Posted on 05/09/2025 8:20:26 AM PDT by Red Badger
Two miners made an unforgettable discovery in 1869: a gold nugget the size of a human. But the real surprise came when they tried to weigh it.
The world’s largest ever gold nugget, discovered in 1869 during the Australian gold rush, remains a symbol of extraordinary wealth. Weighing as much as an adult man, the Welcome Stranger gold nugget, uncovered by two Cornish miners in Victoria, Australia, would be worth millions today.
The “Welcome Stranger” Nugget
On February 5, 1869, two miners, John Deason and Richard Oats, stumbled upon what would become the largest gold nugget ever found. “It is a great story of two guys instantly becoming fabulously rich. In those days that didn’t happen,” remarked John Tully from the Goldfields Historical Society.
The nugget weighed a massive 72 kilograms (11 stone) and was found 61 cm long, nestled among the roots of a tree in Bulldog Gully, located in the Victoria region of Australia. The nugget was encased in quartz, and it took considerable effort to extract it. According to historical records, Deason tried to pry the nugget loose using a pickaxe, but when the handle broke, they resorted to a crowbar to raise it to the surface.
This discovery was truly exceptional, considering the usual size of gold nuggets found in the area. The miners’ effort paid off, as they became famous for uncovering this treasure that seemed to belong more in the realm of myth than reality.
The Unusual Story of Weighing the Largest Gold Nugget
After unearthing the nugget, Deason and Oats took it to the nearby town of Dunolly, intending to weigh it at the London Chartered Bank. However, the sheer size of the nugget meant it couldn’t fit on the scales. It was so large that the miners had to break it into smaller pieces just to get an accurate weight. Its value was not immediately clear until it was processed into smaller, more manageable portions.
At the time of discovery, the nugget was valued at £10,000, which would be equivalent to about £2 million today. It was eventually melted down, losing its original form and turning into pure gold that could be refined and sold.
The Lasting Value of the Welcome Stranger Nugget
Even though the Welcome Stranger nugget was melted down over a century ago, its legacy remains an important chapter in the history of gold mining. The value of the nugget today illustrates the enduring appeal of gold as a store of wealth. Gold continues to be a reliable investment, holding high value even in the face of economic uncertainty. The discovery of such an enormous nugget emphasizes gold’s allure and the incredible potential rewards of gold mining.
Modern investors, from individuals to major corporations, still flock to gold as a safe investment. As highlighted in the Indy100 article, even Logan Paul, a well-known YouTuber and entrepreneur, has sought to capitalize on gold’s enduring value by producing a limited-edition gold Prime bottle.
Gold Nugget Replica. Credit: Museums Victoria
What Would the Welcome Stranger Nugget Be Worth Today?
If the Welcome Stranger nugget were found today, its value would likely be around £2 million (approximately $2.5 million USD), considering the current market price of gold. To put this into perspective, a single nugget of this size could fetch a fortune, given the rising demand for gold and its status as a precious commodity.
However, the historical significance of the nugget also cannot be overlooked. Its discovery helped spur further interest in gold mining in Australia, fueling the Australian gold rush and bringing wealth to thousands of miners. The Welcome Stranger remains an iconic part of that history.
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PinGGG!..........................
Are we talking Chris Christie here?
He ain’t see that kinda weight since kindergarten..................
GOLD ping !
Well I’ve seen freckles so big they cover two men.
As much as an adult man?
What adult man? Peter Dinklage? Gabriel Iglesias?
I remember Freckles, she was an important part of prom night.
It would be worth much more than they are claiming.
Natural Nuggets command a premium, and some really rich dude would want it to compensate for his small other thing, and display it as art.
Huh? There are lots of men who became fabulously rich almost overnight in the big gold rushes in the late 1800s.
I'm reading the history of Bodie, CA and Aurora, NV in "Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier" by Roger D. McGrath and many men became wealthy from gold and silver almost overnight. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) staked a very valuable claim that later was worth millions. But through mixups and misunderstandings, the three partners did not do the work needed to "prove" the claim. Nevada mining law required claim owners to perform work or file notice within ten days to maintain ownership. At the stroke of midnight on the tenth day, others swept in and took the accidentally relinquished claim. He and his brother were "this close" to unimagined wealth.
Don’t let Jacque Blacque Shilaque hear about this.
Any man who weighs 220 lbs, apparently.
His son, John Martin Pfautz my Great grandfather, spent it all.
The saying "wealth doesn't last more than three generations" suggests that families often see a decline in wealth by the third generation. This is a common belief, often expressed as "shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations". While it's not a hard rule, studies do indicate that many wealthy families experience significant wealth loss within the first few generations.
It has always been thus....................
Dude looks like Adam Driver
It’s Parker Schnabel, star of Gold Rush................
Natural gold nuggets aren’t worth the “price of gold” because they have to be assayed first. A one ounce gold nugget you dug out of a river will be worth much less than spot price. What you would hope is that it would be unique in some way, and would be worth more as jewelry.
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