One of the most popular pieces of equipment used during gold rush times in XIX century was a rocker box, sometimes called a cradle. Collier’s New Encyclopedia from 1921 defines this device as a mechanical contrivance used in placer mining, consisting of a box on rockers and moved by hand, used for washing out the gold-bearing soil. Rocker […]
Tag: old timers
The biggest gold nugget – found only an inch under the ground
The biggest gold nugget ever found was discovered on February 5, 1869 in Moliagul, Victoria, Australia. His total weight was 3,523.5 troy ounces (109.59 kg), and the net weight (gold alone) was 2.315.5 troy ounces (72.02 kg, 192 lbs 11.5 oz). The discovery was made by prospectors John Deason and Richard Oates on the slope […]