Excitement is sweeping the United Kingdom as treasure hunters flock to a beach in Anglesey, Wales, following the remarkable discovery of a massive gold nugget by 60-year-old Vincent Thirkettle. The 97.12g nugget, valued at £50,000 and roughly the size of a chicken egg, is believed to be part of a £120 million treasure haul that sank with the Royal Charter during a hurricane in 1859.
Thirkettle, who spent seven summers scouring the shores with his family and friends, stumbled upon the gleaming treasure about five meters from the shore. The discovery is nearly twice as heavy as the UK’s second-largest nugget found over 200 years ago in Cornwall in 1808.
“I was absolutely stunned when I first saw the nugget. The sun was out, so the gold was gleaming, and because it was underwater, it was magnified, so it looked huge,” Thirkettle exclaimed. He described the moment as magical and emphasized that he initially expected to find only gold dust.
Viпceпt Thυrkettle said ‘I was absolυtely stυппed wheп I first saw the пυgget’ (Image:Geoff Robiпsoп)
The nugget, hidden in a crevice on the seabed, reminded Thirkettle of a Fabergé egg due to its exquisite beauty. He refrained from touching it initially, wanting to savor the extraordinary moment. Thirkettle found the nugget around 40 meters from the famous Royal Charter shipwreck, which claimed around 450 lives as it sank on October 26, 1859, while en route to Liverpool from Australia.
Due to its proximity to the shipwreck, Thirkettle had to notify the Receiver of Wreck, and the nugget is now property of the Crown. The valuable find is being securely held until it eventually goes on display in a museum. Thirkettle, anticipating a finder’s fee, believes the nugget’s extreme rarity and connection to the significant shipwreck could fetch as much as £50,000.
Expressing a mix of emotions, Thirkettle stated, “It has broken my heart to part with the nugget, but I think it’s important that it ends up in a museum for everyone to see. Other pieces I’ve found before have been quartz with gold in, but this was a big lump of gold with bits of quartz in.”
The UK’s second-largest nugget, the Carnon Nugget, was found in Cornwall in 1808, weighing 59g. Recent gold nugget discoveries in the UK 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. Thirkettle’s astonishing find reinforces the notion that spectacular discoveries can still be made in the British countryside.