3487) Did You Know Series (91): The Boot of Cortez: The Largest Gold Nugget Ever Discovered by a Metal Detector in 1989:

3487) Did You Know Series (91): The Boot of Cortez: The Largest Gold Nugget Ever Discovered  by a Metal Detector in 1989:

One of the largest surviving gold nuggets found in the western hemisphere is a breathtaking nugget called  "The Boot of Cortez". It is an amazing piece of gold, weighing in at a massive 389.4 troy ounces.

In 1989, an amateur treasure hunter in Mexico purchased an entry-level metal detector at a local Radio Shack and ventured out into the forbidding Sonoran Desert. 

Gold and silver mines are scattered across Northern Mexico, but the odds of randomly finding a gold nugget (also known as “placer gold”) in the middle of the desert are impossibly low.

Honing his detecting skills on buried coins in his backyard, the prospector got to work slowly scanning an area of the Gran Desierto de Altar that was rumoured to contain gold nuggets.

The prospector swung his new detector for days, recovering little more than nails, a few bullets, and other assorted junk. Then one morning he got a large signal from his detector, and to his surprise he unearthed this amazing gold nugget.

On his hands and knees, the man carefully excavated the nugget, but the more he dug, the bigger the hunk of gold became. When he finally excavated the massive, solid-gold nugget, it measured 10¾ inches high by 7¼ inches wide. Holding it in his hands, the boot-shaped gem weighed more than 26 pounds.

Known as the “Boot of Cortez,” it remains the largest gold nugget ever recovered in the Western Hemisphere. 

It trumps the second-largest existing gold nugget from the western hemisphere, which was found in Alaska, by nearly 100 ounces.

The gold nugget is composed of nearly 80 percent gold with the rest being a combination of silver and quartz.

It was named after Hernán Cortés, the Spanish conquistador who played a key role in the conquest of the Aztec Empire in the 16th century.

The original discoverer reportedly sold it to his boss for $30,000 and it has changed hands many times since. 

In 2008, the Boot of Cortez sold at auction for $1,553,500.

Gold Nuggets:

Gold nuggets of various sizes have been found throughout the world. 

Historically, the nuggets are melted down and formed into new objects. 

The Welcome Stranger is the largest alluvial gold nugget ever found, which had a calculated refined weight of 97.14 kilograms (3,123 ozt). Three of the biggest nuggets come from the Brazilian Serra Pelada mine.

However, the Boot of Cortez remains the largest discovered by a metal detector belonging to an amateur metal hunter. 

For bullion enthusiasts who dream of striking it rich, the tale of the Boot of Cortez isn’t just a story—it’s a golden reality that surpasses even the wildest treasure hunter’s fantasies. 

A Nugget of Epic Proportions:

Weighing in at a jaw-dropping 389.4 troy ounces (32.4 Troy pounds), the Boot of Cortez isn’t just any gold nugget – it’s the crown jewel of the Western Hemisphere. 

To put this into perspective: 

– It is equivalent to nearly 12 kilos of gold bullion

– At today’s prices, its gold content alone would be worth over $1,000,000

– Its actual value as a unique specimen? Priceless

But the Boot of Cortez is more than just its weight in gold. 

Its composition is a bullion collector’s dream: approximately 94% pure gold, surpassing the purity of many minted coins. Nature has created its own version of a high-purity gold bar!

The Boot of Cortez was found in the Sonoran Desert South of the Arizona border in Mexico. 

Boot of Cortes Technical Specifications:

Weight: 389.4 troy ounces (32.4 Troy pounds / ~12 kilograms)

Height: 10¾ inches (27.3 cm)

Width: 7¼ inches (18.4 cm)

Purity: Approximately 94% pure gold

Composition: Natural gold nugget (placer gold)

Shape: Resembles a boot, specifically likened to a conquistador’s boot

Origin: Found in Sonora, Mexico, near Caborca and the Gran Desierto de Altar

Discovery Date: 1989

Classification: Largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere

Condition: Pristine, maintained in its original form (not melted or significantly altered)

The Boot Of Cortez: A Golden Legend Come To Life:

From Radio Shack to Riches: An Amateur’s Lucky Strike:

The story behind this golden goliath reads like a treasure hunter’s fairy tale, set in the unforgiving Sonoran Desert of Mexico. 

In 1989, near the town of Caborca, close to the Gran Desierto de Altar in Sonora, an ordinary man with an extraordinary dream began his quest. 

Armed with nothing but an entry-level metal detector from Radio Shack and a pocketful of hope, he set out into a landscape where daytime temperatures often soar above 125°F (52°C). 

This harsh environment, just 60 miles east of the Sea of Cortez and 70 miles south of Arizona, had long been the subject of treasure legends. 

For days, the intrepid explorer swung his detector under the scorching sun, following a careful grid pattern. His earphones chirped occasionally, usually signaling scrap iron or old bullets. But persistence paid off. 

One fateful day, the ‘beep’ sounded different: 

As he dug deeper, the nugget kept growing. What started as a glimmer of hope turned into a 10¾-inch high, 7¼-inch wide behemoth of solid gold. Its distinctive boot shape, reminiscent of a conquistador’s footwear, would inspire its name - The Boot of Cortez.  

The Boot Of Cortez: Highlights:

Experts have dubbed it “the most unusual and attractive large nugget in the World.” 

Unlike many historic gold masses that were intermixed with worthless rock, the Boot of Cortez is a true nugget—a single piece of high-purity gold. 

Its pristine condition and unique shape set it apart. It’s not just the largest nugget from the Western Hemisphere; it is a full 100 ounces heavier than its closest rival from Alaska. 

For bullion collectors accustomed to precisely minted coins and bars, the Boot of Cortez offers a thrilling glimpse into gold’s raw, natural beauty. 

The Boot Of Cortez: A Golden Legend Come To Life:

Since its discovery, the Boot of Cortez has captivated the public imagination: 

- It was a star exhibit at the 2004 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, themed simply “Gold”

- In 2005, it joined a travelling “Gold” exhibition assembled by the Houston Museum of Natural Science

- From 2006 to 2007, it graced the halls of the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. 

Sharing space with specimens from the Smithsonian and Harvard, the Boot of Cortez has been marvelled at by hundreds of thousands of visitors, bridging the gap between professional geology and public fascination with gold.

The Legacy Continues:

For bullion collectors, the Boot of Cortez serves as a tangible link between the precisely measured world of modern precious metals and the wild, unpredictable nature of gold in its natural state. 

It reminds one that amidst the coins, bars, and rounds in our collections, the allure of raw, natural gold still captures one's imagination.

So the next time one admires one's collection of gold coins or bars, remember the Boot of Cortez. 

It is more than just a nugget – it’s proof that in the world of precious metals, dreams of discovery are always just beneath the surface, waiting for the right person with the right tools and an unwavering spirit of adventure.