Melman on Gold & Silver

As the tumultuous year of 2008 finally draws to a close, economic issues dominate the world’s headlines as country after country and industry after industry continue to be affected by the worst economic contraction since the Great Depression.

Melman on Gold & Silver

We noted last month that it was important to keep track of how the Obama team was shaping up and to attempt to gain at least a glimmer of insight into the anticipated direction of his economic policies. Well, we have indeed been able to obtain sufficient information to offer some projections.

Hawthorne's Golden Outlook

It was not the scenery that attracted Vancouver-based Hawthorne Gold Corp. to the area, but rather the opportunity to gain control of projects with the ability to enter into production in the relatively near future...

Melman on Gold & Silver

Unquestionably, the events of January 20, 2009, highlighted the news of the past month as on that date, the “torch of leadership” of America passed from the departing George W. Bush and into the hands of the 44th President, Barack Obama.

PDAC 2009 Convention Highlights

...it was impossible not to notice the absence of many junior mining companies that were present last year. Due to the dual circumstances of the world’s credit problems along with the steep declines in base metals prices, many of them, unfortunately, have simply gone broke and closed their doors. Others are so strapped for cash...

Melman on Gold & Silver

Once again, economic trauma was the dominant theme of most news releases last month. It seemed we were learning about an endless array of companies in dire trouble, including many who had either filed or were on the verge of bankruptcy...

Melman on Gold & Silver

...while the conference and some economic data were working to restore optimism, the world continued to receive a flood of negative economic news, some of it with ominous implications...

Electra Gold Sees Potential in Other Minerals & Metals

One of the particular features of these alumina silica ore bodies is that they are generally visible from the surface, unlike like gold and silver that are generally hidden and can require an immense amount of exploration and development.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Investors around the world are taking a good hard look at some of the emerging developments regarding dollar creation and are clearly having second thoughts about their dollar-denominated investments.

Melman on Gold & Silver

It is becoming increasingly clear that Barack Obama will be an activist President. Unlike his predecessors, he appears set on using the powers of government in an unusually aggressive manner in order to accomplish “public good.”

Melman on Gold & Silver

...a substantial number of news headlines reflected the growing realization that much of the “green shoots” optimism of the past few months was premature.

Melman on Gold & Silver

...while the public appears sold on the idea of imminent recovery and government politicians continually issue statements in support of that concept, several responsible columnists have issued their own predictions, and they are hardly optimistic.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Not only is the Greenback steadily weakening, but calls for the abandonment of the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency are growing more frequent and more strident.

Melman on Gold & Silver

There are many factors that affect the price of gold. It appears to us that the majority of them are now pointing to higher prices, not lower.

Global Hunter

Chile may be considered geographically a part of Latin and South America, but it is remarkably different from other notable nations belonging to that region such as Mexico and Peru. Where tens of millions of citizens of the latter two countries are still deeply immersed in poverty, Chile presents a markedly different picture.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Not being a psychiatrist, this writer is not aware of the specific term for a condition laymen refer to as “split personality.” However, whatever that term might be, it would be wholly appropriate for the news background during the past month. We were first subjected to one news story after another that suggested that our economic world was on a truly shaky foundation—and then, suddenly, we were “blessed” with a barrage of positive developments.

Melman on Gold & Silver

What a start to the year! In just the first two weeks of 2008, we saw the price of gold explode to the highest levels in history at $900 per ounce, Crude Oil reach $100 per barrel, some of the world’s largest financial institutions collapse in market value, unrest spread in Pakistan following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the worst jobs report from the Department of Labor in at least two years and the continued erosion of residential real estate values.

Gryphon Gold and the Borealis Project

Strange things do indeed occur. Here we were in western Nevada’s Walker Lake District, normally one of the driest areas for mining operations in America, and we couldn’t access a sizeable portion of Gryphon Gold’s project areas due to deep snow!

Melman on Gold & Silver

News during the past month seemed to focus directly on economic and political events close to home in the good old USA. As talk of recession—or worse—mounted, and as one stock market segment after another weakened sharply, the economic and political leaders of the nation sprang into decisive action.

Melman on Gold & Silver

“What A Difference A Day Makes.” That song title accurately describes the huge change in momentum that occurred March 11, 2008, when the central banks of the world announced their rescue plan for the beleaguered international credit system, which appeared to be crumbling right in front of their very eyes.

