Pneumatic Hoist
Eureka-Croesus Mine, Eureka, Nevada
Major Henry G. Catlin and the Eureka-Croesus Revival
(R. Baker, Elko Daily Free Press, 3/3/2015)
Friday, July 31, 2020 AMMajor Henry G. Catlin and the Eureka-Croesus Revival
(R. Baker, Elko Daily Free Press, 3/3/2015)
***
"I cannot overstate the potential harm the coronavirus can do to the world economy." (Eureka Miner, January 31, 2020)
Follow the ole Colonel on twitter @Eurekaminer
Next Week Target Gold Price: $2,000 per ounce, Target Silver Price: $24.20 per ounce
My latest Kitco News commentary: Is silver near a top? (7/27/2020, Kitco News) [summary of recent commentaries given at the bottom of the blog]
Baker: Gold in the time of coronavirus (Elko Daily Free Press, 6/4/2020)
An easy-to-understand overview on gold (32 slides, read explanation below each slide): History of gold and which countries have the most
WHAT IS THE RECORD GOLD PRICE?
Today, a new all-time Comex gold record was set at $2,005.4 (December contract)
What makes a record gold price? There are many correct answers to this question, different answers but no less true. Some folks refer to the spot gold price on a particular day others futures prices. They may cite a closing or intraday number. For the purposes of this report, the "all-time record" refers to the highest intraday price on the Comex futures exchange for the most active front-month contract.
The old record was $1,923.7 per ounce.
That occurred on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. I reported on the record intraday price the following day in this Eureka Miner:
Gold Trips; Copper & Oil Bounce (Eureka Miner, 9/7/2011)
Morning Miners!
Comex gold rose above the mercurial $2,000-level this morning to set a new all-time record of $2,005.4 per ounce (see above explanation for what makes a record). That's something to celebrate!
Silver got its mojo earlier this week posting a closing high of $24.501 per ounce on Monday followed by an intraday high of $26.275 on Tuesday. The ole Colonel thinks that's it for a time as I explain in my latest Kitco column:
Is silver near a top? (7/27/2020, Kitco News)
I believe we're in the third turn (What's that? Read the column, pardner!)
Comex August gold is presently trading at $1,989.6 per ounce (9:11 am Eureka Time).
Comex September Silver is currently trading at $24.22 per ounce (9:12 am Eureka Time).
Comex September copper is presently $2.8820 per pound (9:12 am Eureka Time). Copper has been resilient around $2.9 since mid-July (see below).
Here's how I explained my gold and silver outlook to the Kitco News Weekly Gold Survey this morning:
Today as Comex gold crests $2,000 per ounce on an intraday basis for a new all-time high, it continues to be an excellent environment for the yellow metal.
There is plenty of domestic and geo-political uncertainty. U.S. elections, an out of control virus in The U.S. that dampens economic recovery, the potential for civic unrest and rapidly escalating U.S./China tensions continue to be a few of the concerns causing investors to seek safe-havens.
As the euro breaks 1.18 EURUSD, a weak dollar boosts dollarized commodities like gold. The fortunes of the U.S. currency grow dimmer with more expected Federal Reserve and U.S. Treasury largesse. Also there is an increasing differential between countries recovering successfully from covid-19 (like China, Japan and Germany) and a still struggling U.S.
Notably, there are very high and persistent correlations of gold (i.e.>0.9 on an absolute basis) with the Bloomberg broader commodity index (BCOM) as well as the euro and Japanese yen. This is not only evidence of a weakening U.S. dollar but carries a whiff of inflation as raw material input costs rise for American producers.
U.S. real rates are continuing to become more negative, a bullish trend for non-interest earning assets like gold. The 5-year real rate is below -1.2% this week with the 10-year close to -1.0%. This week also witnessed a broad based decline in global yields, another bullish indication for gold.*
Comex silver has put in its top at least for now ($26.275 intraday, 7/28) with a declining 3-month beta less than 3.0 and a gold-to-silver ratio (GSR) very near its long-term trendline of higher-lows established in April 2011.**
I believe gold needs to close at or above $2,000 next week to maintain its momentum; silver will follow at $24.20 per ounce.
These are the strange times of coronavirus.
* U.S. 5-yr real rate -1.19% ,U.S. 10-yr real rate -.98%; 10-year bonds: German Bund -0.53%, France -0.20% and Japan 0.01%
** GSR=82.60, 3-month, beta(Au,Ag) = 2.81 (last week 3.20)
Since it continues to dominate markets, a covid-19 summary is updated below.
In July, Mariana and I completed a seven-state tour of some of the worst hit areas in the United States. Day-by-day accounts of our travels can be found on my twitter feed @Eurekaminer.
The ole Colonel has also included the overview of the 1918-1919 Influenza impact on Eureka County from previous posts (bottom of blog).
