**Exhibit      10.41**

**OPTION      AGREEMENT**

**1      PARTIES**

| 1.1 | The                parties to this agreement are – |
|-----|----------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.1.1 | **Wits                Basin Precious Minerals                Inc.;** |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.1.2 | **SSC                Mandarin Financial Services Limited;**                and |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.1.3 | **SSC-Sino                Gold Consulting Co.                Limited.** |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1.2 | The                parties agree as set out below. |
|-----|----------------------------------------------------|

**2      INTERPRETATION**

| 2.1 | In                this agreement, unless inconsistent with or otherwise indicated by                the                context – |
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| 2.1.1 | **"the/this                agreement"**                means the agreement as set out herein together with all appendices                hereto; |
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| 2.1.2 | **"business                day"**                means a day which is not a Saturday, Sunday or a United States public                holiday; |
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| 2.1.3 | **"the                company"**                means SSC-Sino Gold Consulting Co. Limited, with registration number                019332, a company duly incorporated in accordance with the laws of                the                People's Republic of China, herein represented by Lu Wenyuan, he                having                been duly authorised hereto; |
|-------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.4 | **"the                company board"**                means the board members of the company as at the signature date,                being                Norman Lowenthal, Lee Sing Leung, Robin, Lixun, Ma Xiaona, Lu Wenyuan,                Zhang Yongtao and Wan Guoli; |
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| 2.1.5 | **"the                documents of title"**                means collectively – |
|-------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**1**

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| 2.1.5.1 | the                transfer documents in respect of the subject interest, duly completed                in                accordance with the articles of association of the company, indicating                the                purchaser or its nominee as the transferee of the subject interest                and                dated the exercise date; |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.5.2 | a                certified copy of a resolution of the directors of the company passed                in                accordance with the articles of association of the company approving                the                transfer of the subject interest in the name of the purchaser or                its                nominee; |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.5.3 | the                written and signed cession of the claims in favour of the purchaser                or its                nominee; |
|---------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.6 | **"the                effective date"**                means the signature date; |
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| 2.1.7 | **"the                exercise date"**                means the date on which the purchaser exercises the option, which                date                shall be within the option period; |
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| 2.1.8 | **"the                exercise price"**                means an amount of USD5,000,000 (five million United States Dollars)                to be                paid by the purchaser to the seller on the exercise                date; |
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| 2.1.9 | **"the                option"**                means the option which the seller grants to the purchaser to purchase                the                subject interest and the subject claims during the option                period; |
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| 2.1.10 | **"the                option period"**                means 36 months from the effective                date; |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.11 | **"the                option price"**                means an amount of USD100,000 (one hundred thousand United States                Dollars)                payable by the purchaser to the seller in respect of the                option; |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.12 | **"the                parties"**                means all the parties to this                agreement; |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**2**

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| 2.1.13 | **"the                purchaser"**                means Wits Basin Precious Minerals Inc. (OTCBB: WITM), a public company                duly incorporated in accordance with the laws Minnesota, United States                of                America, or its appointed nominee, herein represented by Stephen                David                King, he having been duly authorised                hereto; |
|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.14 | **"the                seller"**                means SSC Mandarin Financial Services Limited, with registration                number                C.I. 641254, a company duly incorporated in terms of the laws of                Hong                Kong, herein represented by Lee Sing Leung, Robin, he being duly                authorised thereto; |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.15 | **"the                signature date"**                means the date of signature of this agreement as identified on the                signature page; |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.16 | **"the                subject claims"**                means any and all claims of whatsoever nature and howsoever arising                held                by the seller against the company as at the exercise                date; |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.17 | **"the                subject interest"**                means the interest or issued shares amounting to 60% (sixty percentum)                of                the company or the company's issued share capital at the exercise                date; |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.18 | any                reference to the singular includes the plural and *vice                versa*; |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.1.19 | any                reference to natural persons includes legal persons and *vice                versa*; |
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| 2.1.20 | any                reference to a gender includes the other                genders. |
|--------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2.2 | If                any provision in a definition is a substantive provision conferring                rights                or imposing obligations on any party, effect shall be given to it                as if it                were a substantive clause in the body of the agreement notwithstanding                that it is only contained in the interpretation                clause. |
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**3**

