A 12-pound gold nugget was discovered recently by a lucky amateur prospector wielding a very expensive metal detector. The glittering discovery was made by a man whose identity has yet to be revealed. The unidentified man made the fortunate find in a region known as the Golden Triangle in Australia, according to a Jan. 17, 2013 report by The Chronicle.
The pricey metal detector used to find the 12-pound gold nugget was a Minelab GPX-5000 with an estimated value of more than $6,000. However, the costly piece of equipment has just paid for itself and then some. The massive gold nugget has an estimated value of $300,000, but it could sell for much more than that. The find could wind up in the hands of a museum or a private collector.
The amateur gold prospector who found the 12-pound gold nugget transported his impressive bounty to Ballarat Mining Exchange Gold Shop where shop owner Cordell Kent examined it and said, "A finding like this gives people hope. It's my dream to find something like that, and I've been prospecting for more than two decades."
Learn about the Australian gold rush at Australia.gov.au.
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