Poudre River gold mined by 'Gold Rush' miner Freddy Dodge up for auction: How to bid on it

Update, Feb. 16: Fort Collins auctioneer Bill Seaworth pulled the certified gold and a lunch for two with Dodge at LongHorn Steakhouse in Fort Collins because of a dispute with Poudre High School. Read more about what happened and Poudre School District's explanation of the issue in our latest story.

Original story: The list of auction items at the Poudre High School FFA annual Oyster Fry (think bulls, not seafood) is, well, different, with goats, a chicken coop, butchered hog and the labor of FFA members all up for bid.

But Friday's event has added another twist: Poudre River gold mined by Freddy Dodge, the Colorado gold miner made famous by Discovery Channel's "Gold Rush."

"The good news is Poudre River gold is the purest in the state," said Bill Seaworth, the event's auctioneer and a friend of Dodge. "The bad news is there isn't much of it. If you panned the river, you would be old and gray before you got any gold."

It's taken Dodge running sluice boxes on area gravel mining operations many years to find enough gold of any substance. The mining was done outside of the popular show.

Seaworth is teaming up with Dodge to auction off two half-ounce jars of Poudre River gold Dodge has collected from the gravel pits. To sweeten the FFA pot, Seaworth also will auction off lunch for two with Dodge at LongHorn Steakhouse in Fort Collins.

"Gold is trading for $1,900 an ounce, so we split it up," Seaworth said. "But with it being Poudre River gold, who knows how much it will bring."

From the archives:Meet Manhattan, the Northern Colorado gold rush town you've never heard of

Seaworth is the third generation living on the family farm on Taft Hill Road along the banks of the Poudre River. The family sold gravel and mineral rights on the property, but he said he started buying back the gold Martin Marietta mined from the farm to make gold coins.

"Some other places, they check the gravel pits for gold every week, but here they move millions of tons of rock for a few ounces," Seaworth said.

The oyster fry and auction starts at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at Poudre High School. Tickets are $10 for the event and meal, and can be purchased at the door. Proceeds go toward FFA field trips, competitions and educational displays.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: How to bid on Poudre River gold mined by Freddy Dodge of 'Gold Rush'