The Radhausberg is an ancient alpine gold mining area, veins were developed by several mines located on the slopes to the southeast of the Naßfeld valley, on Radhausberg mountain and others. The mining activities ceased in the late 19th century. The gold mainly occurred as inclusions in sulphides.

Here is a rare specimen featuring free gold in a part of a quartz vein of appr. 5 cm thickness, with mica schist as selvage. The size of the gold leaf on pics 1 and 2 is appr. 3 mm, thus it is clearly visible with the naked eye. Minor pyrite is present as minute cubic crystals (see pic 7).

Comes with old label of Erich Zirkl (1923-2001). After graduating from high school in 1941 and earning his PhD degree (in Mineralogy?) from the University of Vienna, he worked for several years at the Mineralogical-Petrographic Institute of the University of Vienna, and did his post-doctoral work there beginning in 1957. In 1963 he took a position at the Technical University of Graz, where he found a rich field of activity in the Institute of Engineering Geology, Petrography and Mineralogy, and in 1974 was appointed Associate Professor. In 1985 he retired. Univ.-Prof. Dr. Zirkl died on September 27, 2001, in Graz, Austria. His mineral collection was sold off over several years, beginning in 2003.