Gold Nugget as Large as a Goose Egg Stolen From Collectible Expo

A rare gold nugget the size of a goose egg was reported stolen Thursday from the Long Beach Convention Center in California.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Bob Campbell, the owner of a coin shop in Salt Lake City, Utah, brought the gold nugget to the Long Beach Expo on June 6, 2024. This event brings coin and collectible aficionados together.

Campbell is hoping that the person who stole it will not alter the object in any way. He revealed, “They will lose money if they melt it. It has collector value.” The item is worth over $82,000, and it weighs around 27 ounces.

The owner of the nugget says it was discovered in the Yolo River in 1849 during the California Gold Rush. https://t.co/angG2qlMzK

— KCAL News (@kcalnews) June 9, 2024

Campbell shared additional information about the collectible gold piece with CBS News. “It was probably an 1849 remnant, so it’s been around in people’s care for the last 175 years,” he said. “Very few nuggets have survived, most of them have been melted down.” The nugget is reportedly linked to the Gold Rush in Northern California.

Per Newser, Campbell blamed a defect in the case that allowed a person to get their hand inside the protective shell. A video taken from the site appears to show a man walking away with the rare collectible. Campbell believes the person who took it doesn’t understand just how rare the item is.

“He was able to get a finger underneath the lip of the case,” Campbell explained to CBS News. “Which then, he actually flexed the case open where he could get his hand in there.”

Campbell claims he doesn’t have insurance for the collectible item. The Long Beach Police Department is investigating the incident but has not publicly identified the man they are searching for from the video as a person of interest.

Campbell told the Los Angeles Times that a $10K reward was posted for the missing collectible object. He subsequently created a flyer with an image of the nugget and the suspect in hopes someone will come forward with information.