An Australian treasure hunter hit the jackpot when his metal-detection device zeroed in on the spot where an 87-ounce chunk of gold was hidden just six inches below the ground near the renowned gold-rich town of Wedderburn in Central Victoria.
The “Fair Dinkum” nugget, valued at almost $102,000 for its precious metal content, holds even greater worth in the eyes of 42-year-old Mick Brown from Kerang, Australia. He is confident that the nugget will fetch twice its value to the perfect collector.
“Every now and then you hear people say, ‘A beautiful nugget of gold is worth its weight in gold twice over’,” he shared with The Age.
Brown is feeling optimistic about the potential value of his nugget. “It has some great details and character,” he explained.
Back in October, a massive 97-ounce gold nugget was discovered using a metal detector in the renowned Gold Rush Country of Northern California. The nugget was later sold to an undisclosed buyer for a whopping $400,000. Gold hunters often give special names to their significant discoveries, and Brown is following suit by dubbing his nugget “Fair Dinkum,” which is an Australian term meaning “genuine.”
Brown shared with The Age that when people hold the nugget, they often exclaim, “Gee, this thing is massive!” The fortunate Australian credits his wife for pushing him to leave the house on the day he discovered the nugget. Brown explained in The Age that he was feeling cranky as he was two weeks into quitting smoking. At his wife’s suggestion, he decided to take a drive 64 miles south to Wedderburn, a spot where he had searched for gold in the past.
Brown shared his amazement at the reaction of his metal detector to the large gold nugget buried in the earth. He described it as a moment that really surprised him, causing quite a shock when the device went off.
After digging just six inches down, he was able to grasp the horn-like protrusions of the “True Blue” nugget and lift it from the earth. Initially mistaking it for a chunk of copper, he soon realized it was actually gold. To celebrate, he cracked open a beer and toasted to his discovery.
Rather than disclosing the exact location of his find to prevent a gold rush, Brown proudly showed off the “True Blue” nugget. He questioned the logic of finding such a treasure but not sharing it, and found joy in the excitement it brought to others.
Using the money from selling the nugget, Brown plans to buy a home spa for his wife and daughters. Despite his success, he remains eager to uncover an even larger nugget in the future, mentioning the possibility of stumbling upon sizable 10-kilo treasures.
While the “True Blue” nugget is substantial, it pales in comparison to the famed 256-ounce “Pride of Australia” nugget discovered near Mosquito Gully in 1981. The Australian countryside continues to yield impressive finds like these, inspiring dreamers like Brown to keep searching for their own piece of gold.
