Stunning!! Just found this--not an item, but a link!

[Lanny in AB]

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yhar2op4RM&feature=related[/youtube]



I hope you don't mind me posting this, but I was so stunned by what I was seeing, I wanted to share this. As I hunt gold nuggets, I was blown away by this!!

I can't believe the size of these gold nuggets, nor can I believe what they're doing to them. You have to see this to believe how uneducated they must be about the true value of large gold nuggets, or how desperate they must be to be doing what they're doing!!

It would make me break down and cry to do something like that as well (one of the comments about the video).

All the best,

Lanny

[HEAVYMETALNUT]

i don't get it? they are cutting it up why are you stunned? poor country no machines to cut it they are thinking dollar signs as most would.
maybe that just melted or ya think that was found that big?

[wwwtimmcp]

I think you are seeing is crude ingots from melted down items, maybe some of the kuwaiti gold missing from the iraq war.

[gwdigger]

melted down i think as well. thats some serious freaking money right there. holy smokes!

[Lanny in AB]

They certainly look like nuggets. (Of course it's impossible for me to vouch for their authenticity, but they do have the characteristic look of nugget gold. This may have been shot in the Sudan where they're finding some monster nuggets with metal detectors.)

I get the poor aspect, and perhaps they have no other way to market or sell them, but nuggets that large would sell for a huge premium on the world market, that's why it's such a tragedy. They're only getting a fraction of the price they could get, but perhaps there really was no other way for them to get money for the gold.

All the best,

Lanny

[Lanny in AB]

By the way--if you look at what they're cutting the nugget on (the piece of grooved steel with the padded sack-like material underneath) it appears that these guys have done this before. They want the material underneath to absorb the blows.

The gold gets a couple of quick close-ups by the video shooter, and it looks like there's inclusions in the gold (very common in nuggets).

I've detected my share of nice gold nuggets before, but never any monsters like that. I'd have a heart attack if I found something that big! But, it would be a good heart attack.

All the best,

Lanny

[manorman]

Must be from the Sudan they are getting hugh nuggets over there near the surface, the war lords have bought lots of Minelab detectors
and send men out to find the gold.
Mike

[chukers]

it doesn't matter what size they cut them to or if leave them whole they are worth the same!

Chukers

[63bkpkr]

Hi Lanny,
I'd seen this link before and it is absurd what they are doing. They must have their reasons and I'm curious about what they are.

I've also been hitting the links on Tnet pretty hard in my spare time. I think I've picked up a bug, I want to go out and metal detect something. Fortunately I think I will have the chance to do that. I've a job coming up in Santa Cruz and I hope to have access to detecting the yard. I've downloaded deolslyfox's XLT settings and will put them to good use if I have the chance. I would guess you have snow and ice in AB....keep the wood fire burning........63bkpkr

[TheGeorgiaCanuck]

Actually some of the large nuggets found in Australia sold for allot more than smelt value as collectables.

[Lanny in AB]

Hi Lanny,
I'd seen this link before and it is absurd what they are doing. They must have their reasons and I'm curious about what they are.

I've also been hitting the links on Tnet pretty hard in my spare time. I think I've picked up a bug, I want to go out and metal detect something. Fortunately I think I will have the chance to do that. I've a job coming up in Santa Cruz and I hope to have access to detecting the yard. I've downloaded deolslyfox's XLT settings and will put them to good use if I have the chance. I would guess you have snow and ice in AB....keep the wood fire burning........63bkpkr

63--lot's of snow and ice for sure.

Good luck with the detecting--hope you find some keepers.

All the best,

Lanny

[Lanny in AB]

it doesn't matter what size they cut them to or if leave them whole they are worth the same!

Chukers

For spot price the gold certainly is, by weight, worth the same.

However, for extremely large nuggets, if you check sales, you'll find that they auction at a premium because of their rarity.

All the best,

Lanny

[Lanny in AB]

Must be from the Sudan they are getting hugh nuggets over there near the surface, the war lords have bought lots of Minelab detectors
and send men out to find the gold.
Mike

Had a friend of mine go over there to help out, as he's a Minelab dealer, and he had an armed escort wherever he went. I'd love to detect nuggets that size, but I'm not up for needing an armed escort all the time.

All the best,

Lanny

[Lanny in AB]

Actually some of the large nuggets found in Australia sold for allot more than smelt value as collectables.

That's why I think it's a crying shame that they need to cut them up. But, obviously as others have stated, they've got their reasons.

All the best,

Lanny

[EagleDown]

Actually some of the large nuggets found in Australia sold for allot more than smelt value as collectables.

That's why I think it's a crying shame that they need to cut them up. But, obviously as others have stated, they've got their reasons.

All the best,

Lanny

I saw a documentary on this about 5 or 6 years ago. Wish I had downloaded and saved it now.
From what I remember, they formed "co-ops" and got equal shares of what was found. I thought
at the time it was a brainless way of doing it, as they were cutting it into pieces for each share.

Well to us, it might be weird, but we don't know what rules or laws they have to abide by.

Eagle