Paul found this 1/2+ ounce nugget this past August while working a claim in central Arizona. The 5 smaller
nuggets pictured were found in the same area a short distance from the large one. The Falcon located and pinpointed
the large nugget at a depth of 12 inches! Paul was shocked and so was I. Generally speaking, I might expect
the Falcon to pick up a beer can at 12 inches but not a half ounce nugget. And since many larger detectors have been
used in this area why hadn't they found it?
After considering the factors, I suspect the nugget was setting on end and had an oxidation layer (halo) which
was detected by the Falcon. If it was setting on end, the oxidation layer might look like a distorted football
setting on end. Since the oxidation layer and the nugget are electrically conductive, the target would appear
larger than the nugget by itself. Of course once the nugget is dug up the oxidation layer is destroyed.
That oxidation layer may have taken several millenium to form, so reproducing the conditions of this find is
nearly impossible.
The oxidation layer (halo) effect is noticable in coins in a few years and in iron in a few months, but since gold
does not oxidize very fast, it takes many years. Many nugget hunters will tell you that they quite often dig a
respectable target only to lose it when they dig it up. The target by itself may be too small for
their detector to locate. Having a Falcon handy makes locating nuggets easier and may locate those "lost" ones.
Remember most nuggets we find may have been setting right there waiting for us to find them for hundreds of thousands
of years. Pretty awesome when you stop to think about it!
Want more GOLD? Get a FALCON!!!
