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The Historic Silver Creek Mining Claim Including Mines & prospects.

The Historic Black Horse/Silver Canyon Mining District, White Pine County, Nevada

This claim, and these mines are certified accurate and the information provided deemed reliable by the National Bureau of Mines.

National Bureau of Mines; Mine Registration ID:

NVWHI04314

National Bureau of Mines Claim ID #

C_NV100103WHI_SILVER CREEK

These mines  and claims are certified accurate and the information deemed reliable by the National Bureau of Mines.

The Historic Silver Creek Claim and Mine Information:

Claim Information:

The Silver Creek Claim is historically named for its location on Silver Creek. The creek at the base of the valley runs down to Silver Creek Reservoir, a very underrated spot for a swim on a hot summer day. The Claim is tucked up on the south west side of the valley. Out of site for the most part until you are up in the canyon and then its the monster mine that dominates the view in the valley. The claim is located 9.75 Miles from Baker, Nevada, and only 4.5 miles from Highway 6-50. Don't let that proximity fool you. 4 miles away from pavement doesnt seem far, but with no sound of cars, no light pollution and the majestic Mountains of Great Basin National Park rising up to the west, its like being in an oasis of solitude. 

Its only a short drive from Highway 6-50 up a very well maintained country road, past the reservoir and up into the canyon. The seasons are temperate here and the roads are excellent. You can make it up to the claim and the mine entrance with a 2WD vehicle. As usual, we recommend a 4WD on the "just in case" factor. The claim is situated out up on the hillside and encompasses the major mine workings and the mine camp that used to be a bustling center of activity up until 1896 when the silver crash all but killed mining in this area. There were reportedly up to 38 people working this area at one point. The focus was on fissures and narrow, but rich veins of gold and silver running through conglomerate. From 1874 to 1896 there were 312 cars of ore shipped. Values of 37 ounces AG(silver), 4 ounces AG(gold) and 8lbs zinc per ST were common. 

The claim runs generally north and south, following the trend of the veins and lodes seen on the claim. There are substantial tailings on multiple levels on the claim. The prospects and mines are separated out on 3 distinct levels. Tailings show evidence of some processing on site, very fine bits in some sections, while other piles and sections are still in a rock/conglomerate mass. Zinc is instantly visible as it has a great reflective character in the sunlight. Closer inspection shows some black sands, minute bits of gold flake and what appears to be low grade silver ore. There are some other remnants in here, but nothing that really lends itself to interest. Around the claim is a lot of good flat spots and easy roads in. Its great for staging vehicles and gear and the potential is limitless. The water in the valley appears to be year round from a stream up the canyon. The entire claim site is beautiful and serene. Great for family campouts or weekends of washing gold and silver out.

This is a standard lode mining claim, running 1500' x 600' or 20.66 acres total. Set at 6100ft the claim sees relatively mild weather with the exception of the big storms that make it over the mountain. We have seen winters with no snow all year on the claim, and other winters where there is 4 feet of snow at the base of the reservoir. Plan to do the majority of your work from March to November. The days will rarely ever get over 85 degrees, but the winter nights will dip below zero consistently.

The Mines:

There is only one real mine on this claim. Its a massive adit of well over 200 feet with multiple drifts and stopes. The entrance is easy to pick out and just as easy to walk into. The mine seems cut to intercept more than a few lodes. When the rich deposits show up, a drift is cut on the fissure, chasing it down. There is one massive stope inside the mine that appears to be a large deposit of silver and lead. The ore is beautiful and there is still a lot left. An old ore chute still sits inside the mine waiting for more of this silver ore to be pushed out of it.

Claim Specific Geology

In 1949~ silver ore was produced from Cambrian limestone at the Tilford Mine. According to Hose, Blake, and Smith (1976, p. 47), "a narrow calcite vein shows iron and copper stain, and a stope and winze on a narrow fracture may have yielded the 16 tons of ore reported to contain 1 oz gold and 532 oz silver." This narrow vein was not found during the present investigation; however, several small north- to northeast-striking faults were mapped in the mine (fig. 4), and analyses showed zinc, silver, and a trace of gold in samples from this mine (table 5). These faults could not be traced into the roadless area; however, similar, faulted Cambrian limestone host rock was mapped by Hose (1981) in the area. Total production, all from workings outside the roadless area, for the  dlstrict through 1954 was 4,655 oz gold, 4,535 oz silver, 179 lb copper, 38,948 lb lead, 44 lb zinc, and 337 short-ton units of tungsten. Pods of lead silver ore in along a north striking, west dipping fault in tertiary conglomerate.

