Treasure hunters in the southern regions of Australia have unearthed a pair of massive nuggets valued at $350,000 AUD ($250,000 USD) in the area’s rich goldfields.
The two nuggets collectively tip the scales at 3.5 kilograms (7.7 pounds) and were unearthed on the same day in Tarnagulla, Victoria. This exciting discovery was featured in the latest episode of “Aussie Gold Hunters” on the Discovery Channel.
According to CNN, the nuggets were appraised at a whopping $350,000. Brent Shannon and his brother-in-law Ethan West struck gold in just a few hours, with a little assistance from West’s father Paul West, as stated in a press release from the Discovery Channel. The release mentioned that the nuggets could potentially sell for 30% more than their weight-based value if they are bought by a collector.
Relatives by marriage Brent Shannon and Ethan West stumbled upon some gold nuggets with help from West’s father, Paul, in the vicinity of the historic gold mining town of Tarnagulla. The town used to be home to the world’s deepest mine, reaching 4,613 feet underground. The family had a feeling that there was more gold to be found in the area and patiently waited for months to obtain a mining permit.
Brent Shannon and his brother-in-law Ethan West made an incredible discovery of gold nuggets with the help of West’s father, Paul West, in just a few hours. Shannon, enthused by the find, shared on the Australian morning talk show Sunrise that the nuggets were located in untouched virgin ground, making their discovery even more exciting. Despite waiting for months to obtain a permit to mine in the area, the duo’s patience paid off with this significant find.
West, who has been collecting gold pieces for four years, described the discovery as one of the most remarkable ones he has come across. The Poseidon Crew, as the team calls themselves, described their process of using an excavator to dig up dirt and then utilizing metal detectors to search for gold deposits.
In a similar incident in January 2013, an amateur explorer stumbled upon a golden nugget weighing 5.5 kilograms buried 60 centimeters in the ground near Ballarat, around an hour’s drive from Tarnagulla. Experts valued the find at a minimum of $300,000 at that time, highlighting the lucrative potential of such discoveries.
The Poseidon Crew, as they like to call themselves, make use of an excavator to dig up soil and employ a metal detector to search for potential gold deposits, according to CNN. Since 1851, gold has been discovered in this area on a regular basis. However, technology has become an indispensable tool for contemporary prospectors, as stated by Cordell Kent, the proprietor of The Mining Exchange Gold Shop back in 2013. Kent mentioned that in the past miners could only rely on sight or touch to find gold, but now with detectors, they can also detect it audibly.
CNN and 9news.com.au both reported on the same topic.
