[Bunyip]

I used to do a bit of gold panning when I lived in CA. It's fun, and how freaking cool would that be to be able to say my pieces are fumed with gold that I personally mined!

That's an interesting story about mercury eating the face off of a silver coin! I remember playing with mercury when I was a kid, using no precationary measures whatsoever. Just crack open the thermostat, dig out the ampoule of mercury and pour it out into your hand... In hindsight that was probably a bad idea...I wonder what long-term damage I incurred. I know it can affect your brain as well as your other organs. That exposure is one of the reasons I avoid tuna and other possible mercury hazards whenever possible these days.