COVID-19 Update
The website created for Eureka County to track and report on the covid-19 pandemic:
Here are the grim covid-19 statistics reported this morning (last Friday AM in parentheses):
U.S.A. 4,496,737 (4,070,480 ) covid-19 cases; 152,074 (144,734 ) deaths
Nevada 46,824 (40,885) covid-19 cases; 801 (722) deaths
If you want to track the charts and projections that Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx reference, check out this site (included in the Eureka website also):
This is only a model prediction - it can change and adapt as we learn more each day.
Remember each region has its own curve and numbers can vary widely state-to-state, county-to-county. Face masks and social distancing are currently our only weapon to change the curve's shape.
Stay safe and distant my friends, wear a mask in public.
Copper, Oil & China Updates
Comex copper has been resiliently hovering around $2.9 since mid-July, presently trading at $2.8820 per pound. Improving Chinese demand and mining supply restrictions are keeping prices up but don't expect gangbusters with much of the world suffering economically from the coronavirus.
Here's a recent column from The Economist on a subject recently discussed @Eurekaminer.
Unusually, copper and gold prices are rising in tandem (The Economist, 7/23/2020)
The Saudi-Russia oil price war in combination with covid-19 has had a devastating impact on the oil markets. This morning Nymex WTI is trading up at $40.35 per barrel. The front month NYMEX futures contract plumbed a historic low of negative $37.63 per barrel on Monday, 4/20/2020.
China, which still represents copper's highest demand, is on the mend. Here is my China Indicator updated through this morning (see above 2/18/2020 Kitco column). A LOW NUMBER IS GOOD.
China 2-rho Divergence Indicator
A bottom of 0.3012 occurred after the signing of the Phase I deal seemed certain (Friday, 1/10/2020). This AM the indicator sits at 0.15304 below the coronavirus peak of 1.8399 set February 11th and below the 6-year average (0.79). The covid-19 pandemic is stabilizing in China and their economy recently reported a positive 3.2% annualized GDP. Let's keep an eye for any moves higher given any renewed U.S./China tensions or virus outbreaks (click on chart for larger size). The dramatic fall in one month from the 6/15/20 peak (1.3875) is a bullish indication for copper. However, re-emerging U.S./China tensions could cause a bearish move higher.
I've been actively tweeting market news/events during the week so please follow me at @Eurekaminer. I usually tweet Sunday night which is Monday morning at the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for a heads up on copper & gold prices in the Year of the Rat.
Weekly Summary
Here is a weekly summary chart of gold and my 16 favorite market variables. They are grouped in categories "Commodities", "Interest Rates", "Indexes" and "Currencies" of 4 variables each. Over time, each variable has played some part in the gold story. It is prudent to monitor all 16 to understand the key price drivers that are currently active for the yellow metal. Importantly, this is not a unique collection of variables but one that works well for the ole Colonel
Because The Eureka Miner is a morning report, Friday AM prices are compared with the closing prices of the previous week (click on charts for larger size):
This weekly chart of comparative value tracks the value of gold relative to key currencies, commodities and indexes :
Silver Watch
Comex silver is above $23 per ounce. Please check this out if you get the silver bug:
How to Invest in Silver (Debbie Carlson, U.S. News & World Report, August 1, 2019)
How to smartly buy gold and silver:
How to Mine Physical Precious Metals for an IRA (Debbie Carlson, Barrons, Sept. 8, 2019)
The gold-to-silver ratio (GSR) set a new high Wednesday, 3/18, of 123.9 ounce per ounce solidly above July 11 high of 91.3 - a trend down from this top is bullish for silver if the Lustrous One continues its rally.
At 82.60 silver is still historically cheap relative to gold!
Importantly, the GSR has broken a long-term trend of higher-lows established April 2011 - a very bullish indication for silver.
The 10-year average GSR is much lower at 69.4 ounce per ounce.
It appears that Comex silver hit is closing high of $24.501 on Monday (7/27) and closing intraday high of $26.275 on Tuesday (7/28). That's likely it for a while as I explain in this Kitco commentary:
Is silver near a top? (7/27/2020, Kitco News)
(click on image for larger size)
Gold-to-Silver Ratio
The 3-month beta with gold is falling away from its lofty perch. You prefer a high beta (i.e. greater than 1.00) when gold rallies higher. Peaks in beta typically occur near highs and lows.
(click on image for larger size).
Silver-to-Gold Beta (3-month base)
Historical note:
In the past, when gold and silver were legal tender (see gold overview link below headline photo), it was important to set a value relationship between them. In 1792, the U.S. fixed its price at 15:1. This means that 1 troy ounce of gold was worth 15 troy ounces of silver. Over the years, as this ratio has changed, precious metal investors have used it as a signal of when to buy.
Stay tuned.
Inflation Watch
Inflation expectations made a high of 2.18% April 23, 2018. They have tracked steadily down from there with a dive to the 0.5%-level before reversing higher - yesterday's number was 1.52%. Expectations have been rising at a faster pace than 10-year U.S. Treasury yields resulting in negative real rates again (see Weekly Summary Charts) - a bullish signal for a non-interest earning asset like gold.
