Traditional stamp mills historically found widest use in crushing which type of ore?

Introduction / Context:
Stamp mills are gravity-driven impact crushers that repeatedly drop heavy stamps onto ore. They were iconic in early mining.

Concept / Approach:
Historically, stamp mills were widely used in gold mining districts to crush auriferous quartz, liberating gold for amalgamation or later cyanidation. They were less common for iron ore (which is harder and processed differently) and not suited to very soft minerals like talc or gemstones like diamond.

Final Answer:
Gold ores