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| 2.3 | The                clause headings in this agreement have been inserted for convenience                only                and shall not be taken into account in its                interpretation. |
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| 2.4 | If                any period is referred to in this agreement by way of reference to                a                number of days, the days shall be reckoned exclusively of the first                and                inclusively of the last day unless the last day falls on a day other                than                a business day, in which case the last day shall be the next succeeding                business day. |
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| 2.5 | Words                and expressions defined in any sub-clause shall, for the purposes                of the                clause of which that sub-clause forms part, bear the meaning assigned                to                such words and expressions in that                sub-clause. |
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| 2.6 | This                agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in accordance                with the laws of the United Sates of                America. |
|-----|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**3      INTRODUCTION**

| 3.1 | It                is recorded that – |
|-----|--------------------------------------------|

| 3.1.1 | the                seller is the owner of the subject interest and the subject                claims; |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3.1.2 | the                purchaser wishes to acquire an option to purchase the subject interest                and                the subject claims from the seller and the seller is willing grant                such an                option to the purchaser on the effective date, subject to the terms                and                conditions set out in this                agreement. |
|-------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3.2 | The                parties accordingly agree as set out                herein. |
|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**4**
**OPTION**

**4**

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**5**
**      PAYMENT OF THE OPTION PRICE**

**6**
**      PAYMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE**

**7**
**      WARRANTIES**

| 7.1 | The                seller warrants that on the exercise date– |
|-----|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.1.1 | the                company will not be under any obligations to issue any shares, further                interest or debentures to any person, and no resolution will have                been                passed to increase its capital or to issue further shares, interest                or any                debentures; |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.1.2 | no                person will have any lien or other preferential right in respect                of the                share capital or interest of the company, nor will any person other                than                the seller have any claim to any of the subject interest in the                company; |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7.1.3 | the                company will not have declared any dividends which will not have                been paid                in full. |
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| 7.2 | Except                as set out above, the shares or interest and claims are sold without                any                warranties of any nature, either express or                implied. |
|-----|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**8**
**DELIVERY      AND CLOSING**

**5**

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**9      CONFIDENTIALITY**

**1**
**0      RISK AND BENEFIT**

| 10.1 | All                risk in and benefit to the subject interest and subject claims shall                pass                to the purchaser or its nominee on the exercise                date. |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10.2 | Ownership                of the subject interest and subject claims shall pass to the purchaser                or                its nominee with effect from the exercise                date. |
|------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**11**
**      BREACH**

**"the      party in default"**
**"the      innocent party/ies"**

**12**
**      NOTICES AND DOMICILIA**

| 12.1 | The                parties choose as their *domicilia                citandi et executandi*                their respective addresses set out in this clause for all purposes                arising                out of or in connection with this agreement at which addresses all                processes and notices arising out of or in connection with this agreement,                its breach or termination may validly be served upon or delivered                to the                parties. |
|------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

**6**

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| 12.2 | For                purposes of this agreement the parties' respective addresses shall                be                – |
|------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.2.1 | the                seller at Suite 3015, 301F, One International Finance Centre, 1 Harbour                View Street, Central, Hong Kong; |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.2.2 | the                purchaser at 900 IDS Center 80 South 8. Street Minneapolis, MN 55402,                United States for attention Mr. Mark D.                Dacko, |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.2.3 | the                company at No. 1-505, Qingnianhubeijie, Dongcheng District,                Beijing; |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.3 | Any                notice given in terms of this agreement shall be in writing and shall                – |
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| 12.3.1 | if                delivered by hand be deemed to have been duly received by the addressee                on                the date of delivery; |
|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.3.2 | if                transmitted by facsimile be deemed to have been received by the addressee                on the day following the date of despatch, unless the contrary is                proved. |
|--------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12.4 | Notwithstanding                anything to the contrary contained or implied in this agreement,                a written                notice or communication actually received by one of the parties from                another including by way of facsimile transmission shall be adequate                written notice or communication to such                party. |
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**7**

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**13**
**      WHOLE AGREEMENT**

**14**
**      VARIATION**

**15**
**      RELAXATION**

**16**
**      COSTS**

**8**

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| SIGNED                at ________________________________________ |   | as                of _________________________________________ |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| AS                WITNESS:                                        |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           | **WITS                BASIN PRECIOUS** |
|                                                              |   | For:                                                      | **MINERALS                INC.** |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| (Name                of witness in print)                         |   | Duly                Authorised                                 |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| SIGNED                at ________________________________________ |   | as                of _________________________________________ |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| AS                WITNESS:                                        |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           | **SSC                MANDARIN FINANCIAL** |
|                                                              |   | For:                                                      | **SERVICES                LIMITED** |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| (Name                of witness in print)                         |   | Duly                Authorised                                 |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| SIGNED                at ________________________________________ |   | as                of _________________________________________ |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| AS                WITNESS:                                        |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           | **SSC-SINO                GOLD** |
|                                                              |   | For:                                                      | **CONSULTING                CO. LIMITED** |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
|                                                              |   |                                                           |   |
| (Name                of witness in print)                         |   | Duly                Authorised                                 |

**9**

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