Large gold nuggets have been discovered all over the world. However, large silver nuggets are much less common and are rarely discovered. Argentum ore deposits are often found mixed with other metals such as gold, copper and lead. Pure silver deposits in nature are very uncommon.
Smugglers Mine, Aspen, Colorado
Silver was discovered in the Smugglers area shortly after Colorado became a state in the 1870s.
The largest documented silver nugget was discovered in Aspen in 1894. It weighed 1,840 pounds, roughly 834 kilograms and assayed as 96% pure silver.
The year prior to the discovery was one of the worst financial crisis in American history, the Panic of 1893, which had driven precious metals prices to record lows. Historical records from the St Louis Federal Reserve show that the average silver spot price in 1894 was $0.64 per troy ounce which would make the nugget worth roughly $17,160 to the mining company. Before it was melted down, a 12.5 pound section of it was removed and is currently on display at the Denver Museum.
During its years of operation, an extensive system of tunnels was dug by miners that extends more than 1,000 feet underground and below the city. During the height of mining activity the mine was responsible for nearly 20% of the world’s total silver output.
Silvery Slocan 125 ton Galena Boulder
The Kootenay region is is known today for snowy peaks, hot springs, Arrow Lakes, and the headwaters of the Columbia River. In the 1880s, rail lines were extended north and this the part of the Rocky Mountains was the site of one of the largest silver rushes in North America.
During this time, men unearthed a boulder containing 125 tons of galena, which is a naturally occurring alloy of lead, sulfur and silver. Although the percentage of silver in galena is small at just .05%, the sheer size of this boulder yielded 6,250 kilos of pure silver.
The largest silver mine in the world today is the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in Poland. In 2018, the mine produced 196,000 tonnes of copper and over 428 tonnes of silver.
“Big Boy” Nugget – 417.8 pounds – Miami, AZ
In 2018, three gigantic silver boulders were discovered in Arizona, along with an assortment of large silver nugget specimens. The largest of the silver nuggets weighing 417 pounds was found in an arroyo. It is believed that at one time these large boulders broken free from a vein outcropping a short distance away.
