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Only in Colorado: Tom’s Baby – 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Posted: March 17, 2017 at 11:40 pm

After mysteriously disappearing for decades, Colorados largest chunk of gold was rediscoveredbut it was several pounds lighter.

In 1887, two lucky prospectors working in the Gold Flake Mine on Farncomb Hill near Breckenridge made a discovery beyond their wildest dreamsa 13.5-pound chunk of solid, glistening gold. After one of the miners, Tom Groves, reportedly swaddled it in a blanket to carry it safely back to town, the nugget quickly became known as Toms Baby.

Upon their arrival in Breckenridge, Groves and his partner, Harry Lytton, triumphantly paraded the baby around town before taking it to an assayers office to be cleaned and weighed. Soon thereafter, the mines owner, who had just paid the miners their share, handed Toms Baby to a train conductor for transport to Denver. That, according to a Summit Daily article, was the last time the glistening nugget was seen until 1972, when it was rediscovered in a bank vault owned by the Denver Museum of Nature and Sciencebut was inexplicably two pounds lighter. Since 1974, Toms Baby has been a sparkling centerpiece of the museums Coors Mineral Hall.

That story, it turns out, may be more legend than truth. The museums records indicate the nugget was on display there until 1930, according to an article in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science journalAnnals. Its fun Colorado lore, says James Hagadorn, the Tim and Kathryn Ryan Curator of Geology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, who interviewed Jack Murphy, the lucky museum curator who opened the bank vault. Regardless of the exact timing, Hagadorn says that Toms Baby was truly forgottena feat that is surprisingly common in museums, he says. During one or both World Wars, for example, many institutions pulled their materials from displays to safeguard them in case the country was invaded. Between personnel changes and off-site storage, its easy to lose track of things, explains Hagadorn.

According to museum records, Toms Baby originally weighed about 11 pounds but was reduced to 9.3 pounds after a couple of pieces broke off during its initial cleaninga weight still large enough qualify as Colorados largest singular gold sample. This difference may account for the nuggets purported weight loss. Despite its fitter physique, Toms Baby is still an impressive sight, with delicate crystals adorning its luminous surface.

Regardless of where the truth may lie, the legend of Toms Baby remains a compelling tale of good fortuneand fate. If youre hoping Lady Luck will similarly smile on you, be sure to visit the bronze statue of Groves in Breckenridges Prospector Park, where rubbing the nugget is said to bring visitors good luck.

Visit: Located at 2001 Colorado Boulevard, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is open 9am-5pm daily. All-day admission costs $16.95 for adults and $11.95 for ages 3-18.

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Only in Colorado: Tom's Baby - 5280 | The Denver Magazine


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