Okay, Moose, here's my conspiracy take on your comment about the short halt (I agree, it should have been a much longer halt, lots to digest):

The money to be made today is based on the drop in price of both AUM and ECU (they will be linked together, price wise at 1:20 until the deal is done). And the price almost certainly had to drop right off, just imagine you held AUMN - you likely don't know anything or very little about ECU. They have $100 million in cash, they have a $20 price tag, their stock rose way up last fall (we'll have to learn why, I assume some exploration success), and they are now going to get in bed and share all that, 49/51 with ECU, a Venture Exchange company, that has dropped from $3.50 down to .40, and now slowly risen while silver has rocketed to about a buck.

Man, a lot of people would be selling AUM right as soon as that halt was lifted, and of course, that brings ECU down, since they're tied together, and a sale in the share price ensues. My guess is one could have made 3-5% today just based on that (forget about how PM's and juniors are doing, no one could predict how that would go today or any day).

That's why the quick end to the halt. Underhanded, sure, but consider the industry.

I like this deal very much at first blush, and, frankly, based on the comments I've read, I like it even more. But there is still much to digest, not sure of the ultimate management and control, for example.