THERE’S GOLD IN THEM HILLS! Prospector finds massive gold nugget worth over £50,000 in a small California town… which is now preparing for Wild West-style gold rush
The lump of precious metal, which is thought to be worth over £50,000, was uncovered in sleepy Jamestown, California.
Golden find … Prospector Oscar Espinoza made glittering discovery thought to be worth over £50,000
What a lump … Gold nugget is so heavy it broke precise scales
The small town is now preparing itself for a flood of gold hunters after local man Oscar Espinoza of nearby Modesto made the mammoth find.
The nugget, which weighs over a half a kilo, was discovered in the Woodscreek area of the town.
Lucky Oscar’s hotel owner friend Charlie Morgan was first to hear about the discovery.
When asked what his reaction was, Mr Morgan told CBS: “‘Oh my God’, I thought, ‘That’s a lucky guy”.
The gold is so weighty that it broke a precise electronic scale used for valuing tiny chunks of metal.
Celebrating … Overjoyed Oscar has given the nugget to a friend for safekeeping while searching for a buyer
Mr Morgan, who has been entrusted to look after the steak-shaped lump, believes it to be worth $70,000.
He has been asked to keep the gold hidden safely while Oscar searches for a buyer.
“He felt more secure with it being put away,” said Morgan. “The safe isn’t actually here, so nobody knows where it is.”
Local business owner Bryant Shock believes the size and desirability of the nugget could push up its price well above its pure weight value.
“It’s more valuable this way because it’s a piece of history and his meltdown is just another piece of gold”, he said.
Jamestown, which has a population of only 3,000, has a long tradition of prospecting.
Visitors can go on gold panning tours and meet local experts who even dress in clothes from the original gold rush era in the mid 19th century.
