A lucky Australian prospector hit the jackpot when his metal detector led him to uncover an 87-ounce gold nugget just six inches below the surface near the renowned gold mining town of Wedderburn in Central Victoria.
The “Fair Dinkum” nugget holds a value of close to $102,000 in precious metals, but Mick Brown, a 42-year-old from Kerang, Australia, is confident that it could fetch double that amount from the perfect collector.
At times, people mention that a beautifully formed gold nugget is worth double its weight in gold, as shared with The Age.
Brown is feeling pretty sure that his gold nugget will fetch a nice sum. “It’s got some great character,” he mentioned confidently.
Back in October, a hefty 97-ounce gold nugget was discovered using a metal detector in the legendary Gold Rush Country of Northern California. The nugget was recently sold to an undisclosed buyer for a cool $400,000.
Gold hunters often give their special finds unique names, and Brown is following suit. He’s dubbed his nugget “Fair Dinkum,” which is an Australian slang term meaning “genuine.”
Brown mentioned to The Age reporters that when others hold the nugget, they exclaim, “Gee, this is massive!” This fortunate Australian owes a debt of gratitude to his wife for urging him to step out of the house on the day he stumbled upon the nugget. As Brown described to The Age, he was feeling cranky from quitting smoking for a couple of weeks. Upon his wife’s suggestion, he decided to take a break and get some fresh air. He eventually made his way 64 miles south to Wedderburn, a spot he had explored in the past for potential finds.
Brown excitedly shared his experience of how his metal detector surprisingly went off when it detected the large gold nugget buried in the soil. “It was so loud, it practically startled me,” he exclaimed, recalling the moment when the device signaled the precious find.
After digging down just six inches, he grasped the horn-like features of the “Fair Dinkum” nugget and pulled it out of the ground. Initially mistaking it for a big lump of copper, he soon realized it was actually gold. To celebrate his find, he cracked open a can of beer.
He chose not to disclose the specific location of his discovery to avoid triggering a gold rush. Nevertheless, he proudly displayed the “Fair Dinkum” nugget, questioning why he should keep it a secret. He believed it was cool to share his find and it got everyone excited.
Brown shared that he planned to use the money from selling the nugget to buy a home spa for his wife and four daughters. Despite his success, he remains determined to uncover an even larger nugget. He mentioned the existence of huge 10 kilo nuggets still out there waiting to be found.
While the “Fair Dinkum” nugget is sizeable, it is not the largest to be found in Australia. The “Pride of Australia,” weighing 256 ounces, was found in 1981 in Mosquito Gully, near Wedderburn.
