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DavidC June 8, 2010

What's the biggest gold nugget ever found? Where is it kept today?

I wonder how big a gold nugget could get and if I can go see it with my own eyes sometime in the future

Answers (1 - 2 of 2)

JamesW June 17, 2010

True, the largest gold nugget was indeed the "Welcome Stranger", but if you're asking about the largest gold nugget still in existence, well that has to be the "Hand of Faith". This gold nugget was coincidently also found in Australia's Victoria state but much later, in 1962 by a person named Kevin Hillier who found it using his metal detector. Much like the "Welcome Stranger", the "Hand of Faith" was also buried very close to the surface, about 6 inches below ground, making it even easier to detect. This one of a kind gold nugget weighs around 874 troy ounces and has the dimensions of 18.5"X7.8"X3.5", and its value is estimated around $1 million USD. Back in 1980 it was sold to the aptly named Golden Nugget Las Vegas casino (in Las Vegas, Nevada), where it could still be found on public display today.

SylviaA June 14, 2010

The largest gold nugget ever found was back in 1869 in Australia and it weighed around 2520 troy ounces (78kg)! This magnificent gold nugget was amusingly named "Welcome Stranger", and funnily enough it didn't require a lot of effort to excavate it, as it was buried only a mere 2 inches (5cm) below ground. However, this piece of history did not survive to tell the tale as it was chopped up into smaller parts due to the fact that there wasn't any scale capable of weighing such a finding at that time in history. If you ever plan visiting Moliagul in Victoria where this historic gold nugget was found, you'll find an obelisk commemorating this discovery.