Sixteen to One Gold Mine

Set Description
The 16 to 1 Mine is a gold mine located in the Alleghany mining district in California. It is most famous for producing jewelry quality gold in quartz specimens. Gold was first discovered in the Alleghany region in 1851 in what became the Kanaka Creek. Soon a tertiary auriferous channel known as the Great Blue Lead was discovered near the current Alleghany site. This spurred further exploration in the district resulting in the creation of a number of gold claims in the area. Most of the early miners in the Alleghany mining district used drift mining methods to mine gold. In fact, it is estimated that drift mining accounted for the production of gold worth over $10,000,000 between 1851 and 1880s.

Development of the 16 to 1 Hard Rock Gold Mine
Most of the early miners went for the surface gold and it was not until the 1880s that large companies were formed to mine lode gold deep into the soil. One such operation was the partnership of Charles Currieux, Jack Binning and W.Hildebrande who started the Tightner lode mine in 1891. The success of this particular partnership inspired a local resident named Tom Bradbury who begun exploring his backyard near the Contract claims and eventually staked a claim that he named Sixteen-to-One in 1896. The name sixteen to one was in reference to the then ratio of the value of silver to gold. In a few short years, Sixteen-to-One grew to become one of the most prolific gold producing mines in California. The mine was actively mined between 1896 and 1965 when it was finally closed only to be reopened again in 1985. The mine produced over a million ounces of gold in that period. The Sixteen-to-One Mine is located in Sierra near the Middle Fork of the Yuba River. The mine sits on the Pliocene Ridge between the Kanaka Creek and the Oregon Creek. It is located on a 550 acres property and can be reached via highway 45 to the south of Allegheny.

Gold in Quartz from the 16 to 1 Mine
Sixteen-to-One was most famous for its high-grade ore and is now still open for the production of high-quality native gold used in jewelry. The mine is still in operation mainly producing high-quality specimen native gold used in jewelry. It is the combination of high purity gold veins running through white quartz that makes the specimens from this California mine so unique and spectacular. Workers at the mine often use metal detectors to locate gold veins hidden within the walls of the mine. A signal can help them identify pockets of high-grade gold. When a high grade pocket of gold is identified, it is removed in large chunks, cut into slabs, and then formed into cabochons. (Courtesy of RareGoldNuggets.com)

Set Goals
Collect various gold and quartz samples from the famous 16 to 1 Mine in Alleghany, California