Father discovers UK largest ever gold nugget worth at least £50,000

A golf hunter has discovered Britain’s largest ever nugget – which is as wide as a golf ball and estimated to be worth upwards of £50,000.

The precious metal collector found the 85.7g [2.75 Troy ounces] lump while lying face down in a Scottish river for hours using a snorkel.

Named the Douglas Nugget, it claimed to be the biggest gold nugget to have been unearthed in British waters for 500 years.

In 2016 a larger 97g nugget was found off Anglesey but experts concluded it was actually from Australia and went down when a ship sank in the Irish Sea. 

The father who found it, who has asked not to be named, ran from the water clutching his gold and shouting ‘bingo’.

 

Gold expert Leon Kirk clutches the record breaking gold nugget found in a Scottish river

The precious metal collector found the 85.7g [2.75 Troy ounces] lump in a location being kept secret

The precious metal collector found the 85.7g [2.75 Troy ounces] lump in a location being kept secret

This is what the nugget looked like in the clear waters of the river it was found in

This is what the nugget looked like in the clear waters of the river it was found in

It is believed to be the largest gold nugget in the UK for centuries - a 2016 rival was found to be from Australia in the hold of a sunken ship off Anglesey 

It is believed to be the largest gold nugget in the UK for centuries – a 2016 rival was found to be from Australia in the hold of a sunken ship off Anglesey 

He said: ‘I was following a crack in the bedrock and found around 2g in fine gold.

‘This then led to a pocket, where I uncovered the nugget. I called over my friend to have a look and we both assumed it to be around 5-7g in weight.

A crack in the bedrock of the river showed a fine line of gold and led to a large pocket containing ta huge chunk

A crack in the bedrock of the river showed a fine line of gold and led to a large pocket containing ta huge chunk

‘It wasn’t until I removed it that we realised just how big it was.’ He added: ‘I took off my glove and picked it up, jumped out of the water and screamed, ‘Bingo!’ to my friend.

‘We were both stunned and couldn’t believe it. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime.’ 

The owner is currently unsure what to do with his nugget, but keeping it in a safety deposit box in the meantime – but there is a danger the Crown Estate could claim the cash if sold.

Gold expert Leon Kirk, from Gold Panning Supplies UK, said: ‘This is a very exciting and unprecedented find.

‘But the nugget’s rarity means it is very hard to put a price on it.

‘I would say it is worth at least £50,000 but, as it’s rarer than a Aston Martin or a Faberge egg, a billionaire could easily come along and pay a lot more for it.

‘Historically, it is off the Richter scale.’ 

The technique used to find it is called snipping, where the treasure hunter lies face down in the water with a snorkel and goggles (pictured)

The technique used to find it is called snipping, where the treasure hunter lies face down in the water with a snorkel and goggles (pictured)

The Douglas Nugget is taller and wider than a pound coin and worth £49,999 more

The Douglas Nugget is taller and wider than a pound coin and worth £49,999 more

The Douglas Nugget, which weighs 2.75 Troy ounces [85.7g], is believed to share a similar diameter to that of a 1.6ins golf ball.

It was discovered two years ago by a British father but he has kept it a secret until now.

The man – in his 40s – wishes to remain anonymous due to the magnitude of his find.

The nugget was discovered in a mystery river in Scotland and its exact whereabouts is being kept under wraps.

Breaking his silence, the lucky finder said he came across it by ‘sniping’, a method where  don a dry suit and snorkel before lying face down in a river.

Mr Kirk hopes it will end up being purchased by a British museum, although legally it may have to be handed over to The Crown Estate.

Dr Neil Clark, author of Scottish Gold: Fruit Of The Nation and curator at The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, believes the shape of the Douglas Nugget could mean there is more gold just waiting to be found close to the mystery location.

He said: ‘It is difficult to say whether this nugget broke from a larger chunk or not.

‘The rounded edges of the piece indicate that it has certainly been in the watercourse for a while.

‘The size of the nugget suggests that it probably did not travel far, though.’ But he added: ‘The fact that we have waited over 500 years for this nugget suggests it may be difficult to find another comparable one in the near future.’ Prior to the Douglas Nugget, the previous record holder for the biggest gold nugget to be found in British waters dates back to 1808.

This was a 59g lump discovered in Cornwall.

In 2016, a 97g nugget was found off the coast of Anglesey by Vincent Thurkettle.

However, experts later concluded that it had originated from Australia and gone down with the steam clipper Royal Charter.

The boat, laden with gold, sank when it was hit by a hurricane while sailing from Melbourne to Liverpool in 1859.

 



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