Most people have no idea that a 154 year old U.S. law still allows any citizen (and some companies) to stake a mining claim on public land - and keep what they find, without paying any royalties. So I decided to do the whole thing, start to finish, on camera.
In this video I walk through every step of the process: researching and locating a viable claim site, filing the paperwork with the BLM, physically staking the claim in the field, mining the material, and then refining it all the way down to a poured silver bar worth around $500.
No shortcuts. No prior claim. Just the actual process, documented in full.
What's covered: - How to research and identify a legal claim location on public land - Filing a mining claim with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - How to physically stake a claim in the field - The mining process itself - Refining and smelting silver into a poured bar
If you're interested in how this law is applied by larger companies (including foreign firms), I encourage you to research the Mining Act of 1872. It's an interesting history.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS!
LMNT keeps my hydrated through all these crazy adventures. And they're giving you a FREE 8-count sample pack with any purchase. Check out https://drinklmnt.com/Brent for the deal.
Thank you to J Rousek Toy in Bishop, CA for allowing me to use the XRF gun to see the silver content of the final bar!
I set up a Patreon for anyone interested in further supporting the town and the efforts here. There is a lot of cool behind-the-scenes material there, as well as an option to forever put your name on the restoration efforts: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ghosttownliving