10-year Inflation Expectations
Many believe, including the ole Colonel, that gold price is more sensitive to inflation expectations than other measure of inflation. My January Kitco News commentary explains the importance of tracking "real rates" which are a function of inflation expectations:
Gold Versus Real Rates: $1,380+ by May Day 2019 (Kitco News, 1/2/2019)
Old Glory
Eureka, Nevada
Chart to Monitor
Here's a chart to monitor for 2020 (Click on the image for a larger size):
An important gold ratio is gold-to-S&P500 or AUSP. The ratio bottomed in early-December of 2015 and reversed to a bullish trend, peaking February 11, 2016 (0.6849). It bottomed December 20, 2016 (0.4973) trended higher but then bearishly reversed into a downward channel bottoming again October 1, 2018 (0.4063). Currently this AM the AUSP is at 0.6076 below the high of 0.7029 set March 23, 2020. Importantly, the ratio has aggressively left the downward trending channel with an uptrend trend of higher-lows starting with the October 2018 low. This week the ratio is moving higher above that trend (red dotted line) - bullish gold!
The Colonel's Latest Kitco News Commentaries
Please checkout my latest Kitco News columns on the stunning relationship of copper and gold prices with interest rates:
Is silver near a top? (7/27/2020, Kitco News)
Gundlach copper-gold indicator: low volatility in unexpected places (4/28/2020, Kitco News)
Copper, gold & the coronavirus (2/18/2020, Kitco News)
Leading indicator for U.S./China trade - copper, gold & yuan (1/13/2020, Kitco News)
Is Jeffrey Gundlach right about copper, gold & interest rates? (12/23/2020, Kitco News)
Gundlach indicator: stable copper-gold means low yield volatility (11/11/2019, Kitco News)
Gundlach Indicator: treasury yield and copper-gold ratio plummet (9/03/2019, Kitco News)
Robust Revival of Gundlach's 10-yr Treasury Relation with the Copper-Gold Ratio (6/17/2019, Kitco News)
1918 Influenza in Eureka County (Update)
Earlier this year I researched old newspapers (newspapers.com) to see how Eureka County was affected by the 1918-1919 Spanish Influenza Pandemic. With 500 million cases worldwide and an estimated death toll exceeding the military fatalities of WWI and WWII, Eureka County also suffered fatalities from this deadly virus. Influenza was first detected in the U.S.A. in January 1918 but didn't make it to Northern Nevada until October of that year.
Typical newspaper column of the day reporting
1918 Influenza in Northern Nevada
There were cases reported in surrounding counties of Lander, White Pine and Elko. Some nearby cities/towns cited with influenza were Reno, Carson City, Winnemucca, Silver City, Elko, Pioche and Tonopah. I didn't find any newspaper columns specifically citing Eureka County but with a little digging (using findagrave.com) discovered two confirmed deaths, one in Palisade and another in the ghost town of Mineral (Mineral Hills Cemetery, headline photo). I found four possible influenza deaths in Eureka cemeteries and one in Beowawe. That was seven total for the County. Since then excellent research by Rhonda Shangle Gardener shows a much higher confirmed death count of 38 which includes 1919 and a re-occurrence in 1922.
Charles Safford Walker
(photo: findagrave.com)
Mining and Army training camps were often where trouble began. The main line east-west railroad was suspected to be a path of transmission. I was informed by Roger Colton that his great uncle,Charles Safford Walker (1882-1918, 36 years old), died of complications after the flu. Mr. Walker was then the owner of the Palisade Ranch. The death certificate listed the cause of death as “bronchial pneumonia following influenza,” October 31, 1918. The town of Palisade is located on the mainline in the north County suggesting that trains may have indeed been an enabler for virus spread in rural communities.
Roy Plummer Gravesite
(photo: Robert Frenchu)
A second confirmed death is Roy Plummer (Nov. 21,1896 to Dec. 23, 1918, 22 years old) buried in the Mineral Hills Cemetery. Here is his death certificate:
Death Certificate for Roy Plummer
Here is a recent news column from the Carson City Nevada News:
Echoes of the past: Exploring the 1918 influenza epidemic in Nevada (Carson City Nevada News - Carson Now, April 19, 2020)
Rhonda Shangle Gardner reached out to me and provided some excellent research she compiled. Rhonda worked from recorded death certificates to identify 19 influenza deaths in Eureka County in 1918, 10 in 1919 and 9 in 1922. This is a total of 38 confirmed and there are other "possibles" declared simply as pneumonia on the death certificate. The 1922 record indicates the re-occurrence of Spanish Influenza in Eureka County. The 1918 deaths include four I found (above) and eliminated some others.
Here is a link to her detailed and informative research:
WW1 AND THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC 1918-1919 (Rhonda Shangle Gardner)
Interestingly, a lot of these cases occurred in sheep camps and ranches in Antelope Valley and Bean Flat. Here is a death certificate for Alfred Pedlar of Bean Flat from Rhonda's research (35 years old, died November 23, 1918):
Death Certificate for Alfred Pedlar
Cheers,
Colonel Possum & Mariana
Posts
.png)
.jpg)
.jpg)