New Zealand Gold Prospecting & Metal Detecting Forums Archive

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Gold Themed Calendars

simon		Posted : Monday, 12 September 2011 10:09:48 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		i just spotted this is the southland times (monday 12 sept). http://www.stuff.co.nz/s...elive-its-gold-rush-days may make a good xmas pressie for all you gold minded peoples. might make the missus get me one. the museum over in alex ain't bad either if you're driving through. interesting in the article they have a pile of gold (replica not real of course) the size of what's been pulled out of the area. makes you realise how hard it is to get the gold and exactly how scarce it is. i wonder how much bigger this pile would be if it included all the gold smuggled out to avoid the gold tax, and all the gold found in later years by individuals and companies? http://www.stuff.co.nz/s...elive-its-gold-rush-days
		WWW

Lammerlaw		Posted : Tuesday, 13 September 2011 7:18:31 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		I think that we could do much better in New Zealand with historical themed calendars as there are thousands of great photos of the goldrush days which if published in calendar form would give people a great idea of what life was really like on the goldfields and would show the differences between the goldfields environment then and now. I think you are totally correct in your comment about the amount of gold that was never known to the banks and authorities and was removed from the goldfields by individuals. I am sure that official figures will be merely the tip of the iceberg.

simon		Posted : Wednesday, 14 September 2011 10:45:27 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 7/01/2011(UTC) Posts: 789 Location: Central Otago Thanks: 33 times Was thanked: 239 time(s) in 150 post(s)		yes, a good percentage of gold was moved outside the system. if you look at all the examples given in literature it must have been a bit. Some examples: 1. miners thought the tax was too much so hung on to their gold and smuggled it back to their own country to sell later. 2. miners found gold and traded gold as currency for food/shelter/tools etc. they didn't have as much need for coin. often they were bankrolled by a storekeeper until they found gold. again how much the storekeepers had outside there books may be questionable. thinking of the large amounts that passed through their hands i'm sure some would have been outside the books. for all the treasure seekers - there is mention in many books of lost fortunes eg. at gorge creek the storekeeper was murdered and his money never found. rumour had it he stashed his gold in the rocks somewhere in the area. of course a good hunt was has but it was never found. they caught up with the murderer and he didn't have it either. of course the many miners that drowned/fell off cliffs/met with a criminal element all would have had a stash of some sort. some may have had a trusty mate who helped guard it, otherwise it was a long walk to the banks and at least a weeks takings would be stored somewhere safe. 3. there was a lot of robberies. the chances are such ill-gotten fortunes were not cashed in too close to the scene of the crime. 4. the chinese hoarded wealth to send back home to china for a better life for their families. most of their gold probably went outside the system. 5. the miners would have made some gold into jewellery. why not. gold was plentiful to some. 6. miners moved from rush to rush. gold found in one area may have been cashed in in the following region. 7. there was a lot of competition between provinces for gold's wealth. eg. at one point southland tried to muscle in on the gold of the wakatipu by sending a gold escort. thus otago gold would become a southland gold statistic. these are just a few, i'm sure there are more.
		WWW

Lammerlaw		Posted : Wednesday, 14 September 2011 11:06:57 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Simon - Your considerations above are all really good and they bring to mind something I have thought for many years since the advent of the metal detector and that is the fact that one day, somewhere someone is actually going to find a long since departed miners lost hoard or one of the hoards that are known to exist. Thirty years ago and more I thought of going to look for the lost hoard belonging to the shopkeeper you mentioned - Chamounix otherwise known as Gorge Creek. My son who is on this forum had a device which I am sure would have a better chance of finding it than any metal detector but alas we dont own it - even then it might take weeks to find it if it was found at all. Although they do not relate to goldfields hoards there are members who might live near the following stashes who might like to know about them - there are three stashes of gold sovereigns I believe, each of around a hundred pound value - these lost hoards are; - one at the head of the Hakataramea on Tabletop Station, one at Grays Corner in South Canterbury and one near Kurow. Probably New Zealands richest lost hoard is an accumulation of ten thousand pound in gold coins which was hidden by one of New Zealands early whaler/businessmen, a person who was known as 'Cute, Sharp and Sly in his dealings' - to those who read a great deal and are interested in New Zealand history that sentence will identify him and the approximate location of the coins.

toesnz		Posted : Wednesday, 14 September 2011 11:28:33 AM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Dust Groups: Registered Joined: 4/08/2011(UTC) Posts: 8 Location: Winchester Was thanked: 3 time(s) in 3 post(s)		Speaking of Gorge Creek, brings to mind the miners that perished while attempting to walk out of Potters diggings, high up on the Old Man Range during the great snowstorm. I wonder how many of them had stashs of gold that are still up there somewhere.??
		Fisher goldbug 2, fisher F75.

