

When I started out some 17 years ago with ashovel and a pan, I only knew some of the basics: That I had tokeep digging and panning until I found gold and once I did, to keepdigging there. Every shiny speck I seen I thought might be gold. Itwasnt until I actually had gold in my pan that I knew itunmistakably was gold. If you have any doubts what you are lookingat is gold, it probably is not gold. I have a passion forprospecting. The gold is only the fringe benefit. The search for itis its own reward and is what keeps driving and fueling my passion.I know a lot of people who only see the dollar signs and getdiscouraged and quit when they are unable to make bank on it. Thatis not the mark of a successful prospector. Dedication, and apositive outlook and attitude will ensure your success. Even whenothers say there is no gold in an area.