Gold Nugget

Gold Nugget found in February of 2010. Be sure to watch the video at right after you read my article!

California is the place to be! If you are a gold hunter something astounding happened only a year ago here in the state of California. There is a place here in the Mother Lode gold mining camp called Washington in Northern California.

What weighed about the same as a loaf of bread?

We were all just enjoying the many places to picnic and watching the news when something simply astounding took place right here in California in the year 2010 and 2011. Just when we thought the gold rush was completely history someone found a treasure beyond words! Now finding a huge gold nugget must be one of the most exciting things in your life. What if there is more gold in them there hills? If this find doesn't inspire you to get outdoors and explore some new treasure hunting adventures nothing ever will move you to get started.

First be sure that your follow all of the regulations relating to gold mining in California. Check ahead of time to decide where you will take your trip according to the rules. Sacramento keeps records of the gold claims here. There are plenty of places to keep looking for the nuggets if you follow the local history maps and signs. Gold fever is still alive and renewed after this recent find.

It does take time and patience. This is not a one day outing but could be a family adventure worth enjoying for the sport of it. I remember the excitement and definite drive to read more and find out more facts about things which interested me as a teen. This could be a nice way to encourage your couch potatoes to pursue some healthy exercise and motivation! Playing video games and cell phone tag is fairly limited and doesn't compare to the energy generated from the real experience of life adventures. Simple map reading and history can be add to a young person's vocabulary and knowledge.

This gold nugget was found by an ameteur gold miner. He dug it out in the Mother Lode Gold Miners camp of Washington in California. He took it to Reno, Nevada for verification and found it to be the real thing. It weighed at 100 oz. He had been sleuthing on his own property and found it using a metal detector. There is one other large nugget still in existence to be seen at the Smithsonian Museum. That one weighs in at 80 oz. This surely is a "One in a Trillion "find!

The nugget was put up for auction last year in March of 2011. It was estimated to be valued at about 140,00 dollars but worth at least doube that amount because it was deemed to have "artifact" value.The finder was getting nervous about keeping the nugget in his home for fear of being robbed so he sold it at auction. How much did he get for this valuable find? Since it is related to the 19th Centrury Gold Rush, there was increased value.

It was named the "Washington Nugget" weighed 100 troy which is approximately 100oz. Yes, it sold for more than expected. The Holabird-Kagin Americana Auction sold it for 460 K.

I read that the man who found this nugget was planning to auction off his 180 acres where he found the nugget. Now that would be something for you to research if you are looking for an investment opportunity in Gold Country.

Get busy and find those history accounts and treasure maps in your local library!