5 Biggest Gold Nuggets Ever Found!
Below is a list of the largest gold nuggets ever found
1 “Welcome Stranger” gold nugget
Between 1851 and 1861, Australia reportedly exported at least 850 metric tons of gold, equivalent to more than one-third of the world’s total gold mined
Shortly after this major gold rush, in 1869, the Welcome Stranger nugget was discovered by Cornish miner John Dyson and his partner Richard Oates near Mallagoole in Victoria, Australia
Although many historical accounts of the weight of the Welcome Stranger vary somewhat, it is believed that the nugget yielded about 156 pounds of pure gold when smelted, and is considered one of, if not the largest, gold nugget ever found in the world
You would think that a gold nugget as large and valuable as the Welcome Stranger nugget would be found deep in the gold mines or after extensive excavation
The “Welcome Stranger” nugget was found simply by digging around the roots of stringy bark
2 Welcome nugget
Not to be confused with another large gold nugget found in Australia with a similar name, Welcome is the second largest gold nugget ever found, weighing 152 pounds
It was discovered by a group of twenty-two Cornish miners in 1858 at the site of the Red Hill Mining Company at Baker Hill in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
And as you would expect from such a discovery, Welcome’s gold nugget was deep underground on the roof of the tunnel
3 Pepita Canaã Gold Nugget
credit: Bullionstarcom
The Pepita Canaã is the third largest gold nugget ever found in the world, however it currently holds the top spot as the largest gold nugget in existence today
And this monster nugget weighs 134 pounds
This huge gold nugget was discovered in 1983 by miner Julio de Deus Filho in the Cerro Pelada gold-mining region in the Brazilian state of Pará and is now on display in the “Golden Room” of the Central Bank’s Money Museum in Brasilia, the federal capital of Brazil
4 Sierra Buttes Monumental Claim gold nugget
credit: Geologyincom
In 1869, a group of miners were on their way to work when they saw a small portion of this 109-pound gold nugget sticking out of the ground
As you can imagine, they quickly began digging it out of the ground
You can see a replica of an actual gold nugget at the Kentucky Mines Museum near Sierra City
5 Lady Hotham’s Gold Nugget
Named after the wife of Sir Charles Hotham, the Lady Hotham nugget was discovered by a group of nine miners in the Canadian Gorge at Ballarat in September 1854 during the Australian Gold Rush
It weighed 98 pounds and was 133 feet deep in the mine tunnel
How to Prospect for Gold (Beginner Tips) How to Prospect for Gold at CreeksGold Prospecting for Beginners
Author Recent Posts by rockseeker Recent Posts by rockseeker (view all) Where to Find Oregon Agates (Tips and Locations) – September 20, 2022 Rockhounding in New Mexico!
(Complete Guide) – October 8, 2021 Can gold found on government land be kept?
Share with other Rockhounds!
The Rock Seeker Rockhounding Club