A fortunate Australian prospector hit the jackpot when his trusty metal detector accurately detected the whereabouts of a hefty 87-ounce golden nugget, which lay hidden beneath a meager six-inch layer of earth. This remarkable discovery took place in the renowned gold-rich region of Wedderburn in the heart of central Victoria.
Mick Brown, a 42-year-old resident hailing from Kerang, Australia, is confident that his exceptional find, the esteemed “Fair Dinkum” nugget, holds a value of approximately $102,000 in terms of its precious metals. However, Mick firmly envisions that the true worth of this remarkable nugget will escalate twofold when it falls into the hands of the perfect collector.
He casually mentioned to the newspaper,
The Age,
that there is a saying that goes, “A truly attractive nugget of gold can be worth twice its weight in gold.”
Brown is feeling optimistic about the potential value of his nugget. He expresses his confidence by stating, “It possesses impressive ridges and impressive mobility,” indicating his belief in its appeal. In the region historically associated with the lucrative Gold Rush, a substantial 97-ounce gold nugget was discovered using a metal detector. This prized discovery was recently sold to an undisclosed purchaser for a substantial sum of $400,000. Like many avid gold prospectors, Brown also prefers to assign a special name to his remarkable find. He has chosen to christen his nugget “Fair Dinkum,” a term popularly used in Australia to signify authenticity or genuineness.
Brown shared with The Age that whenever people get a hold of the nugget, they exclaim, “Wow, this is immense!”
The fortunate Australian owes a debt of gratitude to his wife for persuading him to go out of the house on the day he stumbled upon the nugget. As per Brown’s recollection in The Age, he was feeling cranky due to his recent decision to quit smoking. His wife suggested he step outside for some fresh air. Consequently, he ended up embarking on a journey of 64 miles towards Wedderburn – a place he had previously explored for its prospects.
In sharing his experience, Brown recounted the astonishing reaction of his trusty metal detector upon detecting the massive chunk of gold buried beneath the ground. He humorously expounded, “Believe me, my ears were practically catapulted off by the tremendous alert signal emitted by that little device!”
With just a shallow dig of about six inches, he managed to grasp the horn-shaped protrusions of the “Fair Dinkum” nugget and extracted it from the earth. Initially, he mistook it for a large copper clump, but soon realized it was pure gold. To commemorate his discovery, he cracked open a cold beer and raised a toast.
However, Brown chose to keep the exact whereabouts of his find a secret, as he feared it might trigger a gold rush. Nevertheless, he took pleasure in proudly displaying the impressive “Fair Dinkum” nugget. He humorously questioned the idea of keeping it hidden, saying, “Should I say, ‘Yes, I found a nugget, but you can’t see it’?” He believed that sharing it with others was enjoyable and had sparked excitement among everyone.
With the proceeds from the sale of the nugget, Brown plans to purchase a luxurious home spa for his wife and four daughters. Despite the significant sum he received, he remains motivated to uncover an even larger nugget someday. “There are some hefty 10 kilo nuggets out there,” he mentioned enthusiastically.
While Brown’s “Fair Dinkum” nugget is impressive in size, it pales in comparison to the largest nugget found in the Australian countryside. In 1981, the “Pride of Australia,” weighing 256 ounces, was discovered in the neighboring area of Mosquito Gully, just north of Wedderburn.
