Amateur Metal Detectorist Finds $160,000-worth Gold Nugget in Australia; Can It Compare to the Largest Ever Found in 1869?

A metal detectorist hit the jackpot of his life when he found a huge gold nugget in a field in Australia.

$160,000-worth Gold Nugget Found

According to Live Science, the man was simply using a low-end metal detector as he explored a place called the Golden Triangle. During the 1800s, this region was the epicenter of the gold rush in the country.

The man then took this discovery to Lucky Strike Gold to have it appraised. The nugget has then been dubbed the Lucky Strike Nugget, as reported by CNN.

Darren Kamp, the shop owner, has been gold prospecting for over four decades. However, this was his first time to see a rock containing such a quantity of gold. Kamp adds that several people go to the shop with a gold-looking rock only to find out that it is not the valuable mineral.

Initially, the metal detectorist only brought half of the amount and asked Kamp if it contained $10,000 AUD worth of gold. Kamp then said to try $100,000, as he immediately knew that the nugget would have an even bigger valuation. The man then mentioned that the chunk he brought was only half and that he left the remaining at his home.

The rock's gold nugget, which weighed 5.2 pounds, was then valued at $240,000 AUD or $160,000 USD. After the nugget's valuation, Kamp bought it from the metal detectorist.

Can It Compare to 'Welcome Stranger,' the World's Largest Nugget?

While the massive Lucky Strike Gold nugget has great value, it still falls short compared to the Welcome Stranger Nugget, which is the largest gold nugget ever found in the world.

The Welcome Stranger Nugget weighs a whopping 2,332 ounces, or 66 kilograms. The nugget was spotted just a few inches below the surface of Moliagul, Victoria, when it was found on February 5, 1869.

As per Live Science, the Welcome Stranger Nugget may have a present-day valuation of roughly $2.7 million USD or $4 million AUD.

The BBC reported previously that the massive nugget was discovered by a duo of Cornish miners as they prospected through goldfields in Victoria, Australia.

Other Gold Nuggets Found in Australia

The 'Lucky Strike Gold' and the 'Welcome Stranger' are not the only nuggets found in Australia. In fact, in 2020, a duo also spotted two nuggets that were worth around $350,000 AUD or $250,000 USD. According to the BBC, they spotted these chunks close to the Tarnagulla gold mining town in Victoria.

Going even further, in 2013, a prospector also spotted a 5.5-kilogram gold nugget close to Ballarat in Victoria. As per CNN, experts valued the nugget back then to be worth at least $300,000.

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