Total production, all from workings outside the roadless area, for the  district through 1954 was 4,655 oz gold, 4,535 oz silver, 179 lb copper, 38,948 lb lead, 44 lb zinc, and 337 short-ton units of tungsten..

As usual, we recommend that you file a Notice of Operation with the BLM or local Forest Service office, so that they know you are there. This doesn't cost anything as long as you are operating as casual use. If you need assistance with writing this up, we can provide templates and direction, and if needed, legal counsel to make sure that everything goes according to your plans.

GE_IronBog_topo

Image of the Actual Silver Creek Claim Staking and site.


Claim Location Details:

Structures

None

Number of Mines

1 adit, Multiple Drifts and trenches

Surrounding Mining Claims

Bellander, Tilford

Resources

Water in valley stream-400 ft off claim

Elevation

6100 Feet above sea level

Mine Details:

Mine Cut

Adit and prospects

Average Height X Width

6' x 5'

Total Depth

207'

Entrance

Open, stable, conglomerate

Tailings

Extensive, 800+ cubic yards

Foot Traffic

None

National Bureau of Mines ID

NVWHI04314_X_SILVER CREEK

Mine Rating

Class B Mine

Streaks in the rock show good silver and copper content. The gold is sporadic.


One of many small prospects on the claim.


Overview of the front of the main mine camp.


Views across the valley are stunning.


Ore hopper inside the mine.

Silver Canyon Mining District History:

Its hard to make an accurate assessment of mines and mining claims today. The history, the books and the documents change over time. Universities and Agencies seem to write and release documentation designed to deter the average miner.

GRE employs a field and research Geologist, we examine each mine, and determine its actual potential. This is based on documented and verifiable history, as well as field observations and mapping of the sites. This helps us thoroughly and accurately describe our claims, as well as help you make informed decisions regarding the purchasing of a mining claim. In addition, the geological and historical information provided gives claim owners the tools to know where to look. After all, the gold, precious metals and minerals are out there, and there is a lot of it, you just have to know where to look. If you need more information, please feel free to contact our office and set an appointment to discuss your desired property with our geologists.

Silver Canyon District

The Silver Canyon  and Black Horse districts are often intertwined, although they should not be. The Black Horse district is a bit farther south. It encomapsses most of Sacramento Pass and the Black Horse townsite and mines. The Tilford, Silver Creek and possibley the Mary Ann were the primary mines for the Silver Canyon District. Past production in or near the roadless area included; building stone, lead, silver, zinc, copper, gold, tungsten, and garnet (table 1). Small amounts of quartzite building stone are produced, on an intermittent basis, from various quarries south of Hendrys Creek and between Hendrys Creek and Hampton Creek. The quarry north of Silver Peak Mine also showed recent (1981) signs of building stone production. Signs of recent prospecting activity and claim staking for metallic minerals were observed near Old Man's Canyon just outside the southern border of the roadless area.

General District Information

The Black Horse/Silver Creek district is located in the northern Snake Range, east of Sacramento Pass. The district extends from U.S. Highway 50 in Sacramento Pass northeast to the drainage of Silver Creek on the southwestern slope of Mount Moriah. The Silver Canyon district, mentioned in the Territorial Enterprise (1870), and described as being located on the east slope of the Snake Range 10 miles due east of the Warren district, was probably in this area.

