In today’s world, gold is still considered one of the most valuable substances, and the market for it continues to thrive. Gold mining is a booming industry in places like the Yukon, South America, and even Australia, where some big gold nuggets have been found. In this blog post, we will take a look at the 20 biggest and most expensive gold nuggets ever discovered.
Number 20 on the list is the Butte Nugget, which is claimed to be one of the biggest nuggets ever found in modern times. The six-pound nugget was found in July 2014 on public land in the Butte County Mountains. The person who found it was so secretive that when he put it up for auction, he blindfolded the person who came out to examine it so they had no idea where they actually were. The nugget was expected to sell for at least $350,000 or more.
Gold Rush, a TV show that began over 10 years ago on the Discovery Channel, features a crew headed up by a man named Todd Hoffman who wanted to help change his family and friends’ world by going to Alaska and then on to the Yukon to find gold and make a better life for themselves. Although it wasn’t easy, the miners found enough gold, including some nuggets of decent size, to make them happy.
Number 18 on the list is the Retired Nugget, which was discovered by a man who had never found one before via a metal detector. The nugget weighed just under 2 kilograms and had an estimated value of $140,000. The man who found it remained anonymous but was said to have been overcome with emotion because it was his lifelong dream to find a nugget like this one.
Gold nuggets have fascinated people for centuries. These small, yet valuable, pieces of metal have the power to change lives, and the stories of their discovery are often steeped in mystery and intrigue. Here are some of the most fascinating gold nugget stories:
Number 11 – Holterman’s Nugget
The Holterman’s Nugget is not actually a nugget, but a mass of gold with attached rocks broken from a quartz reef. It was the largest single mass of gold ever found and was discovered in October of 1872 in the Star of Hope Mine on Hawkins Hill in New South Wales. Despite taking credit for the nugget, Bernard Holterman almost had his team digging in the wrong spot. They eventually found the mass of gold, which was so large it would have made their lives many times over. Sadly, Holterman melted it down for the gold content, and a key piece of history was lost. However, replicas of the nugget exist today, recreated in extraordinary detail.
Number 10 – Gold Mine in Backyard
In 2017, Anthony Doolin purchased a $1.35 million property in Brisbane, Australia. One day, while wandering around his backyard, he discovered some forgotten gold mines. The mines had been forgotten about until he rediscovered them, and no one knows whether nuggets were found in that mine. However, Doolin decided to sell the property, leaving the mine a mystery for others to explore.
Number 9 – The Precious Nugget
Discovered in Kato’s Paddock, Berlin, Victoria, by a Chinese prospector in January of 1871, the Precious Nugget weighed over 1,700 ounces and was named after the landowner, Precious C. Williams. The prospector likely changed his life forever when he found the piece of gold. It was sold for almost 7,000 euros at the time, but in today’s market, it would have been worth over a million dollars.
Number 8 – Blanche Barkley Nugget
Found in Victoria, Australia, the Blanche Barkley Nugget was the world’s largest golden nugget when it was discovered in August of 1857. It weighed in at 1,743 ounces and was valued at between 8,000 and 10,000 pounds at the time. However, after the discovery, it was melted down to make 1,000 sovereign coins.
Number 7 – Leg of Mutton Nugget
The Leg of Mutton Nugget was found in 1853 near Moliagul, Victoria. It weighed 68 kg and was shaped like a leg of mutton. Unfortunately, it was melted down into ingots and coins, which meant it was lost forever.
In conclusion, the discovery of gold nuggets has changed the lives of many people. However, many of these valuable pieces of history have been lost due to melting them down for their gold content. Nonetheless, the fascination with gold nuggets continues, and who knows what other mysteries lie buried deep in the earth, waiting to be discovered.
