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Alabama Gulch Gold Nugget. 3.5g, the "Saturn Nugget" [190354]

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / Gold Nuggets Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 400.00 USD
Alabama Gulch Gold Nugget. 3.5g, the  Saturn Nugget  [190354]
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The "Nugget Ace" found this fun gold nugget which resembles Saturn, with the ring around the planet being an outer coating of leaf gold around reddish quartz.
The discovery site is very important. Alabama Gulch, located in the Alabama Hills, was one of the very first placer gold discoveries near Lone Pine. The site is generally unknown to most prospectors. It is, however, noted on the historic manuscript 1870 map published by W.A. Goodyear in the Report of the State Mineralogist, 1888, p243. It is shown as "old placer mine."
The location and discovery may have been made by Goler and partners when they went back looking for the lost mine they found after making it through Death Valley in 1849 as part of the Death Valley Argonauts. While Goler did indeed find his "lost mine," he undoubtedly led other prospectors to the area, and this may be one of their discoveries.
Now - that said, what about the soldiers at Camp Independence? Did they spend spare time prospecting? Read "Boys in the Sky Blue Pants" by Dorothy Cragen, published in 1975 to find out.
3.5g, 1/3" diameter. [ Alabama Gulch, Inyo Co. California