Regional Geology and Ore Deposits:

In 1949~ silver ore was produced from Cambrian limestone at the Tilford Mine. According to Hose, Blake, and Smith (1976, p. 47), "a narrow calcite vein shows iron and copper stain, and a stope and winze on a narrow fracture may have yielded the 16 tons of ore reported to contain 1 oz gold and 532 oz silver." This narrow vein was not found during the present investigation; however, several small north- to northeast-striking faults were mapped in the mine (fig. 4), and analyses showed zinc, silver, and a trace of gold in samples from this mine (table 5). These faults could not be traced into the roadless area; however, similar, faulted Cambrian limestone host rock was mapped by Hose (1981) in the area. Total production, all from workings outside the roadless area, for the  dlstrict through 1954 was 4,655 oz gold, 4,535 oz silver, 179 lb copper, 38,948 lb lead, 44 lb zinc, and 337 short-ton units of tungsten. Pods of lead silver ore in along a north striking, west dipping fault in tertiary conglomerate.

Total production, all from workings outside the roadless area, for the  district through 1954 was 4,655 oz gold, 4,535 oz silver, 179 lb copper, 38,948 lb lead, 44 lb zinc, and 337 short-ton units of tungsten. 

Ref: Mining History and Minerals of Grant County, New Mexico, Open File Report - OF-424, 1996

District Overview:

Current District

Silver Canyon District

District Aliases

Black Horse, Silver Creek

County

White Pine County

Discovered/ Organized

1870

Noted Commodities

gold, silver, lead, tungsten, copper, zinc

Minerals on the Claim:

Noted

gold, silver, lead, tungsten, copper, zinc

Observed in Mines

silver, lead, copper

Observed in Tailings

lead, tungsten, copper, zinc

Mine Age

140 Years

Last Worked

1950s

Down into the Mines:

A few incline sections in the mine.


A good shot of silver deposits in the mine.


Close up of galena with high silver content.


Silver ores with some iron and bits of gold here and there.


Huge silver lode running lower in the mine.


Old loading platform, there was a lot of work done here.


View across the claim to the Great Basin National Park.


A walled up stope, there is a lot of ore sitting up there.


Map of the mine as described above.

Auction Details

GRE can assist with annual filings, Notice of Operation, and many other aspects of your claim. Our goal is that you are happy with your claim and you know the laws and regulations of what you can and cannot do with it. We are re-building the mining industry for the people, giving people a chance to work a living out of the land the same way it has been done for 1000s of years. Mining is one of the oldest professions in the world. It can change your life in an instant and give you the ability to be completely self sufficient. There are many legal aspects to owning, holding and working and mining claim. We are knowledgeable in all of these and would love to pass that knowledge on to you.
While others are busy imitating us, we are out locating valuable claims. We have been doing this for over 15 years. We sell mines and mining claims. Thats it. We dont sell trucks, canned food, or fabricated old mining junk. We locate and sell claims that have a real value. A building, or a hole in the ground is just that. You want a claim that has been accurately documented and mapped, inside and out. You want a claim that has been validated by an actual Geologist. You want a claim that has potential, not just an abandoned hole in the ground.

What is being auctioned:

You are bidding on one (1), lode mining claim, owned and located by GRE, Inc. This purchase is for all interest in this claim. This claim has been examined and documented by an actual Geologist who has verified the information and potential mineral content of the site.This claim is as represented and documented above. This claim measures 1500ft by 600ft, for a total of 20.66 acres, unless otherwise noted.The claim and the mine has been verified and recorded with the National Bureau of Mines. For more information on this, please contact the National Bureau of Mines on their website. This mining claim gives the owner full control of the minerals and ownership of all lodes, minerals and gems on the claim for as long as the purchaser maintains ownership. Ownership is retained by annual maintenance assessments of $140 payable to the BLM. This fee is per claim, per year. 

This claim is paid in full until September 1st of 2014.

These claims have been described to the best of our ability above. They have been measured, staked and validated by a field Geologist. Ownership of this lode claim(s) gives the registered owner full control and ownership of all locatable lodes and minerals that may be located on the claim and or underground as accessed by the tunnels. Lodes and veins that travel underground are covered by this claim for as deep as they travel unless intercepted by another tunnel. GRE is not selling any stocks, shares, securities or any sort of speculative investment. 

This claim has been staked according to state law to include all of the mines and land as pictured. GRE has placed all stakes on all corners as required by law. Any claim that has no stakes is not considered legal or valid by the BLM and can and will be invalidated. The sale of this claim and the information contained therein does not imply or guarantee values, assay reports, or future earnings. GRE, Inc. makes no guarantees, neither written nor implied of any past, present or future value or mineral content. GRE, Inc. recommends that all potential bidders make all efforts to inform themselves on the interests and legalities of mining claims prior to bidding or purchasing mining claims. If you have questions about mining or mining claims, please feel free to contact us via Phone or Email. We can connect you with the right person to answer all of your questions.

