Australian Family Discovers 2 Gold Nuggets Worth More Than $295,000
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| The nuggets are worth around $350,000 AUS ($250,000 US), but could fetch up to 30 percent more than their estimated value if sold to a collector |
A family in Australia has hit the jackpot after finding two gold nuggets worth more a quarter of a million dollars.
Brother-in-laws Brent Shannon and Ethan West who call themselves The Poseidon Crew made the discovery after embarking on gold-finding mission near Tarnagulla, a mining town in Victoria, as seen on the Discovery Channel's Aussie Gold Hunters this Thursday.
Joined by West's father Paul, the men found two nuggets weighing in at a combined total of 124 ounces (7.75 pounds) in a matter of hours by using state-of-the-art technology and mining equipment, according to a news release.
The nuggets are worth around $350,000 AUS ($250,000 US), but could fetch up to 30 percent more than their estimated value if sold to a collector, the release said.
Shannon told Australian morning show Sunrise that he was "pretty excited" when he first began the excursion, saying, "I thought we were in for a chance. It was in a bit of virgin ground, which means it’s untouched and hasn’t been mined."
He said the family found the nuggets after digging up dirt using an excavator, spreading it into a thin layer and going over the soil with metal detectors.
"We can recover more gold that way, and it's a better way to do it and a safer way to mine," Shannon explained.
While he's been hunting for gold for four years, picking up "thousands" of little pieces along the way, Shannon said this discovery was one of the most memorable ones.
"These are definitely one of the most significant finds," he said of the nuggets. "To have two large chunks in one day is quite amazing."
"It's a feeling like no other. Nobody has seen these pieces of gold for millions of years and we're the first people to lay eyes on them," Shannon added. "It's something I love doing."
Shannon and his brother-in-law are just one of the handful of prospectors to be featured on Aussie Gold Hunters. The Poseidon Crew became a part of the regular cast during the show's fifth season, along with The Dust Devils and The Gold Timers.
Aussie Gold Hunters airs Thursdays on Discovery Channel.