Legal Definitions - placer claim

A placer claim is a type of mining claim that allows a person to appropriate a parcel of land that contains precious metal in its soil or rock. Unlike a lode claim, where the minerals are located in veins or lodes within rock, placer claims are usually found in softer ground near the earth's surface.

For example, if someone discovers a stream with gold deposits in the sand and gravel along the banks, they can stake a placer claim to that area and have exclusive rights to mine the gold from that location.

It's important to note that the distinction between lode and placer claims can be flexible, depending on the nature of the mineral deposits and modern mining methods. For instance, surface mining methods may allow miners to remove certain lodes or veins of minerals that were previously only reached by underground methods.