Posted by Adam Quinan on October 13, 2012 at 22:56:16 user Adam.
In Reply to: Re: why bother with the ingot? posted by Fergus Mason on October 13, 2012 at 20:13:06:
Copper pyrites is a mineral compound of iron and copper sulphide (CuFeS2) also known as chalcopyrite. Iron pyrites is a similar iron disulphide mineral compound. Iron without the copper. They are both gold coloured though the copper compound is a brighter colour.
While pirates may have carried their gold in ingots, prospectors in the Klondike etc. usually just carried gold dust to pay for things and sell. In the North American gold rushes, the most usual source was not gold ore from veins in the rock but placer gold found in river sediments etc.