GEOFF ROBINSON
Vincent Thurkettle, 60, discovered a remarkable 97.12g (3oz) gold nugget while diving off the coast of Anglesey, making it almost twice as heavy as the UK’s second largest nugget found in Cornwall over 200 years ago.
The nugget is believed to be part of a £120 million gold haul that went down with the Royal Charter during a hurricane in 1859. Treasure hunters have spent over 150 years searching for traces of the lost gold, and Vincent’s discovery is a testament to his dedication and perseverance. After seven summers scouring the shores, he finally struck gold while shallow diving around five meters from the shore.
“I was completely blown away when I first saw the nugget,” Vincent shared. “The sun was out, so the gold was gleaming and magnified underwater, making it look enormous.”
“My initial thought was that I had only ever seen nuggets like this in museums. I didn’t want to touch it at first, just to savor the extraordinary moment and etch its beauty into my memory,” he continued. “It was nestled in a crevice, resembling a Fabergé egg. When I picked it up, it was surprisingly heavy.”
Vincent made this extraordinary find in 2012, but kept it secret until now while the area was searched for more gold.
GEOFF ROBINSON
The nugget was discovered about five meters underwater, roughly 40 meters from the Royal Charter shipwreck, which sank just north of the village of Moelfre on Anglesey’s north-east coast on October 26, 1859.
The ship, bound for Liverpool, was carrying gold from Australia. Sadly, over 450 people perished in the disaster. When Vincent found the nugget, storms had eroded about two meters of sand that usually covers the site, exposing parts of the seabed that had been hidden for decades.
Vincent reflected, “I’ve been prospecting for 39 years and handled a lot of gold nuggets, but I never thought I would find one this large myself.” Since the nugget was found near a shipwreck, Vincent had to notify the Receiver of Wreck, and the piece is now property of the Crown.
It is being safely kept until it eventually goes on display in a museum, and Vincent anticipates receiving a finder’s fee. Due to its extreme rarity and its discovery near such a significant shipwreck, the nugget could fetch as much as £50,000.
“It has been heartbreaking to part with the nugget, but I believe it is important for it to end up in a museum for everyone to see,” Vincent shared. “I had grown very fond of it. Other pieces I’ve found before contained quartz with gold, but this was a solid chunk of gold with bits of quartz.”
“This discovery proves that if you explore the British countryside and persevere, you can still make spectacular finds.” Britain’s second largest nugget was the Carnon Nugget, found in Cornwall in 1808 and weighing 59g. The Rutherford Nugget, discovered in Scotland in 1869, comes in third at 57.9g.
GEOFF ROBINSON
Other recent gold nugget finds include an 18g lump in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, a 37.7g beach find at Westward Ho! in Devon, England, and a 20g chunk on Whitesands Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