Lammerlaw		Posted : Wednesday, 14 September 2011 12:15:13 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: toesnz Speaking of Gorge Creek, brings to mind the miners that perished while attempting to walk out of Potters diggings, high up on the Old Man Range during the great snowstorm. I wonder how many of them had stashs of gold that are still up there somewhere.?? I had also considered that and think that most if not all of them would have carried their gold out with them and that gold would have been recovered with their bodies - whether some saw the end in sight and hid their gold under a rock or in a cleft in the rocks before they perished or whether theres still a body or two yet to be found I really dont know but wouldnt think so as many miners would have criss crossed that land after the great snow and up to and through the depression of the 1930s not to mention trampers and runholders mustering.. Edited by user Thursday, 15 September 2011 10:38:12 AM(UTC) \| Reason: Not specified

Maverick		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 8:53:57 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 7/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 78 Location: ChCh Thanks: 2 times Was thanked: 9 time(s) in 9 post(s)		celebrating 150 years eh? maybe they should issue old time prospecting licenses to celebrate.

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:02:40 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Maverick celebrating 150 years eh? maybe they should issue old time prospecting licenses to celebrate. An excellent idea but go one better - a major campaign to bring in legislation to re introduce the old miners licence in facsimile form of the originals but actually valid on crown lands, with of course conditions - eg hand held methods only and not mechanical, no entering onto leasehold crown lands without permission of the leasee, no prospecting on existing claims.

Maverick		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:09:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 7/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 78 Location: ChCh Thanks: 2 times Was thanked: 9 time(s) in 9 post(s)		now wouldn't that be nice, but how will the government gouge such a simple scheme like that?

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:32:43 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: Maverick now wouldn't that be nice, but how will the government gouge such a simple scheme like that? They would set up a committee to consider it - committees are interesting organisations and generally can never come to any sensible sort of a decision - it was said that God set up a committee to create the unicorn but we havent seen a real one yet - were still waiting.

Maverick		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:35:42 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Nugget Groups: Registered Joined: 7/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 78 Location: ChCh Thanks: 2 times Was thanked: 9 time(s) in 9 post(s)		wasn't a camel a horse designed by a committee ?? ;)

kiwikeith		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:37:08 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 28/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 648 Location: hector Thanks: 359 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 154 post(s)		hey i have seen one the little people down the bottom of my garden feed theirs every full moon its a horny big thing

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:48:45 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: kiwikeith hey i have seen one the little people down the bottom of my garden feed theirs every full moon its a horny big thing Maverick - wasn't a camel a horse designed by a committee ?? ;) - Yes I had heard that as well but I had also heard that someone in that particular committee decided to create a horse that liked humping but somehow got it wrong. Kiwikeith - Strange but I have seen those little people in my yard as well cavorting under my native trees but not with a horny big thing though theres one of those down the road - its called a horse and in my case I am beginning to think that Chivas Regal and Glenfiddick might have something to do with seeing little people.

kiwikeith		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 9:52:56 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Medals: Groups: Registered Joined: 28/06/2011(UTC) Posts: 648 Location: hector Thanks: 359 times Was thanked: 230 time(s) in 154 post(s)		lammerlaw no thats jack daniels best taken round the camp fire have you found that the horn glows in the dark (on the unicorn)

Lammerlaw		Posted : Friday, 23 September 2011 10:07:14 PM(UTC)
Rank: Gold Ingot Groups: Registered Joined: 24/05/2011(UTC) Posts: 1,721 Thanks: 72 times Was thanked: 579 time(s) in 396 post(s)		Originally Posted by: kiwikeith lammerlaw no thats jack daniels best taken round the camp fire have you found that the horn glows in the dark (on the unicorn) I used to be a fan of Jack Daniels and Southern Comfort but many years ago I had a couple of unfortunate experiences with both of them though the most memorable was with Southern Comfort - people dont like high pressure technocolour yawns over their lounge floor carpet. I suppose that if a ginger pussy was drunk then a horn glowing in the dark would be easier to home in on.