Chinese Farmer Trips Over Huge Gold Nugget

Aww man I wish I could take a metal detector to THAT field...

MADRID (MarketWatch) — Imagine it! You’re walking along and nearly trip over a 17-pound (7.85 kilograms) gold nugget. File that under a most improbable gold bonanza.

But that’s exactly how it played out for one lucky sun-of-a-gun farmer in China.

Chinese Farmer Trips Over Huge Gold Nugget

I have been working all week on a crowd funding project for an autonomous rc metal detector for big fields... this make me want to build it even more! I wonder if i can look up the exact field on google earth and see if the gold nugget was visible lol or at least get an understanding of what a field looks like that "spits up" 17lb gold nuggets lol

Wow! 17 pounds? That must be the size of a small watermelon (I may be way off), this guy is so lucky. I wonder how it got out in the middle of a field though?

ETA: I see you posted the picture, yeah I was way off. But still a good sized nugget.

a reply to: 3NL1GHT3N3D1

thast what i am saying, i mean what kind of ground spits that up lol i am looking into the story now, i really wanna find this field on google earth lol

OK so i dont kow these areas but from what i can gather form the news report that field is in this county...

According to wiki this should be the location bc of what is said in the article

Qinggil County, or Qinghe County (青河县), in Altay Prefecture, Xinjiang

Good for him lucky bugger. I bet the Chinese government have got their eyes on that field and surrounding area now for possible mining.

I think that is just a prop photo...

As for the nugget....dayum that is a big nugget to just happen on while farming. He is likely set for life where he is.

a reply to: EnigmaAgent

yea probably... i am more curious about the specific geology of the area.

a reply to: tonycodes

Looks more like a rock painted gold. I don't have any evidence of this, but it just doesn't look real.
Some of the pitting is gold, and some is dark. As though the paint didn't penetrate the pit.

Just checked. An ingot bar weights 12.4 Kg

a reply to: VeniVidi

Yea i have my doubts about the pic but that is the pic floating around.. the rock is 250k so he will do well!

The new gold rush begins...

Unfortunately, the Chinese government will likely seize the whole area for their own benefit.

a reply to: VeniVidi

I'm sure that is just a stock photo for filler. 17 pounds would be approximately 1/3 of a gold bar in size (66 lbs) or approx 248 troy ounces @ $1,235 US ounce = $306,280 US approximately.

a reply to: VeniVidi
it was a prop to give an idea as to the size , the real thing will be locked away for safety .

a reply to: tonycodes

I have been working all week on a crowd funding project for an autonomous rc metal detector for big fields... this make me want to build it even more!

Getting a hit on a magnetometer is one thing. Digging everything up to separate junk from treasure is quite another.

a reply to: tonycodes

Farmer: "what, hey, I'm rich, I'm rich, I'm rich"!

"Oh... I'm living in a Communist country.

originally posted by: Answer
The new gold rush begins...

Unfortunately, the Chinese government will likely seize the whole area for their own benefit.

In the USA we would make it federal reserve land, off limits to the public.

He shudda went to specsavers.
This is more nuggety,


And so is this..shaped like China it seems!



This is a BK nugget, it's the only one not found recently!

originally posted by: Answer
The new gold rush begins...

Unfortunately, the Chinese government will likely seize the whole area for their own benefit.

That would be my fear for the guy or his community. Get pushed out by some elites there. China is really corrupt.

Better to be lucky than good any day.
He didn't even have to sift through tons of sewage.

originally posted by: Kukri
a reply to: VeniVidi

I'm sure that is just a stock photo for filler. 17 pounds would be approximately 1/3 of a gold bar in size (66 lbs) or approx 248 troy ounces @ $1,235 US ounce = $306,280 US approximately.

Ok! I admit it I totally screwed up!

From Wiki: en.wikipedia.org...

"The standard gold bar held as gold reserves by central banks and traded among bullion dealers is the 400-troy-ounce (12.4 kg or 438.9 ounces) Good Delivery gold bar."

I'm blaming it on Hollywood movies and the metric system.