Last week, one of the largest gold nuggets ever found was auctioned for $750,000. The so-called ‘Alaska Centennial Gold Nugget’ weighs over 9 kilograms, making it one of the largest gold nuggets ever found on Earth. We went on a research mission and compiled a top 10 list of the largest gold nuggets ever found, and this nugget from Alaska is just a small one compared to the following gold finds.
10. Hand of Faith – 27.2 kilograms
The “Hand of Faith” was found quite recently, in 1980. The lucky finder was Kevin Hillier. He was searching with his metal detector in the old gold town of Kingower in Australia. You would expect every inch here to have been scoured by gold seekers during the Australian ‘goldrush’ around 1850. Yet, he found this gold nugget of 27.2 kilograms just 30 centimeters below the surface. The dream of every gold seeker.
9. The Heron – 31.4 kilograms
Like the “Hand of Faith,” “The Heron” was also found in the Victoria region of Australia. But much earlier. During the “Victoria goldrush,” gold seekers bought a license to search for gold on a plot of land. If you didn’t find enough gold, you left the location and sold it for a much lower price to the next gold seeker. This also happened at the plot where “The Heron” was eventually found. And what regret they must have felt, for after just two days of searching on the discarded land, the new gold seekers found this gigantic gold nugget of more than 31 kilograms.
8. The Great Triangle – 36.2 kilograms
The Great Triangle is the largest gold nugget discovered in Russia. Gold seeker Nikofor Syutkin found this nugget in 1842 in Miass, a small village located in the Ural Mountains. The triangular piece of gold weighs 36.2 kilograms.
7. The Golden Eagle – 35.3 kilograms
“The Golden Eagle” was found in Australia, in the famous Kalgoorlie region. A 16-year-old boy found the large nugget with his father. They too were searching in an area that was abandoned. The gold nugget was named because its shape resembles that of an eagle. The large gold nugget has been melted down, as has happened with most gold found during the goldrush.
6. Lady Hotham – 36 kilograms
The Lady Hotham was also found in Australia, again in the Victoria area. In 1854, a group of miners found the gold nugget at a depth of 41 meters. The nugget is named after the wife of Governor “Sir Charles Hotham” who happened to be in the region when the stone was found. Perhaps the gold seekers wanted to impress this fair lady?
5. Serra Pelada Mine Gold Nugget – 46.9 kilograms
The Serra Pelada was a large gold mine some 400 kilometers south of the Amazon River mouth. Gold was extracted from 1980 to 1986. The mine was famous for the photos by Alfredo Jaar and the documentary Powaqqatsi, which shows thousands of workers manually searching for gold. The largest gold nugget ever found in this area is 46.9 kilograms.
4. Monumental – 49.5 kilograms
In 1869, the largest gold nugget in America was found. The gold nugget, named “Monumental,” was discovered in the Sierra Buttes mine. The nugget can be seen in the Kentucky Mine and Museum. The nugget was found as the miners were on their way to the mine in a heavy rainstorm. The rain had washed away the mud, and on the path, a piece of gold was visible. They could not believe their eyes when they dug out a piece of gold weighing almost 50 kilograms. This piece of gold would be worth 2.5 million euros at current gold prices.
3. Pepita Canaa – 60.8 kilograms
The “Pepita Canaa,” like the number five in the list, was found in the Serra Pelada gold mine. It is the largest gold nugget on earth; the larger gold nuggets in this list have all been melted down. Júlio de Deus Filho found the gold nugget in 1983. The Brazilian central bank purchased the piece of gold in 1984, and it is on display in the “Gold Room”
2. Welcome Nugget – 69 kilograms
Between 1851 and 1861, there was a true gold fever in Australia. Many tons of gold were extracted from the ground. You would say that the gigantic “Welcome Nugget” was also mined during this period, but nothing could be further from the truth. Only a few years later, in 1869, was this nugget found. And not even deep underground, but hidden among the roots of a tree at a depth of a few centimeters.
1. Welcome Stranger – 78 kilograms
The largest gold nugget ever found also comes from Australia, again in 1869. The gold seekers sold the gold nugget for 9,381 pounds to the bank. At current gold prices, this nugget would be worth more than 3.5 million euros. The gold nugget has been melted down, and who knows, some of this gold might be in your wedding ring.
