Auction house Mullock Jones said treasure hunter Richard Brock discovered the 64.8 gram (2.3 ounce) gold nugget in the Shropshire Hills near the border with Wales.
The Gold Nugget is about the size of a British 50 pence coin.
The gold nugget is compared to a UK 50 pence coin in size. Photo: CNN
The find, nicknamed Hiro's Nugget, is estimated to be worth between £30,000 ($38,000) and £40,000 ($50,700), according to Shropshire-based Mullock Jones, which handled the sale.
According to a press release from Mullock Jones, when Brock arrived at the Shropshire site in May, he discovered that his metal detector was faulty.
When his hopes were dashed, he turned to an older device. The auctioneer said he initially found a coin of small value, but within five minutes, he made a shocking discovery.
“It just goes to show that it doesn't really matter what equipment you use, if you're going through the detection and have enough feel for what might be lurking underground, that makes a difference,” Brock said in a press release.
Mullock Jones auctioneer Ben Jones told CNN on Thursday that the nugget is considered a “rare find.” How it got to the dig site remains a mystery.
Parts of the Shropshire Hills were once under the prehistoric ocean and pieces of coral are often unearthed there, according to the auction house.
“The site is an old road/railway line and has remnants of Welsh stone within,” said auctioneer Jones.
Although the Nugget is believed to be the largest discovered to date in the UK, some previous finds in other parts of the UK have been larger.
The current record holder is the 121.3 gram (4.3 ounce) Reunion gold nugget, found in Scotland in 2019.
Mai Anh (according to CNN)
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