Retiree finds 2kg gold nugget near Ballarat

A prospector has unearthed a 2kg gold nugget worth $130,000 on the outskirts of the Victorian gold rush town of Ballarat.

The two-kilogram gold nugget.

The two-kilogram gold nugget. Source: AAP

A two-kilogram gold nugget worth about $130,000 has been found on the outskirts of Victorian gold rush town Ballarat.

A prospector, who asked to remain anonymous, found the nugget in an old pasture in June.

Mark Day of Gold Ballarat said the man, a retiree and customer, had already received offers of $160,000 for the precious haul.
The nugget  was found on the outskirts of Ballarat.
The nugget was found on the outskirts of Ballarat. Source: AAP
"When he showed me the nugget here in the store he was shaking like a leaf. He didn't know what to do with it. He hadn't slept in three days," Mr Day said on Friday.

"I've been in this business for 25 years and this is the biggest find we have seen by one of our customers - that they've told me about anyway."

The man won't reveal the exact location of the find and is planning to go back in the hope of finding more gold.
"He certainly thinks there's more gold out there. And after this, who can say he's wrong?", Mr Day said.

The nugget has a gold value of about $130,000 but collectors are offering a premium due to its rarity.

The find came a month after a young girl stumbled across a gold nugget, estimated to be worth more than $30,000, near Bendigo in May.


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