Mining in the Carolinas - Betting on History for a Second Wave of Discovery

Vancouver, Kelowna, and Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - July 8, 2026) - Investorideas.com, a leader in mining investing news and home of the Exploring Mining Podcast issues a snapshot of mining stocks betting on the Carolina's new wave of exploration and discovery, featuring Metalsource Mining Inc . (CSE: MSM) (OTCQB: MSMMF) (FSE: E9Z). Mining in the Carolinas - Betting on History for a Second Wave of Discovery To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/6292/304357_ed26ef5af443ba37_001full.jpg While the Carolinas are historically renowned for their gold mining heritage, most notably as the site of America's first gold discovery at the Reed Mine in 1799, the region's Carolina Slate Belt also hosts significant polymetallic systems containing silver along with base metals such as lead and zinc. These deposits are actively being explored and advanced by junior companies in a top-tier US jurisdiction featuring private land ownership and favorable permitting conditions.

Recent advances in geophysical surveying techniques, combined with strong precious metals prices have ignited renewed interest in the Carolina Slate Belt, inciting a modern-day "second gold rush." This resurgence has drawn a fresh wave of publicly traded junior mining companies to the region, eager to apply contemporary exploration methods to its underexplored polymetallic and precious metal systems. An example of this strategy in action is junior miner Metalsource Mining Inc. (CSE: MSM) (OTCQB: MSMMF) (FSE: E9Z), advancing the Silver Hill and Byrd-Pilot projects in North Carolina. Silver Hill is recognized as America's first significant silver discovery and the location of the nation's first commercial silver production in 1838.

The project features steeply dipping polymetallic lenses with silver-gold-lead-zinc mineralization that remain open in multiple directions, supported by extensive historical drill data, underground mapping and recent surface sampling. The company has recently expanded its land position through strategic acquisitions to approximately 1,300 acres and is conducting systematic drilling and geophysical programs (including induced polarization and magnetotelluric surveys) to define and expand high-grade zones. Highlights Land position expanded to approximately 1,300 acres through option agreements covering three additional properties.

Newly acquired ground is interpreted to be along strike and down dip of known mineralization and part of the evolving Silver Hill geological model. Expansion supports the Company's objective of evaluating the broader district scale potential beyond the historic mine footprint. Exploration continues across Silver Hill with multiple assays pending while management advances plans to increase drilling capacity.

Joe Cullen, CEO of Metalsource Mining, commented: "This is a strategic acquisition we've been working toward for some time. As drilling, geophysics and geological interpretation have continued to improve our understanding of the Silver Hill system, it became increasingly important to secure these highly prospective properties while the opportunity was available. We're grateful to the families who have owned this land for generations and appreciate the trust they've placed in our team.

Every successful drill hole has strengthened our confidence in the broader district and helped define where we believe the next phase of exploration should be focused. These newly acquired properties provide access to compelling exploration targets that we look forward to advancing in the near term as we continue expanding the known mineralized footprint at Silver Hill. As we move closer to increasing drilling capacity, our vision is clear: one program focused on systematically expanding the Silver Hill proper, while additional drilling evaluates high priority regional targets generated through our geological work and recent IP surveys.

We believe we're still in the early stages of understanding the scale of this district, and we're excited by the potential for both resource expansion and new discoveries." What's Next Multiple assays pending from the current drill campaign, with results expected to continue advancing the Company's understanding of the Silver Hill system. Increasing drilling capacity as management advances plans to secure an additional drill rig to accelerate testing of both known mineralization and newly identified exploration targets. Testing the broader district through continued integration of drilling, IP geophysics and geological interpretation to prioritize additional targets beyond the historic mine footprint.

Continuing strategic growth through evaluation of additional land opportunities that complement the Company's evolving district scale exploration strategy. Why This Matters to Investors The expansion of the Silver Hill land package reflects management's growing confidence in the broader exploration potential of the district. As drilling, geological interpretation and property scale geophysical surveys continue to refine the Company's understanding of the system, Metalsource is strategically securing prospective ground that may host mineralization and additional high priority exploration targets.

The newly acquired properties are expected to play an important role in the next phase of exploration. While the current drill program continues to systematically expand the known Silver Hill deposit, these acquisitions position the Company to evaluate a growing pipeline of prospective targets across the broader district as additional drilling capacity comes online. With multiple drill holes pending, plans to accelerate exploration and an expanding portfolio of high priority targets, Metalsource believes it is transitioning from exploring a historic mine to systematically unlocking the broader district scale potential of one of America's most historically significant polymetallic mining camps.

Full news: https://www.metalsourcemining.com/20260702-metalsource-mining-expands-silver-hill-district-through-strategic-land-acquisition-as-exploration-footprint-continues-to-grow On June 30 th , Metalsource Mining announced additional assay results from its ongoing drill program at Silver Hill, where systematic step out drilling continues to improve management's understanding of the continuity and orientation of a growing high grade polymetallic system. Hole SH26-19 returned 6.28 metres grading 1,156 g/t silver equivalent ("AgEq"), including 3.6 metres grading 1,789 g/t AgEq. Positioned at the southern edge of recent drilling, the intersection contains elevated gold and silver values coincident with high grade massive sphalerite, providing additional confidence in the Company's evolving geological model and continued vectoring toward new mineralization.

