Small gold nugget found in Hornitos California

JVA5th

Silver Member
Mar 1, 2014
4,799
26,726
Merced, CA
Detector(s) used
Deus 2, Deus XP, AT Pro, Whites TRX pinpointer, Sampson Ground Shark shovel
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Posted this in "today's finds" as well but got this little surprise find with my Deus XP with my HF coil. Rang loud and clear about 3 inches down. Pulled it out of the ground thinking aluminum slaw took my brain a second to register that it was gold. In that moment I suddenly yelled gold lol I tend to get excited when I find neat things. I was not used to seeing a gold nugget looking like this one most I've seen in pictures are smooth and round. First one I've ever found and wasn't even looking for gold didn't expect to find it in a spot that tons of people have detected. Also can anyone tell my if this is a crystalline specimen or not I've read they are slightly rarer and a little more value to collectors. 20210822_174643.jpg20210822_174648.jpg20210822_174741.jpg20210822_174751.jpg
 

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Upvote 6
Added a few more pictures to show more detail. Excuse my nerding out and over excitement over my tiny gold nugget. I've metal detected for years and years and always had machines that weren't really great at picking up gold gold nuggets. I saved money for a long time and got myself a Deus XP and HF coil. This outting was it's first real test and found this nugget not looking for gold or expecting it. I know my tiny gold nugget is child's play to you guys but being my first one ever and never expecting to find one at all just was super cool to me. I always like to learn more about my finds.
 

JVA5th - Congratulations! Never minimize your first time "seeing the elephant!" That is a great specimen with character! It reminds me of string gold bases I've seen from the 16 to One gold mine. Sweet! You MUST KEEP your first piece. I asked Steve Wandt, to include four of the first nuggets I ever found (two when I was twelve), in my Claddagh ring, made from gold I drywashed, panned, and detected, in Arizona's Bradshaw, Weaver, and Date Mountains.

It always brings me luck!:hello2::occasion14:
 

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JVA5th - Congratulations! Never minimize your first time "seeing the elephant!" That is a great specimen with character! It reminds me of string gold bases I've seen from the 16 to One gold mine. Sweet! You MUST KEEP your first piece. I asked Steve Wandt, to include four of the first nuggets I ever found (two when I was twelve), in my Claddagh ring, made from gold I drywashed, panned, and detected, in Arizona's Bradshaw, Weaver, and Date Mountains.

It always brings me luck!:hello2::occasion14:
That is awesome stuff. I can get frustrated because I try so hard to find good stuff still one day hoping to achieve a banner find. I know not likely to happen but still a goal. I try and try and try no matter if I find good stuff or not I just don't give up. I have a huge stubborn side when it comes to things I'm passionate about.
 

That is awesome stuff. I can get frustrated because I try so hard to find good stuff still one day hoping to achieve a banner find. I know not likely to happen but still a goal. I try and try and try no matter if I find good stuff or not I just don't give up. I have a huge stubborn side when it comes to things I'm passionate about.

Good job on that nugg (specimen) keep it up,it never gets old !:) Here's a smaller one I dug last year001.JPG003.JPG
And your correct quarts/gold specimens fetch the most $$$s
 

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Sweet find, nicely done. Always great to find some sassy gold!

Not giving up is the key to finding more gold. If you swing it, you will find (eventually).

All the best,

Lanny
 

definitely has some of the crystalline structure left, fresh off the vein.
nice nugget.
 

Looks so crispy, congrats! I would be looking for the deposit it came from if I were you!
 

Looks so crispy, congrats! I would be looking for the deposit it came from if I were you!
Doubt I'll be able to do that lol was located on a old church grounds. Now though that I'm thinking back was all kinds of broken up little pieces of quartz all over the hill the church stands on
 

Nice find and good luck on finding more!
 

Where there is one piece of gold, there is more. That's the rule, not the exception. There is a large vein somewhere nearby, I guarantee it. So now you need to pull some topographic maps, county histories, locate mines within 10 miles, essentially do a TON of homework and you just might find a lot more. I have tried that method out east here and done very well.
 

Where there is one piece of gold, there is more. That's the rule, not the exception. There is a large vein somewhere nearby, I guarantee it. So now you need to pull some topographic maps, county histories, locate mines within 10 miles, essentially do a TON of homework and you just might find a lot more. I have tried that method out east here and done very well.
I'll have to check it out. I have a permission I can go to here due to knowing someone that lives on gold mine that produced well. I earned that permission by metal detecting at my neighbors house and always showing him all the neat things I find and he in turn showed his family and his aunts kid got interested and the family asked if I could go out and teach them to use a AT Pro in turn I get to hunt around the mine and left overs of the ghost town. I'm a but shy so haven't got out to do it yet but eventually I'll go do it can't miss out on that opportunity.
 

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John..Congratulations on your nice recovery..Glad to see your determination rewarding you
 

Dont sell it. You will never find another "my first nugget". I forgot to pull mine out when I liquidated my pile, and I sorely regret it.
 

Dont sell it. You will never find another "my first nugget". I forgot to pull mine out when I liquidated my pile, and I sorely regret it.
I already have it in a vial in my safe so I intend to keep it. I've never sold anything I've found metal detecting well unless you count junk metal I've recycled lol.
 

I already have it in a vial in my safe so I intend to keep it. I've never sold anything I've found metal detecting well unless you count junk metal I've recycled lol.

You could always have this done to it :)2011_0216Mttohuntdeer4th0002.JPG Had this made for my wife but she dosen't like it,says it scratches her neck.I said a rough nugg is a good thing:occasion14:
 

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Posted this in "today's finds" as well but got this little surprise find with my Deus XP with my HF coil. Rang loud and clear about 3 inches down. Pulled it out of the ground thinking aluminum slaw took my brain a second to register that it was gold. In that moment I suddenly yelled gold lol I tend to get excited when I find neat things. I was not used to seeing a gold nugget looking like this one most I've seen in pictures are smooth and round. First one I've ever found and wasn't even looking for gold didn't expect to find it in a spot that tons of people have detected. Also can anyone tell my if this is a crystalline specimen or not I've read they are slightly rarer and a little more value to collectors. View attachment 1943853View attachment 1943854View attachment 1943855View attachment 1943856
I’m about 2 hours south of Atwater and dug up a 5.1 gram gold nugget 6 inches deep with the Deus2 in a small grassy area in town. Wasn’t expecting to find a nugget. Must have been dropped by a miner resting under a tree.
 

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