NOT FOUND: JerryLevitt_49er.jpgMany Californians happily live, work, travel and play on the former sites of California’s 1800s Gold Rush, never imagining the nearby riches that still remain undiscovered. Although gold is no longer found in the fabled quantities of those heady days, far fewer folks search for it as well. Some of those who do are more successful than you might imagine.
Jerry Levitt is a self-described “sourdough” who has been mining gold for almost 30 years. While he has claims in both Alaska and Northern California, some of his richest finds have come from the South Fork of the American River. “Anyone can try their luck on the American River across from Coloma Park,” he advises. “That’s still a great place to pan. Kids often pull out fingernail-sized nuggets.”
And when you find gold, be quiet about it! Jerry says that real 49ers never cried, “Eureka!” “Why would you do that?” he asks. “Someone would know who to rob!” Instead, successful gold panners would quickly stick the gold nuggets in their mouths and keep them under their tongues until the end of the day. “The smart ones never said a word to anyone about their findings,” says Jerry. Even today, when people ask if there’s any gold left to find, many modern miners will say, “NO!” (But if they mumble, it might be because they have gold nuggets under their tongues!)
Retired from the State Board of Equalization, Jerry also has some tax advice for modern gold hunters. “Gold that you find – it’s called ‘bullion’ – is tax-free to the finder. But if you sell it, successive buyers have to pay taxes on it.” At one time, Jerry’s hobby yielded enough tax-free gold to pay for an annual one-month vacation on Waikiki Beach!
Jerry will be sharing his gold-panning expertise and stories with visitors to the Discovery Museum Science & Space Center on April 10 and 11. Troughs will be filled with water and sand, and salted with genuine semi-precious stones and minerals, including real gold. Tenderfoot miners can rent a “claim” at the trough for $3, and Jerry will show them the finer points of panning. Glass vials are provided to take home the treasure should miners decide against hiding their findings under their tongues. For those who would like to own and wear genuine Sacramento-area gold nuggets, Jerry’s gold is available at the Museum Store in the form of beautiful jewelry and belt buckles, all handmade by the miner himself.