The Silver Hill polymetallic system remains open along strike, down plunge and at depth. With multiple drill hole results currently pending, Metalsource believes the current exploration program is still in the early stages of defining the scale and continuity of the system. Full news: https://www.metalsourcemining.com/20260630-metalsource-mining-continues-to-define-high-grade-polymetallic-core-at-silver-hill-with-33-metre-down-plunge-step-out The Byrd-Pilot Project in Randolph County adds further gold-silver potential within the same prospective terrane.

Together, these assets highlight the untapped polymetallic opportunity in a district long overshadowed by its gold history but now benefiting from modern exploration techniques. The Byrd-Pilot project totals 1,000 acres and is located in Randolph County, North Carolina. With intercepts demonstrating consistent gold mineralization and a 450-metre trend of anomalous trench results, Byrd-Pilot represents a district-scale system that remains largely untested at depth.

Video overview of mining projects: Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3cUTKxOmZ8 Another active player in the Carolina's is OceanaGold Corporation (TSX: OGC) (NYSE: OGC) operating the Haile Gold Mine in South Carolina, a site boasting millions of ounces in reserves. The Haile Gold Mine is one of the largest active gold mines in the eastern United States.

In May, OceanaGold announced high-grade results from its ongoing exploration and resource conversion drilling program at the Haile Gold Mine in the United States. Drilling Highlights (core length): Horseshoe Underground (conversion and extension drilling): 15.5 m @ 30.64 g/​t Au (UGD0121) 30.5 m @ 13.86 g/​t Au (UGD0113) 22.5 m @ 13.42 g/​t Au (UGD0122) 18.4 m @ 9.62 g/​t Au (UGD0119) 21.9 m @ 6.48 g/​t Au including 3.7 m @ 23.55 g/​t Au (UGD0120) 26.3 m @ 3.41 g/​t Au and 44.3 m @ 3.72 g/​t Au (UGD0107) Ledbetter Underground (conversion drilling): 27.9 m @ 8.60 g/​t Au (DDH1313) 27.9 m @ 4.16 g/​t Au (DDH1319) 18.4 m @ 3.68 g/​t Au (DDH1317) 13.0 m @ 2.25 g/​t Au and 17.1 m @ 8.20 g/​t Au (DDH1283) 2.6 m @ 9.63 g/​t Au and 3.3 m @ 40.45 g/​t Au (DDH1315) Clydesdale (initial drilling): 14.5 m @ 15.81 g/​t Au including 4.5 m @ 41.6 g/​t Au (DDH1305) Gerard Bond, President and CEO of OceanaGold, said,​"Our ongoing exploration success at Haile continues to demonstrate our ability to add tremendous value through the drill bit. At Horseshoe, recent drilling points to reserve growth potential near existing infrastructure, with mineralization still open in multiple directions.

Results from Ledbetter are strengthening confidence in down-plunge resource conversion, and a new significant high-grade intercept at Clydesdale confirms its potential as an emerging target area. As development of the Palomino decline progresses, we look forward to advancing these opportunities with further drilling from underground in the near term." Full news - https://oceanagold.com/news/oceanagold-announces-additional-high-grade-drill-results-at-haile Another junior, Carolina Rush Corporation (TSXV: RUSH) (OTCQB: PUCCF) is advancing the historical Brewer Gold-Copper Project in Chesterfield County, South Carolina, which is situated just 17 km from OceanaGold's Haile Mine. North Carolina is also making headlines with its lithium deposits.

According to USGS.gov , in June - "The southern Appalachian region of the eastern United States contains an estimated 1.43 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium oxide, enough to replace 201 years of U.S. imports at last year's level, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey." "Before the boom in lithium demand, North Carolina's Kings Mountain and Hallman-Beam mines produced lithium from pegmatites but closed in the 1990s when production shifted to lower-cost sources such as lithium from dried lakebeds in South America and pegmatites in Australia. At the time, lithium was principally used for ceramics, glass and lubricating grease." Albemarle Corp., (NYSE: ALB) headquartered in Charlotte, NC, operates in the historic Kings Mountain lithium region and is one of the world's largest lithium producers. On March 12, 2026 they reported: "Albemarle has reached a project milestone at our Kings Mountain, North Carolina, proposed mine project with the successful completion of dewatering the site's open pit." Continued: As one of North America's largest hard-rock lithium deposits, the Kings Mountain Mine has the potential to be a cornerstone of a U.S.-based lithium supply chain.

The proposed mine has the potential to produce and process nearly 3.1 million tons of lithium-bearing spodumene ore annually. When mining operations ceased in the early 1990s, the pit gradually filled with rainwater over several decades and eventually accumulated more than a billion gallons. To further advance prefeasibility studies and evaluate the potential restart of mining operations, that water needed to be safely removed.

The completion of dewatering marks a significant step forward for Albemarle's long-term plans at the Kings Mountain site. The company can continue its technical studies and planning efforts as it evaluates the potential redevelopment of one of North America's most important lithium resources. Leveraging a storied mining past, the Carolinas are now experiencing a fresh wave of discovery and development as forward-looking companies invest in the region's future Metalsource Mining Inc. (CSE: MSM) (OTCQB: MSMMF) (FSE: E9Z) is a paid featured mining stock.at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/CO/MSM/ Research more mining stocks at Investorideas.com free stock directory https://www.investorideas.com/Gold_Stocks/Stocks_List.asp Sign up for free trading and stock news alerts at Investorideas.com https://www.investorideas.com/Resources/Newsletter.asp About Investorideas.com - where you find the best investing ideas Investorideas.com is a trusted platform for retail investors, serving as a hub for innovative investing ideas for over 25 years.

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