Biggest gold nugget ever found that weighed as much as a person would be worth an insane amount today
Chelsea Connor
Featured Image Credit: Dunolly Museum
The biggest 'nugget of gold' in the world weighed as much as an adult man, and would be worth millions of dollars today.
Gold-digging is a niche but, at times, financially rewarding activity, as miners have found gold worth millions over the years, but it's usually no guarantee that you'll make the big bucks.
However, miners John Deason and Richard Oats hit the jackpot back in 1869, when they found the discovered the monster nugget while digging in Australia.
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Weighing in at 72 kilograms (11 stone), and measuring a huge 61 cm (24 inches), it was found in the roots of a tree, and was nicknamed 'Welcome Stranger'.
While gold is usually great for holding its value, the two miners took the nugget to the town of Dunolly where it was weighed at a London Chartered Bank, and were paid just under $10,000 for the massive chunk.
"It is a great story of two guys instantly becoming fabulously rich. In those days that didn't happen," said John Tully from the Goldfields Historical Society.
"Nowadays we have things like the Lotto where people can become millionaires overnight, but back then it didn't happen like that."
In notes from the time, Deason wrote: “I tried to prise the nugget up with the pick but the handle broke. I then got a crowbar and raised the nugget to the surface.”
Due to heavy inflation, the gold has soared in price and is estimated to be worth around $2 million in today's money.
While there are a few ways to mine for gold, many big finds have been through a basic metal detector.
The largest chunk of gold that has ever found by a metal detector weighed in at 875 troy ounces of gold (27kg) and was discovered by Kevin Hillier in Kingower, Victoria, back in 1980.
Called the 'Hand of Faith', it is now on display at the aptly named Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas.
Gold retains such value that YouTuber Logan Paul tried to get in on the action, and asked a pawnbroker if he would exchange a Prime bottle made from 24-carat gold.
The pawnbroker examined the bottle, subsequently offering the social media star $25,000 for it.
However, Paul didn't stop there and tried to bargain, requesting $700,000 for the bottle.
Ultimately, it was decided no deal would be reached for the Prime bottle.
It was one of the bottles that was given away at the London and New York activations for the popular drink, with another being won by a young boy from the UK.