Boot of Cortez: The largest surviving gold nugget ever discovered in the Western Hemisphere
Discovered in 1989 by an amateur prospector using a Radio Shack metal detector in Mexico's Sonoran Desert, the "Boot of Cortez" is the largest surviving gold nugget ever found in the Western Hemisphere. Weighing 389.4 troy ounces (over 26 pounds) and measuring nearly 11 inches tall, the boot-shaped specimen is composed of roughly 80 percent gold, with the remainder consisting of silver and quartz. Named after Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, the nugget was initially sold by its finder to his employer for $30,000 before eventually fetching more than $1.5 million at auction in 2008.
Reported by GreekReporter.com. The full report is linked below.
Those four are for England and Wales, where the Portable Antiquities Scheme records finds and the Treasure Act decides what must be reported.
Scotland runs its own system, and every find is reportable there — not only treasure. Treasure Trove Unit ›
The Republic of Ireland is different again, and severely so. Searching for archaeological objects without the Minister’s written consent is a criminal offence carrying fines or imprisonment, and the definition is broad enough to cover coins, buttons and buckles of almost any age. Do not assume British rules travel with you. The law, from the National Museum ›
Northern Ireland is stricter still. The Treasure Act applies and finds go to National Museums NI within fourteen days, but any searching that involves digging — metal detecting expressly included — needs a licence, and licences are only granted for archaeological projects. National Museums NI ›
This site covers discoveries from all over the world, and so does the variation in the law — from a recording scheme that thanks you, to a criminal offence. Wherever you are searching, find out what applies there before you go, not after.
