12‑year‑old child found: 17‑kilogram gold stone sold for $3.50

In the United States state of North Carolina in 1799, 12‑year‑old Conrad Reed found a heavy stone in Little Meadow Creek in Cabarrus County where he lived with his family. The child, who brought the stone to his farmer father John Reed, was unaware of its value.

The family used the stone as a doorstop at home for about three years. In 1802, when John Reed took it to a jeweler in Fayetteville, it turned out to be gold.

After the jeweler offered far below its true value, Reed sold the stone for $3.50.

The gold era began in North Carolina.

Following the discovery, Reed and his partners began mining operations in the region. In 1803, a 28‑kilogram gold bar found by another child named Peter became the largest bar recorded at Reed Gold Mine.

With the spread of gold mining, North Carolina began producing more than $1 million worth of gold annually in 1840 and became the United States’ leading gold producer until the California Gold Rush of 1848.

Today Reed Gold Mine is preserved as a historic site in North Carolina. The mine tunnels and period structures in the area are open to visitors.