Avino’s Durango Project

Mining has been a mainstay of the Durango economy for generations. It was mining, beginning with the discovery of what later became the Avino Mine in the sixteenth century by Juan de Tolosa of the Spanish Army, which formed the basis for the town that later grew into Durango City.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Anyone who thinks that investing in, or writing about junior mining shares is easy hasn’t lived through the last month! What we have seen is a virtually endless parade of dynamic and frequently contradictory events. Here are just a few that have occurred in the past thirty days.

Melman on Gold & Silver

It is my belief that these trends toward rising budgetary and trade deficits, escalating monetary creation and interest rates that are being held at artificially low levels will continue and I believe that further US Dollar weakness has now been built into the system.

The Greenwood Gold Project

The Greenwood Gold Project, comprised of a newly-constructed mill and tailings facility utilized in processing ore from the Lexington-Grenoble, Golden Crown and Lone Star deposits, is situated in a mountainous area spanning the Canadian/USA border.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Dire warnings about potential recession and side effects being felt throughout the economic spectrum sent the stock market down to a massive 394 point loss on the Dow Industrials on the 6th of June (see chart) and also sent chills in many corporate boardrooms in America and beyond.

Melman on Gold & Silver

This past month was one that saw the emergence of a series of problems capable of inflicting true and serious damage to the world’s well being on a scale we have not witnessed since the late 1970s.

Investing In Junior Mining Stocks

How to invest in junior mining stocks: In order to form a basis for evaluating mining stocks, it is important to understand the progression of projects from the very first glimmerings in the eyes of a prospector to actual, full-scale, revenue-producing production of the metals themselves.

Melman on Gold & Silver

...one of the hallmarks of the past month has been a series of incredibly swift reversals that have shaken virtually every market we follow. From the end of July through mid-August, both precious and base metals have fallen sharply; the petroleum complex has likewise come under heavy selling...

General Metals Continues Toward Production

Parent said that General Metals is moving toward initiating production at the earliest possible time. He noted that cooperation from Nevada regulatory authorities has been excellent...

Melman on Gold & Silver

Given that every single forecast of the level of government bailouts has understated the problems and the money required for solving them, one can only wonder what really lies in store for the American taxpayer—and the US Dollar.

Melman on Gold & Silver

...we are witnessing the onset of a major transformation of the underlying economic/political structure, perhaps headed toward government controls beyond any previous American experience.

Melman on Gold & Silver (2008 Year in Review)

Our December issue is when we take a look backward at the year nearing completion, and this year is no exception. When we do look backward over the past eleven months, all we can say is, “What a year this has been!” And that isn’t meant in a positive sense.

Melman on Gold & Silver

One of the oldest market sayings is that a securities bull market confirms its strength when it is “able to climb a wall of worries.” Well, that old adage was sure given an enormous workout last month as one hammer-blow after another hit the headlines.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Once again international terrorism became the focus of much of the world as the British Isles were swept by two major stories. First, two vehicles were found with high explosives in London and it was only the smoldering fuses that gave away the contents of the vehicles before they exploded.

Mining Gold at 16,000 Feet

The view from the pass at 16,500 feet elevation was astonishing. In one direction, one range of the Andes Mountains rose to over 18,000 feet, while in the other direction the peaks soared to almost 20,000 feet.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Well, the events of last month have completely diverted attention away from prior problems such as tensions in Iran, arms build-ups in China and Russia, socialist experimentation in Venezuela and Bolivia, peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians, and instead have placed the focus of the world squarely on a rapidly growing array of financial dislocations.

Melman on Gold & Silver

Seldom in the 22 years we have been writing in this space have we ever seen a parade of such important events pass along the world’s newswires and print media.

Melman on Gold & Silver

World stock markets recovered from the brink of catastrophe to post sterling performances, based in large part on a one-half percent reduction in the Fed Funds rate enacted by the Federal Reserve Board.

Kings Valley Project Hopes to Meet Lithium, Uranium Demand

Few states in the United States have seen mining activity equal the State of Nevada in recent decades. The state is mineral-rich and possesses a regulatory apparatus that encourages mining activity. One Canadian junior mining company active in the exploration and development of their uranium and lithium projects inside Nevada is Western Uranium Corporation of Vancouver.

Melman on Gold & Silver (2007 Year in Review)

This past four weeks saw a major shift in the scope of financial headlines. Where recent months have focused almost entirely on the “subprime” crisis and resultant credit problems, the US Dollar itself became the center of attention last month as it entered a period of severe decline against the Euro, Australian Dollar, British Pound, Swiss Franc and Canadian Dollar.