GRE is available via phone or email during normal business hours. Our offices are open from 9am to 5pm Monday through Friday.The GRE team is educated, knowledgeable and competent to answer any questions you may have. Please don't hesitate to contact us.385-218-2138 

Bidding Requirements:

Bidders with a feedback score of less than (10) must contact us for pre-approval prior to placing any bids. Bids from accounts that are not pre-approved will be canceled without notice. If we cancel your bid, your bidder ID will be blacklisted and you will not be allowed to bid on any other claims from GRE.

We will immediately cancel bids from zero (0) feedback bidders unless we have pre-approved you. If you place a bid, please note the terms and payment methods and dates. Full payment or contract is required within 7 days of auction end without exception. Failure to meet this requirement will result in claim being re-listed or offered to other bidders. If you default on a bid, your ID will be blocked from any future bids on GRE auctions. A bid on any GRE auctions implies consent to the GRE Purchase Agreement. This purchase agreement is mandatory and must be signed and returned to GRE within 7 days of auction ending. The purchase agreement states our commitments to you and your understanding of what is being sold and transferred.

Payments:

You may not use credits with GRE to pay for this auction.  We require a deposit of $1000.00 within 24 hours of the auction closing. This is to secure your interest in the site while the remaining balance is in transit. If deposit is not received, the claim will be offered to other bidders without exception. 

GRE accepts all forms of valid payment. This includes cash, check,credit card and verified gold or silver bullion. Silver and Gold Bullion payments are assessed at spot metal prices at the time they are received. GRE will send all correspondence to the email address on file with eBay. Please verify that this address is correct, we are not responsible for misdirected or un-received email. Payment and signed Purchase Agreement/ Finance Contract are due in full within 7 days. If full payment is not received within 7 days, the deposit will be forfeit, and the site will be re-listed or offered to other bidders at the discretion of GRE. 

Financing:

In most cases we can offer financing of sites upon approved credit history. Financing requires roughly 24 hours to verify and approve. GRE approves financing for 99% of its applicants. Please call our office for more details on pre-approval and credit verification. Please be sure that you are pre-approved before bidding, if you would like to finance a claim. Basic terms are minimum $2500.00 down or 25% of selling price over $10,000.00, whichever is more. The documentation fee of $349.00 per claim is added to this down payment, and a minimum monthly payment of $1000.00 or 1/12 of the amount owed, whichever is more. Minimum total down payment for any financed site is $2849.00  Finance term not to exceed 12 months. Other details and requirements may apply and are available upon request.

Terms & Conditions:

This is an UNPATENTED mining claim, and requires a yearly maintenance fee of $140 per year, per claim, (or submit a waiver to avoid paying fees) to retain ownership. The maintenance fees for the site will be paid and taken care of in full for the current year. No monies will be due to the BLM until September 1st of the current year, to retain ownership for the following year.In addition to the final bid price, there is a $349.00 documentation processing fee that is required of the winning bidder. This fee is per claim. This fee covers all of the filing of paperwork in the proper counties and state and with the BLM. 

All of GRE’s claim purchases require a Purchase Agreement. This purchase agreement verifies that the buyer has a full understanding of what is being purchased. The Purchase agreement also defines the rules and regulations related to mining claim purchases. A signed Purchase Agreement must be in place prior to execution of the Quit Claim deed. Full payment or completed, approved finance contract must be in place to transfer the claim

Buyer will receive the following with their completed transaction:
  • Quit Claim deed showing full ownership of the claim. This will be stamped, recorded and verified with the County and BLM offices. No other paperwork required.

