The Reg Wilson Gold Album

[Reg Wilson]

mn,  after going back to google the Washington Nugget to refresh my memory of that particular saga, I was reminded of the amount  of misinformation, lies, greed, and just plain old bulldust that was involved. I am not sure quite how I can tell the true story without stirring up a hornets nest. There are some people who treated the truth carelessly, and made claims that for whatever reason were just untrue. 

I shall have to be careful how I compose this story, and some parts I will need to leave it to the reader to add up the evidence and come  to their own conclusions as to where the truth lies. Hopefully I will be able to bring this story to you shortly.

 

[jrbeatty]

I've Googled this story a bit lately as well Reg, and you're right about the misinformation that was flying around at the time. Perhaps if we were to ask some questions which you could then answer as diplomatically as you wish! Here's an Australian newspaper account :

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/world/australian-murray-cox-exposes-jim-sanders-washington-nugget-as-being-from-down-under/news-story/98f08820144b1a26bf886407867cb78e?sv=66e579eb9f2473db2f3a88cac147d780

Here's my question:

I've read several newspaper accounts of the expose. Is it just me or have you noticed that Murray Cox appeared to be somewhat "over inflating" his role in the "Roughie" discovery?

 

[Reg Wilson]

In reply to your observations JR.

Murray Cox and I detected the 'butcher's paddock' (owned by the late Lloyd Laidler) when we speculated that the run of gold could possibly run across the road into John and Marlene Carr's paddock.

I aready knew John Carr from previous detecting on a seperate section of his property, and it was me who negotiated with John in regard to access and percentage to be paid. The percentage was to be paid in gold, which I said could be converted partially or wholly into cash through a reputable dealer if so desired.

I suggested to Murray that we should let John 'cherry pick' his percentage, and that we divide the rest. He rejected that idea, saying we should pay our percentage to John individually. I had not worked on that basis on other projects with other prospectors in the past and I asked him why he wanted such an arrangement. To my amazement he explained that he considered himself to be a better prospector than I was and didn't wish to be limited by such an arrangement. I reluctantly agreed to his proposal. The first gold found in the 'Orange Roughie' patch (11ozs) was found by me, just inside the fence.

I detected and dug the Orange Roughie, and two years later sold it to ( Rattlesnake) John Fickett in Dunolly. The price and conditions of sale were not as quoted by Murray Cox, as he wae not present, but Ian Jaques and John Hider-Smith were.

These are not the only discrencies in this tale, but perhap some other truths can yet be revealed.

[jrbeatty]

Thanks for your reply Reg. Something about the body language in that photo seemed to indicate that you were no longer friends.

[mn90403]

Reg,

Let me get you started with this bit of information.  It says the nugget was discovered by Murray Cox in 1987.

It seems the parties 'involved' can't say much about it.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Big-Washington-Nugget-found-to-have-fishy-origin-2355529.php 

Mitchel

[Reg Wilson]

I was made aware of the Washington nugget hoax when Murray phoned me and told me of a story in the Gold Gem and Treasure magazine. Upon purchasing the magazine, I read an article titled 'The one they missed'. There was a photo of the 'Orange Roughie', and a story of how this nugget was found near the town of Washington in Califonia. G G T magazine had done a story some years earlier on the Discovery of the Roughie, but obviously had failed to notice that the two nuggets were in fact the same one.

I contacted a friend who was a well known and respected gold dealer to see if through his American connections we could find out how the Roughie had passed from Rattlesnake John to Saunders Gill who was claiming to be the finder. He was traced to a veterens hospital in Chigago, but due to his advanced years, had little memory of the events of that time. John was a returned soldier who had served in the Pacific in World War two. I had sold the Roughie to John after trying unsuccessfully for two years to find a buyer in Australia.

Researching American news articles revealed that the nugget had been exhibited across the country, creating a great deal of interest, due to the fact that nuggets of that size were extremely rare in California, and amazing that the 'old timers' had missed that one. Saunders Gill had claimed he had found the big slug using new American detector technology which enabled him to find it at a depth of over two meters, where the signal had 'sceamed' at him. The dodgy company that made these detectors were getting exposure, and were widely advertising them, while Saunders Gill was attempting to sell shares in a company to remine his property.

A geologist named Fred Hollibird had examined the nugget and declared it as a genuine example of Californian gold stating that pockets of cemented gravel in the nugget was proof positive that it came from the Blue Lead, as claimed by Saunders Gill. (why he didn't notice the obvious color difference between that lump and other Californian gold is beyond me.) Hollibird, who was in partnership with a man named Kagin, who owned the auction house that sold the nugget for US $460,000, issued a certificate of authenticity.

Meanwhile, Murray had been in contact with George Warren, who had a TV show in America. George had always believed that there was something fishy about the Washington nugget story, but lacked proof until a phone call from Murray. This was manna from heaven for George.who wasted no time blowing the whistle on the whole scam. At first Kagin and Hollibird tried to bluff it out, claiming that we were a pair of Ozzie con men out to try to stooge money out of them.(how would that work?) The idiots had picked the wrong nugget for a scam, as the Roughie had received huge publicity due to the fact that I had found it with a Minelab GT16000 prototype, and the deal that I had with ML was that anything of significance that I found could be used for advertising and promotion.That exercise probably sold thousands of detectors for Minelab.

Eventually Hollibird had to admit that the nugget was indeed Australian, and then claimed that he had been a victim. Kagin said that the money from the sale was refunded and the nugget resold. Saunders Gill went into hiding and the detector mob quickly withdrew all advertising. At the end of it all no one was charged with fraud, and the story just fizzled out, leaving history slightly rewritten as to the original finder and seller.

I shall leave it to the reader to deduce who the liers and crooks were.

[jrbeatty]

Just to be crystal clear Reg, I understand from the contemporary newspaper reports that the guy who "rebirthed" the "Roughie" was called Jim Sanders.

Was he also called Saunders Gill? And by Holliburd you mean Holabird, right?

[Reg Wilson]

JR, sorry about the spelling, and you are correct about Holabird. I was just trusting to memory on the spelling of his name, but Sanders was known by two names, and it may have been Sanders Gill, although I thought it was Saunders Gill. A bit of 'googling' would probably sort the matter out.

There are a couple more interesting and rather twisting  tales that can be told in relation to the Orange Roughie, but I shall hold forth until I am sure the readers would be interested.

[jrbeatty]

5 hours ago, Reg Wilson said:

- - the Roughie had received huge publicity due to the fact that I had found it with a Minelab GT16000 prototype, and the deal that I had with ML was that anything of significance that I found could be used for advertising and promotion.That exercise probably sold thousands of detectors for Minelab.

Certainly sold one to me! 

16 minutes ago, Reg Wilson said:

There are a couple more interesting and rather twisted tales that can be told in relation to the Orange Roughie, but I shall hold forth until I am sure the readers would be interested.

You have this readers complete and undivided attention - - -