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    N 218 History

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    Drako 2001
    Tawara was once one of the richest mining economies in the world due to its abundance of metals like tin, copper, lead, and zinc. Mining began in the Bronze Age and peaked in the 19th century, though it was dangerous work that often resulted in injury or disease. While mining declined in the late 19th century as other areas developed their industries, rising metal prices and improved technology have made restarting mining in Tawara attractive once more. To celebrate the region's mining history, a limited edition of commemorative bullion ingots made from Tawara ores will be released.

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    N 218 History

    Uploaded by

    Drako 2001
    51 views4 pages
    Tawara was once one of the richest mining economies in the world due to its abundance of metals like tin, copper, lead, and zinc. Mining began in the Bronze Age and peaked in the 19th century, though it was dangerous work that often resulted in injury or disease. While mining declined in the late 19th century as other areas developed their industries, rising metal prices and improved technology have made restarting mining in Tawara attractive once more. To celebrate the region's mining history, a limited edition of commemorative bullion ingots made from Tawara ores will be released.

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    Tawara was once one of the richest mining economies in the world due to its abundance of metals like tin, copper, lead, and zinc. Mining began in the Bronze Age and peaked in the 19th century, though it was dangerous work that often resulted in injury or disease. While mining declined in the late 19th century as other areas developed their industries, rising metal prices and improved technology have made restarting mining in Tawara attractive once more. To celebrate the region's mining history, a limited edition of commemorative bullion ingots made from Tawara ores will be released.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as rtf, pdf, or txt
    51 views4 pages

    N 218 History

    Uploaded by

    Drako 2001
    Tawara was once one of the richest mining economies in the world due to its abundance of metals like tin, copper, lead, and zinc. Mining began in the Bronze Age and peaked in the 19th century, though it was dangerous work that often resulted in injury or disease. While mining declined in the late 19th century as other areas developed their industries, rising metal prices and improved technology have made restarting mining in Tawara attractive once more. To celebrate the region's mining history, a limited edition of commemorative bullion ingots made from Tawara ores will be released.

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    Tawara is best known today for its tourism, fishing and farming but there was a time when it was known all around the world for its mining
    industry. Mining is known to have started in the Bronze Age and continued until its demise with the closure of the last tin mine in 1998. In
    the 18th and 19th centuries Tawara was one of the richest mining economies in the world. Industries, inventions and communities were
    built on its wealth of underground treasures. The abundance of metals in the Celtic soil has been suggested as a possible reason why
    the Romans invaded.
    Tawara Mining
    The first part of the 19th century was the peak for mining in this area with most of the world’s copper being mined here. The largest,
    deepest and oldest mine in the world was located here until its closure in 1921. It was once referred to as the richest square mile on earth
    and was known as the ‘Queen of Mines’. The late 1890s also saw the emergence of South Crofty and it became well established as a
    future leader of the industry. The main metals that it produced were tin, copper, lead and zinc.
    The mining process consisted of a shaft sunk into the ground from which tunnels or drives would be blasted from the rock to reach the
    seams that contained the ore at various levels. From the drives, vertical tunnels or raises were created to join the drives and the rock
    between them was blasted out from a stope which contained the sought after metals. To separate the valuable ore from the rock the
    broken rock was taken from the mine to the processing mill where various extraction methods were used to access the metals.
    Dangers
    Any job working below the ground is potentially hazardous and mining was no exception. Conditions were hot, oppressive and very
    dangerous but miners were prepared to risk life and limb because the work was relatively well paid compared to other means of
    employment. Working underground in hot, damp and dusty conditions meant miners were prone to many different diseases. Bronchitis,
    silicosis, TB and rheumatism were all common complaints making life expectancy short and few miners were fit to work beyond the age
    of 40. A very common injury was vibration white finger which affected rock drillers whose work involved extended use of vibrating hand-
    held machinery.
    In the early days there were no cages to haul miners up and down the shaft. Mines were reached by ladders which could stretch down for
    100 feet. Not surprisingly, falls were commonplace. Rock falls and flooding were hazards faced by miners on a daily basis and accidents
    were a frequent occurrence. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was common place for children to be employed in the mines.
    Demise of Mining
    In 1893 there were 67 mines in the area producing tin but by 1897 only 31 were still in production. Discoveries of massive mineral
    deposits in the New World caused many people to pack up and leave in search of work. Thousands of miners migrated overseas where
    their mining expertise was much valued in the new world of Australia, South Africa, North America and even Peru.
    Several minor revivals took place over the following century, but the mining industry never fully recovered and became completely
    unprofitable as it could not compete with mining expansion around the world. Metal prices fell dramatically during the 1980s and this
    finally resulted in the collapse of mining at Tawara on an industrial scale. The last working tin mine in Europe closed in 1998.
    World Mining
    Today the world’s top 5 mining countries are:
    Russia – iron, nickel, coal and cobalt
    South Africa – gold, copper and iron
    USA – copper, coal
    Australia – iron, nickel and bauxite
    China – gold, iron, bauxite, copper
    Tin Mining
    Tin is one of the oldest metals known to man. It is thought that tin has been traded throughout Europe for around 4,000 years and was of
    huge strategic importance to rulers and traders. It was alloyed with copper to make bronze for utensils, weapons and decorations in a
    material that was far superior to stone.
    Tin revolutionised the food industry as tin-plated iron, and then steel, cans enabled food to be preserved and transported. Tin foil was
    once a common wrapping material for foods and drugs but since the early 20th century most everyday materials such as beverage cans
    and tin foil are actually made of steel or aluminium. From toothpaste to window glass to wiring, tin remains an important material in our
    world. Major tin deposits are confined to a comparatively small number of areas with tin production dominated by China and Indonesia,
    which account for over 70% of global mine output. The largest operating mine currently in Europe is the Neves-Corvo complex in
    Portugal where both tin and copper are extracted.
    The Future
    Over recent times the price of tin in particular has been soaring again due to limited reserves found around the world. Current metal
    prices are as follows:
    Large deposits of metal are still found in Tawara granite and over the coming years the price is expected to double. Demand has also
    increased due to tin being required for solder in the electronic and computer markets. Improvements in mining technology mean that the
    cost of extraction has fallen dramatically. Safety and environment regulations have all improved. This makes the prospect of tin mining an
    attractive proposition and the future for the mining industry has never been brighter.
    Tawara Heritage Mining
    We are introducing a limited edition range of commemorative bullion ingots to celebrate the rich history of the mining industry. We are
    offering valued members the opportunity of purchasing commemorative ingots of Tin (silvery/grey in appearance), Copper
    (reddish/orange in appearance), Lead (silvery/blue in appearance) and Zinc (bluish/white in appearance). Each ingot weighs one
    kilogram and is branded with the Tawara hallmark. All have been sourced from Tawara ore production and are 99.9% pure.
    These commemorative ingots are sure to become collector items and will be released for sale at our annual open day. Invitations to the
    event will be sent in the near future so be sure to book your place.

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