Nugget from the “Golden Triangle”
Average reading time — 4 minutes
In 2023, we told you about an amazing discovery: an Australian digger unearthed 2.6 kg of gold using a simple metal detector.
The event took place in the “Golden Triangle”, an area in the Australian state of Victoria between the cities of St. Arnaud, Bendigo and Ballarat. The area was the epicenter of a local gold rush in the early 19th century and is still considered an active goldfield.
And now the “Golden Triangle” has given us another surprise. This time, fortune smiled upon Luke Phillips, who found a piece of ore weighing 28 ounces (or 793 grams), of which 21 ounces (595 grams) turned out to be gold, with the remainder being quartz. Interestingly, the lucky Australian used an amateur, only partially functional metal detector, on which he almost didn’t rely for accuracy.
In the photo: Luke Phillips with his sons and the nugget.
Treasure hunter Phillips runs his own YouTube channel, where he told the story of how he went to a bushy area near the city of Ballarat. After some time, he came across a pit dug by miners during the peak of the gold rush. Luke carefully examined the soil that his predecessors had extracted from the pit a century and a half ago, but found only a few small fragments of gold. Then he noticed that his detector was picking up a weak signal coming from beneath an old moss-covered log.
When he managed to roll the log aside, the signal became stronger. He then had to dig another meter deeper before finally uncovering the finding. Phillips recalled that he doubted until the last moment whether he had really found gold. It was only after breaking through the layer that had been processed by his 19th-century predecessors and reaching untouched soil that his spirits lifted: he realized it could no longer be metallic debris left by others.
The Australian decided to sell the item that he discovered. The exact amount that was received for the nugget is unknown, but it is estimated to be between 52,000 and 79,000 US dollars. It seems this discovery was truly a “lifesaver”: Phillips shared that he was in great need of money. He has two children, and some time ago, he lost his job due to health issues.
Interestingly enough, in Australia, anyone has the right to engage in gold prospecting, even a tourist. All you need to do is obtain a license. The process of issuing such a document is very simple: it can be requested online and received within minutes of applying. However, the cost of a license varies from state to state. In Victoria, for example, the document can be obtained for just 30 dollars, giving you the right to engage in gold prospecting for two years.
The “Golden Triangle” in the Australian state of Victoria has been famous for its nuggets of incredible size since the 19th century. The largest of them are given names, and their replicas can be seen in the local museum. For example, tourists can marvel at copies of the nuggets “Lady Hotham” weighing almost 45 kilograms, “Canadian” (Leg of Mutton) weighing 50 kilograms and “Welcome Stranger” weighing 72 kilograms.
However, the sensations did not stop in the 20th century: in 1980, the “Hand of Faith” nugget weighing 27.3 kilograms was discovered. If you are interested in finding out more about this amazing discovery, read our article “Hand of Faith”: how an Australian found a unique gold nugget.