  • Welcome Packet with all of the rules and regulations as they relate to the State and BLM where the claim is located.
  • A CD of all documented images of the claim including a GRE survey and mapping of the site.
  • 24k map with claim marked & GPS coordinates
  • 100k map with claim marked out
  • Complimentary copy of the current issue of the 21st Century Gold Rush Newsletter
  • Official National Bureau of Mines Validated Certificate for each mine.
  • Official National Bureau of Mines Claim Certification document.
  • GRE Sticker
  • Other GRE Promotional Materials

Documentation:

Please note that all information and documentation will only be sent to the email address you have on file with eBay. Your documentation will also only be shipped to the address on file with eBay. Please verify this information. We do this for your security as well as ours. All documentation, payments, finance contracts and purchase agreement documents must be completed to begin the transfer of the Quit Claim. Quit claim can be transferred to any person or business specified once identity has been established. Documentation  fees cover all of the filing of paperwork in the proper counties and state and with the BLM. The winning bidder will receive a Quit Claim deed transferring all interests in the claim. No monies due until September 1st, 2014.

Note: The documentation process generally takes 45-60 days to complete in full, add another 3-5 business days for transit of documentation to you. As part of the documentation process, we will need the following information from you:

  • Legal name(s) of the person(s) or business that should be listed as owner(s) on the claim
  • Legal mailing address including the county of the person(s) or business that should be listed as owner(s) on the claim
  • A valid phone number to contact the person(s) or business listed as owner(s) on the claim should the BLM need to make any contact.

All of these items are extremely important and failure to provide all accurate information could result in missed communications regarding your claim.

Be wary of buyers promising next day documentation,  expedited documentation or free documentation. A Quit Claim deed needs to be recorded with the County, and the BLM before it is valid. There are a lot of verification steps and validations in that process.
If you didnt pay anything for your documentation, You probably got what you paid for.

Legal Notes: (To be in compliance with eBay rules and regulations please review the following notes)

*This auction is not for any Speleothems, Stalactites or Stalagmites. This auction is not for any cave formations of any sort. *This auction is not for ownership of a cave or any sort of cave related items. It is for control of locatable minerals and the ability to secure the land on which your minerals are located. *This auction is for Mining Claims. Mining Claims are administered by the BLM. They are not administered, nor are they under any control by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. *This Auction does not constitute any sale of stocks or other security interests that represent a current investment ownership interest in an entity. Nor does this auction represent any effort by individuals to raise money or find investors for Businesses. A mining claim is not ownership of the land. It is full control of locatable minerals. The BLM defines located minerals as: * Locatable minerals include both metallic minerals (gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc, nickel, etc.) and nonmetallic minerals (fluorspar, calcite, mica, certain limestone and gypsum, tantalum, heavy minerals in placer form, and gemstones). (Edited from: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/MINERALS__REALTY__AND_RESOURCE_PROTECTION_/energy.Par.26680.File.dat/MiningClaims.pdf) The General Mining Law of 1872, as amended, opened the public lands of the United States to mineral acquisition by the location and maintenance of mining claims. Mineral deposits subject to acquisition in this manner are generally referred to as “locatable minerals.” A lode claim is defined as: "Jefferson-Montana Copper Mines Co., 41 L.D. 321(1912), established the full test for a lode claim: “To constitute a valid discovery upon a lode claim, three elements are necessary: 1. There must be a vein or lode of quartz or other rock-in-place, 2. The quartz or other rock-in-place must carry gold or some other valuable mineral deposit, 3. The two preceding elements, when taken together, must be such that as to warrant a prudent man in the expenditure of his time and money in the effort to develop a valuable mine.” Additionally, Federal statute does not describe what constitutes a valuable mineral deposit; therefore the government has adopted the “prudent man rule.” This rule determines value based on whether or not a person will consider investing time and money to develop a potentially viable mineral deposit. This rule was first stated by the DOI in 1894, in the adjudication of Castle v. Womble, 19 L.D. 455 (1894), the holding of which states: “…where minerals have been found and the evidence is of such a character that a person of ordinary prudence would be justified in the further expenditure of his labor and means, with a reasonable prospect of success in developing a valuable mine, the requirements of the statute have been met.” Note, this is site is not subject to the Cave Protection act of 1988, as Federal Law states: 16 USC Sec. 4308&01/08/2008 Sec. 4308. Miscellaneous provisions -STATUTE- (d) Existing rights Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to affect the full operation of the mining and mineral leasing laws of the United States, or otherwise affect valid existing rights. -SOURCE-(Pub. L. 100-691, Sec. 9, Nov. 18, 1988, 102 Stat. 4550.) REFERENCES IN TEXT The mining laws and mineral leasing laws of the United States, referred to in sub sec. (d), are classified generally to Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining. The information above is cited from the official Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management page.

