He Accidentally Stumbles on $160,000 Treasure with His Metal Detector, Then Realizes It’s Only Half of It

An Australian man has uncovered a massive treasure valued at $160,000, using nothing more than a consumer-grade metal detector. The 4.6-kilogram rock, discovered in Victoria’s historic “Golden Triangle,” contains over half its weight in pure gold.

The unexpected find has attracted attention not just for its value but also for its location, one of Australia’s richest gold-producing regions. The area, already known for hosting some of the most significant discoveries in gold rush history, has once again proven its enduring potential.

A Discovery Born From A Weekend Hobby

The gold-filled rock was found by an anonymous prospector armed with a metal detector worth around $800, as reported by IFLScience. The discovery took place in the stretch of land between Ballarat, Bendigo, and St. Arnaud, a region widely referred to as the “Golden Triangle” due to its historical and geological richness. T

he prospector brought part of the find into a local prospecting shop, Lucky Strike Gold, for evaluation. Store operatorDarren Kamp recalled the moment the rock landed in his hand:

“He said, ‘Do you think there’s $10,000 worth?’ And I said, ‘Try $100,000.’ He said, ‘Oh wow—the wife’s going to be happy with that’.” He added, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime find.”

The gold trader later learned that the prospector had only brought in half of treasure, the other half, still covered in dirt and unrecognizable, had been left at home.

Where Victoria’s Golden Treasure Lives On

According to 9News, the Lucky Strike nugget weighed 4.6 kilograms, with approximately 2.6 kilograms being gold. Kamp noted that the treasure had accidentally been broken in two during its extraction, as it was heavily caked in dirt. Despite the split, the discovery’s value was unaffected. The store later purchased the nugget and gave it its name, now known among local prospecting circles.

“You just need some luck and persistence. It’s like Tattslotto: you’re never going to win unless you’ve got a ticket,” he said.

Victoria has a long-standing association with major gold finds. The same region was the site of the “Welcome Stranger,” the largest gold nugget ever recorded, weighing 72 kilograms. It was discovered in 1869 by John Deason and Richard Oats, two Cornish miners.

The timing of this discovery coincides with record-high gold prices, a fact that adds financial significance to what might otherwise be a lucky story. As noted by recent estimates from the Geological Survey of Victoria, up to 2.1 million kilograms of gold may still lie undiscovered beneath the region’s surface.