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Most people will tell you that the Yellow Jacket mine is the richest mine in Arizona. It is estimated that the Phoenix Mine is 2 - 4 times more valuable than the Yellow Jacket! Both mines were patented in the late 1800's. Recent testing has been done on the Yellow Jacket. Two major veins have been exposed form the surface, the Green Vein and the La-Paz Vein. The La-Paz Vein is the same vein that runs all the way to California and was discovered during the Gold Rush Days of 1849. It also extends south into Sonora, Mexico which is the source of some of the richest mines in the world. The La-Paz vein on the Yellow Jacket mine is estimated to run 10 - 30 feet wide to a depth of at least 500 feet. The Green vein is parallel to the main vein and runs about 12 feet east of the main vein. This varies from 3 to 7 feet wide. The mine barely hits the 250 foot level with only 30 feet of cross cuts at that level. An old nearby mine on a small stinger of the La-Paz vein, went to 1700 feet deep. The average gold values used in estimating the reserves are 1.63 opt gold and 2.11 opt silver with high assays of 12 opt and hi-grade areas of 120 opt. These high values were not used in estimating the reserves. Free gold can be readily seen in the quartz. There is a 12000 pound brass 1800's steam pump at the 150 foot level. Only two of these are known to exist in the world. The other is in a museum. There is a crusher and a bawl mill on site with a diesel generator. Power lines are run to the mill and the old steam jack hammer pipes are in place as well as the rail system. More aerial photos are available and these will make your geologist think that he has died and gone to Heaven. ( aerial photo 1 and aerial photo 2 ) The property was drilled a long time ago but the results are lost. Someone can initiate a new drilling program if they like at their expense. Because the property in Patented there is no reclamation to pay as long as no major EPA laws regulating pollution of the air or water are broken. The taxes on both properties are only $320 and the cost to mine one ounce of gold is estimated to be $50, way less than the national average.
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A note from the owner about the water...
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