And what do I think is the easy way? It’s what you can learn from the old timers that walked that ground many years ago.

" I went on a detecting trip in Northern California a few weeks ago. I called several friends to see who wanted to meet up with me. With an undeniable crispness in the air, I left Redding and started my drive to the goldfields."

Let’s examine why your placer gold looks the way it does and what you can tell about its journey based upon its appearance.

A nugget that had been struck with a bullet! 

There weren’t as many pieces of gold, but what I did find was bigger. As I worked my way down towards the spot that I had been working the first three days, I noticed a large crack that crossed the river.

The only thing that saved me was talking to a local miner who gave me a “heads up” that private individuals owned all the mineral rights in that section.