GRE Guarantee:

GRE Guarantees that this mining claim has been written correctly and accurately and  has been physically staked on all corners. GRE will provide documentary evidence of all paper work and claim stakes for the claimant. It is understood by the buyer and the seller that all attempts have been made to verify accuracy and location in relation to this claim. In the case of inaccuracies or other issues, the Seller (GRE) will amend or modify and record any documents and physical monuments as deemed necessary at no cost to the buyer.

It is understood that the buyer will have up to one year to verify their purchase. This includes verification of location, staking, documentation, personal information and any other elements pertinent to this purchase. If within that one year, there are any modifications, inaccuracies or other issues, the buyer will immediately report these in writing to the GRE. GRE will make any revisions, modifications or otherwise required actions on behalf of the buyer, at no cost to the buyer, at the GRE’s discretion. After a period of one year from purchase date, there will be no further liability to the seller, regardless of the circumstances. The seller will not be required to execute any actions or documents for any reason without compensation.

Return Policy:

Due to the nature of this sale, returns are not applicable. In the case of any issues, we will work with the buyer to be sure that the buyer is satisfied with their purchase as per the GRE Guarantee. GRE does not refund cash. All refunds or adjustments will be given in the form of credits or merchandise of at least equal value.

About GRE:

Since 1999, Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc. (GRE, Inc.) has been locating and documenting valuable mining claim sites in the Western States. We research, locate and document historic and significant mines throughout the west. We sell mining claims, that’s it. We have teams dedicated and knowledgeable in exploration. We have an entire office staffed with experts in mining. We have a full legal team dedicated to monitoring and protecting our interests and yours! 

GRE is an actual "brick and mortar" business with an office that you can stop into.  We do operate within normal business hours of 9am to 5pm MST. We can be reached in the office at 385-218-2138. You can feel free to stop in and see what we are working on. Our office has an extensive mining library and an impressive collection of mining artifacts and memorabilia. Mining claims can be tricky from state to state. GRE, Inc. has provided more mining claims than anyone else, to happy, satisfied customers. We will be here long after the sale to help out with most anything you need. We sell many claims to repeat buyers; this says a lot about what we are doing.  All of our claims and mines are registered and documented with the National Bureau of Mines. 

GRE is the ONLY company that currently has claims and mines verification with the NBOM, if someone else is willing to lie to you about that verification, what else are they lying about??

GRE, Inc. surveys over 600 sites per month; Out of those surveys, we usually only claim 20-30 of those mines. The sites we offer are the best of the best. We dont claim the first hole in the ground that we see. We research and document these sites. They are here because we believe them to have a good value. GRE has pioneered offering mining claims to the public at a reasonable rate, taking care of all the paperwork for you. We go the extra distance to make sure that everything is right and if it’s not, we will make it right. 

In addition to your claim you will also have access to GRE, Inc.'s legal counsel, this is at cost, but they are familiar with what we do and very efficient at resolving any issues that may arise. 

Mining Claim Facts:

According to federal mining laws, a Mining claim is a tangible asset; it shows proof of all interests in minerals in the area. It can be bought, sold or used as collateral, just like real estate. You likely don't have ownership of the mineral rights on your own land. Any operations on a mining claim above what is considered "casual use” will require permits from the BLM. That said, there are a good many rights afforded to mine claimants. We have a great document that details what you can legally do on your claim. It is state and district specific, but it educates you in what your rights are, the first step in executing your rights is knowing them.

  • It is not legal to "live" on your mining claim without extensive permitting and bonds paid to the BLM.
  • It is not legal to "build" or make other improvements to your claim above "Casual Use" without permitting and bonds paid to the BLM.

Please do not be deceived by other sellers. If you want a piece of property to build on and make a summer house, this isn't it. Buy real-estate, not a mining claim. “You will pay upwards of 50k at a minimum to get permitting to build any sort of crude living quarters on your mining claim and you will be required to reclaim that structure to BLM standards if you ever abandon the claim.” 

