The Fricot Nugget is a crystalline gold nugget found in El Dorado County, California in 1865 during the California Gold Rush by William Russell Davis.
[3] The nugget was found in Davis' Grit Mine at Spanish Dry Diggings at a depth of 200 feet (61 m),[1] and was eventually shipped to New York City, where it was purchased by Jules Fricot for approximately $3,500.
Following the Paris Exposition, the Fricot Nugget was missing until 1943, when it was found in a safe deposit box in Calaveras County, California.
[2] The nugget is on permanent display in the California State Mining and Mineral Museum.
It came close to being stolen in 2012 during a robbery at the museum; however, safety measures protected it from being taken by the intruders.