Hand of Faith – Metal Detecting Gold
When many people think of a gold rush, images of hardy adventurers traveling to the US western states in the mid-1800s comes to mind. Another gold rush occurred in Australia, and stories about finding nuggets and veins of this precious metal are still told today. If you are looking for good places to go to metal detecting, you are probably limited to your general geographic area. However, if you want to explore spots where the greatest treasures of all have been found, the land down under is a great option.
One of the most stunning and valuable metal detector finds ever is called the Hand of Faith.[i] The massive gold nugget got its name from the unique shape that looks a bit like fingers extended upward and a flat palm underneath. Surely Kevin Hillier, the man who found it with his top-rated metal detectors had a lot of faith when he headed out on that adventure. Can you imagine the excitement he must have felt when he began to unearth valuable discovery?How Big Is the Hand of Faith Gold Nugget?
One of the most outstanding things about this nugget is its incredible size. In fact, it is the largest one anyone has ever found using a metal detector alone. That puts it in the record books. The gold chunk is 18.5 inches tall, almost 8 inches wide, and 3.5 inches deep.
Genuine gold is quite heavy for its size, so it took a lot of strength to get that nugget back from its original location. It weighs 875 troy ounces, which translates into approximately 60 pounds or 27,000 grams in traditional measurements. It is not the biggest gold nugget ever found, although it claims the title of second largest from Australia in the 1900s. This was well after the Australian gold rush in the 1800s that included several larger nugget finds.
These numbers are impressive enough, but what metal detecting treasure hunters really wonder about is the value of their finds.
Hand of Faith Gold Value
What is the most valuable thing you have ever found when using your metal detector at the local park or beach? If you are like many enthusiasts, you have probably found quite a few dropped coins and maybe even a few pieces of lost jewelry.
While Kevin Hillier was on the hunt for gold, there was no way for him to imagine the payday he was about to discover. He sold it for more than $1 million to the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, visitors can still view this impressive treasure behind quite a lot of security features.
Is the outback of Australia on your list of good places to go metal detecting? Maybe you will be the person to make the largest gold nugget discovery in the 21st century. Even if you live halfway around the world and never find true treasure, much of the excitement and reward comes from the hobby itself. Grab one of Pancky’s top rated metal detectors and head out on your own adventure today.
[i] https://www.goldrushnuggets.com/handoffaith.html