is the oldest, continuously-operated gold mine in
the United States. More than a million ounces have been mined from the depths of the Sixteen to One Mine making it a major gold deposit. The mine has been operated continuously since it was located in 1896 although the size of the crew has varied dramatically. The largest crew was during the great depression (1930s) when the mine had 100 employees
working two 12-hours shifts around the clock. In recent times employment peaked at 50 in 1997. Currently a minimal crew (3 to 6 men) works the mine. Hardrock gold mines in Sierra County’s Alleghany District differ from typical Mother Lode mines: they are “feast or famine” operations. Sporadic yet rich pockets are dispersed within the otherwise barren quartz vein. The payoffs in these pockets can be spectacular, and indeed the Sixteen to One Mine holds the record for the state’s three richest gold pocket discoveries. Two of these pockets were mined in the 1920’s and brought in 89,000 and 48,000 ounces respectively. The third pocket was mined in the 1930’s and brought in 36,000 ounces. ($1,200 x 36,000 = $43,200,000)
Modern day mining produced the Million Dollar Day in 1993 (2,500 ounces) and the Two Million Dollar stope in 1995 (5,000 ounces mined in four shifts). At $1,200 per ounce that would be a 3 million dollar day and a 6 million dollar stope. The most recent substantial pocket was in 2004 at 1,468 ounces. Production has been minimal since 2004 but the possibility of another pocket keeps the mine going. Hopefully this document will need to be updated for a new find soon! A rare gemstone…
Most unusual is the way in which the mine’s gold occurs. Doré (raw gold) from the Sixteen to One is 84% gold and 15% silver giving it a high luster. The snowy white quartz of the Sixteen to One Vein combined with the high luster doré creates a rare and beautiful gemstone. The gold/quartz gemstone brings in a premium above the spot price of gold without the expense associated with converting hardrock gold into bullion. The mine is also famous for its crystalline gold specimens coveted by collectors. Crystalline gold, free to express its external structure in its growth forms and surfaces, is extremely rare. Nearly 99% of gold produced in the world today comes from large ore bodies bearing only microscopic gold. Gold large enough to be seen with the naked eye is rare in modern ores. Gold in crystal form is even rarer as it requires special conditions for its formation within the earth.