With a claim you have no liability for the public. If someone walks in and falls down your mine, it’s the BLM that gets sued, not you. Existing clean up and environmental issues are not your problem. With a plan of operations you can fence off your site to keep the public out as well. No taxes, just your annual assessment of $140 per year. Most large companies now days are looking to buy smaller sites since they haven't been commercially worked and still have values in them. These types of claims typically have been held by individuals instead of large mining companies.

These claims are rare opportunities for actual mineral extraction. Hard rock mining has made many millionaires, but you don't make anything without rights to the land. This claim gives you ownership of all lode mineral rights.

Glossary of Mining Terminology:

Adit -A horizontal access point to a mine 
Drift -An adit or shaft that chutes off from the main adit or shaft
Spine -The ceiling of a tunnel or shaft
Shaft -A vertical access point to a mine
Stope -A void from the mining of ore from inclined or vertical veins
Incline -An angled tunnel following an ore body
Winze -A vertical or inclined passage between levels in a mine
Face -The end of a mine, end of an adit or shaft
Tucker -Any animal feces found underground
Cyros -Any mine or prospect with no mineral value

FAQ's

Q: What is “Bureau of Mines Certified”?

A: The National Bureau of Mines does a full verification of all documents filed with counties and BLM. Then they record and verify all pictures, maps and description. Once this is complete, the mine is given a number and designation. This means that in the future, you could accurately retrieve all of this information on the mine. Once recorded, the claim boundaries do not change or vary. This also adds dollar value to the mines as the NBOM can verify details for banks, investors and others.

Q: If there are still precious metals inside, why don't you mine it yourself?

A: Our business is location, documentation and preservation. If we worked at any mine all day, we wouldn't have any time to locate and document other mines around the western states.

Q: Why buy a mining claim? What am I getting?

A: Purchasing a mining claim gives you ownership of the minerals on that 20 acre lot. You can hold, sell or trade these rights as you see fit. Claims can also be passed in wills, and as part of a family trust. The only caveat is to make sure that you are paying the annual assessment. There are no late payments, as soon as you miss that date; you lose your claim, no matter how long you have had it.

Q: Why would they leave valuable minerals behind?

A: Most of these were abandoned for good in the 1940s by federal law when gold and silver mining was banned and people were only allowed to file claims for Strategic Minerals. In the 1930s it had been made illegal to hold any stores of gold as well. Even if you had gold in your mines you couldn't mine it. When this was repealed a few years after WWII, Gold was cheap at around $25 per ounce and silver was less than $2 per ounce; not very appealing to miners of the time.
Additionally, Miners were gamblers, leave a body of gold ore and maybe next year gold is up $10. Sell it then and make more money. Most large mining operations would leave 50% of the ores in the ground. Set aside specifically as a sort of “savings account”. Think of it as a 401k of today. Also, a lot of mines that ran silver saw the values fall to a low of .30 cents per ounce around turn of the century which effectively killed any profit to be made mining sites. Today silver sits at around $25.00 per ounce. That's more than a 100x increase. Ore processing today usually extracts 90-95% of precious metals, while in the late 20s, mills were lucky to extract 25% of total value.

Q: Why buy from GRE?

A: Only GRE sells claims that are certified by the Bureau of Mines. This is huge. The fact is we do more work on the ground, and in the office than anyone out there. This relates to land verification, geology reports, mapping and the relevant items that make a mining claim worth having and holding. 
GRE is the only seller of mineral claims, on eBay or other sites that employs a full time geologist, who visits each and every mine. Documenting the real veins and trends that exist in the mines. No one else even attempts to do this. GRE Maps out every claim and shows you what you are getting. While others may shine a flashlight in a dark hole and tell you its a mine, we actually verify what is in there and what you can expect. Again, something that no one else even attempts.
Our passion is for mining and the history around it. We want people to get claims that are accurate and documented. Something you can pass down to your children. So we do more work, and make sure that all of our claims are rock solid, from top to bottom. There are no surprises here. 10 years from now, you will still be able to reproduce the same information on your mine. Additionally, you will be able to see a history of who has owned it and when, images, documents and any items that are available in relation to the mines will be captured with your National Bureau of Mines ID.