The Boot of Cortez
The famous Boot of Cortez is one the most significant metal detector finds in recent history. This breathtaking gold nugget was discovered by a local prospector in the Sonoran Desert in 1989.
With a weight of 12.38 kilograms (437 ounces), the Boot of Cortez holds the record for the largest surviving gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere. Named after the footwear of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, the nugget was sold at auction in 2008 for $1.6 million (US).
The Esrick Ring
The Escrick ring was found in 2009 by metal detectorist Michael Greenhorn near Escrick, North Yorkshire. The ring is 90% pure gold with glass and a polished sapphire and is estimated to date back to the fifth or sixth century.
No one really knows who owned the ring nor what it represented when it was created, but its current owner, the Yorkshire Museum, purchased the ring for $44,132 (US) and hopes to gain further information about the ring as experts continue studying it.
Source: 10 Metal Detector Discoveries That Will Truly Amaze You
