Richard Brock, a 67-year-old treasure hunter, unearthed England's largest-ever gold nugget, weighing 64.8 grams, near the village of Much Wenlock in Shropshire. This discovery, nicknamed 'Hiro’s Nugget' after Brock's wife, has garnered significant attention due to its rarity and size.
Brock's journey to this historic find was not without challenges. Arriving an hour late for the dig and facing technical difficulties with his metal detector, Brock initially struggled with outdated equipment. However, his perseverance paid off when his older machine detected something significant about 5-6 inches below the ground.
Describing the moment of discovery, as per BBC, Brock mentioned, «At first, I just found a few rusty old tent pegs with this back-up detector which had a fading screen display. But after only 20 minutes of scanning the ground, I found this nugget buried about five or six inches down in the ground.» Despite the equipment issues, Brock's keen eye and determination led to this extraordinary find.
The nugget's estimated value ranged between £30,000 and £40,000, making it a rare and valuable discovery. Named after his wife, 'Hiro’s Nugget', it was auctioned on April 1. While the initial bidding before the auction reached £12,000, the nugget failed to sell ultimately.
Reflecting on the discovery, Brock expressed his gratitude, stating, «It just goes to show that it doesn’t really matter what equipment you use. If you are walking over the find and are alert