A gold nugget, believed to be one of the largest ever found in the United Kingdom, has reportedly been unearthed in a Scottish river. This remarkable gold specimen, referred to as the “Douglas Nugget,” weighs 85.7 grams and is estimated to be valued at over £50,000. Although it was discovered two years ago, the discovery has only now come to light.
Gold hunter had a stroke of luck after discovering Britain’s largest ever nugget (Image: PAUL JACOBS/PICTURE EXCLUSIVE)
The individual who found the nugget has chosen to remain anonymous, and the exact location of the river where this golden treasure was found remains a closely guarded secret.
Gold expert Leon Kirk said the nugget could be worth more than £50,000, (Image: PAUL JACOBS/PICTURE EXCLUSIVE)
Leon Kirk, a gold expert from Gold Panning Supplies UK, expressed his excitement about this rare find. He stated, “This is a very exciting and unprecedented discovery, but the nugget’s rarity makes it challenging to put a price on it. I would estimate its worth to be at least £50,000, but given its extreme rarity, a billionaire could easily pay much more for it. Historically, it is off the Richter scale.”
Gold expert Leon Kirk said the nugget could be worth more than £50,000, (Image: PAUL JACOBS/PICTURE EXCLUSIVE)
The fortunate discoverer, in his 40s, described how he found the nugget while “sniping,” a method where gold hunters wear dry suits and snorkels and lie face down in a river. He initially underestimated its size but was overjoyed when he realized its true magnitude.
The nugget was plucked from a mystery Scottish riverCredit: (Image: PAUL JACOBS/PICTURE EXCLUSIVE)
Uncertain about what to do with his prized possession, the owner has stored the nugget in a safety deposit box for the time being. Kirk hopes that a British museum will acquire it, although there may be legal considerations, possibly requiring it to be handed over to The Crown Estate.
The valuable nugget was found lodged in a riverbed by a treasure hunter (Picture: Picture Exclusive)
Dr. Neil Clark, the author of “Scottish Gold: Fruit Of The Nation” and a curator at The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, noted that it is challenging to determine if the nugget broke off from a larger piece. He mentioned, “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.”
It is not just unusual, it is the largest nugget, by far, to have been found in Britain for more than 500 years, so it is also a very exciting find in a historical sense. (Image: PAUL JACOBS/PICTURE EXCLUSIVE)
While a few other large nuggets have been found in British waters, this discovery stands out as a significant and historically intriguing find, with the largest nugget discovered in the UK in more than five centuries. Gold in Scotland is not easy to come by, making this find all the more exceptional. Gold in Scotland can be formed through various geological processes, and the composition of the “Douglas Nugget” indicates a likely formation in a quartz vein through deep hydrothermal activity related to ancient mountain-building processes over 350 million years ago.