An interesting find, or a cruel joke?

[Bug]

Hi all,

I recently stumbled across something interesting out in Victoria's Golden Triangle.

While out having a swing, I usually keep an eye out for any interesting quartz specimens (or a sunbaker).

I was having a rest, flipping over some pieces of quartz in a known gold-bearing reef area, and had the shock of a lifetime. At first, I thought it was gold, of course... but upon closer inspection, this whole piece of quartz is coated leaf-thin in whatever this is.

Is this a form of pyrite, or has someone decided to play a cruel joke with some gold spray paint? When scratched, it'll flake off, thus the paint question - but it is worth noting it was in a relatively inaccessible location.

No target on the SDC, haven't bothered trying it on the GPZ.

Any insight as to what this might be, in addition to what it means for gold in the area, would be very much appreciated!

 

[Hawkear]

Jokes or hoaxes are not uncommon.
Remember back prospecting in the Wedderburn area back in the 80s. I drove down a road and saw a mining claim with some people working it in a fenced private property. I stopped the car and reasoned there was nothing to stop me detecting outside the fence.
After a few minutes I couldn't believe my eyes, there was gold studded quartz everywhere. I picked one lump up but quickly realised that it was only gold painted.
I imagined the mirth of the claim operators who might have been watching the event from their cover so I made a point of carefully placing it on the gate post leading into the property, giving them a "got me" wave and moving on.
Another instance I recall was up at Kingower where someone was reported as having gone to a lot of trouble of planting many metal tokens with I think "Dickhead" imprinted on them. Never actually found one myself but widely reported at the time. If anyone has one should be a collectible piece of folklore now.

 

[Bug]

Thanks for your insight, Hawkear.

An odd place and a lot of effort would have been involved for this piece. It was a 30 minute hike, with no vehicle access, and some pretty thick scrub. Props to the trickster! I think I might crack it open along a fault and see if there are any inclusions that run through it.

I've heard of fake nuggets being planted in and around Slaty Creek in Creswick, but never thought I'd fall victim to a joke too.

Great story with the claim, and interesting to hear a bit of history regarding those tokens. Would be great to see some photos of the tokens if anyone from PA managed to pick one up.

 

[Greg_wilson]

I doubt it is a joke, more like a natural mineral or sulfide (sp?) have seen examples before though not as much as you have on that example

 

[Grey Panner]

Jokes or hoaxes are not uncommon.
Remember back prospecting in the Wedderburn area back in the 80s. I drove down a road and saw a mining claim with some people working it in a fenced private property. I stopped the car and reasoned there was nothing to stop me detecting outside the fence.
After a few minutes I couldn't believe my eyes, there was gold studded quartz everywhere. I picked one lump up but quickly realised that it was only gold painted.
I imagined the mirth of the claim operators who might have been watching the event from their cover so I made a point of carefully placing it on the gate post leading into the property, giving them a "got me" wave and moving on.
Another instance I recall was up at Kingower where someone was reported as having gone to a lot of trouble of planting many metal tokens with I think "Dickhead" imprinted on them. Never actually found one myself but widely reported at the time. If anyone has one should be a collectible piece of folklore now.

I was once detecting in an abandoned mine tunnel. As I ran the detector high up along the walls I got a strong reading over a deep crevice. It took a lot of scaping, hacking and probing before I recovered a brass .22 cartridge case that some joker had rammed into the crevice. It was a case of "Come in Spinner"
Caught me a beauty.

 

[JD3]

Jokes or hoaxes are not uncommon.
Remember back prospecting in the Wedderburn area back in the 80s. I drove down a road and saw a mining claim with some people working it in a fenced private property. I stopped the car and reasoned there was nothing to stop me detecting outside the fence.
After a few minutes I couldn't believe my eyes, there was gold studded quartz everywhere. I picked one lump up but quickly realised that it was only gold painted.
I imagined the mirth of the claim operators who might have been watching the event from their cover so I made a point of carefully placing it on the gate post leading into the property, giving them a "got me" wave and moving on.
Another instance I recall was up at Kingower where someone was reported as having gone to a lot of trouble of planting many metal tokens with I think "Dickhead" imprinted on them. Never actually found one myself but widely reported at the time. If anyone has one should be a collectible piece of folklore now.

I used to know the bloke who made and planted the DH tokens.
He is not around anymore.
They were as common as flies back in the 80s and 90s.
I only caught him out by accident one day detecting with him.
I was walking over to him as he had just dug something up, he didn't see me, he looked at what he had and said "bugger it, i just stooged myself".
I always held him in suspicion for them. That convinced me.
He tried to deny it but to me it didn't matter, it was him.
I think to this day im the only one who knows. And it stays that way.
I reckon in those yrs I found dozens of them. The majority were planted around Dunolly, Tarnagulla, Waanyarra and Moliagul. You are the first iv heard getting one from Kingower. I never found one there.
One friend I know found over 100 of them around Tarnagulla and Waanyarra.
I only kept one as a momento, this one.