Arizona’s auction scene is about to get wildly shinier.
EJ’s Auction & Appraisal in Glendale has been selected to auction the historic “Boot of Cortez,” a massive natural gold nugget shaped like a conquistador’s boot. It is classified as the largest surviving natural gold nugget found in the Western Hemisphere, and it is heading to the auction block on Friday, June 12, at 1 p.m. Arizona time.
Bidding is open now at bootofcortez.com, with registration available through June 9. The auction will take place both online and live at EJ’s Auction & Appraisal for qualified bidders.
The piece is not exactly subtle. The Boot of Cortez weighs 383.10 troy ounces, or 26.2 pounds, and measures 10 ¾ inches tall by 7 ¼ inches wide. It is approximately 98% gold, according to third-party X-ray fluorescence testing arranged by EJ’s Auction & Appraisal. Its current weight was also confirmed using a third-party scale certified by the State of Arizona.
That updated analysis matters. Older reports from the Boot’s last auction listed the nugget at a slightly different weight and purity, but EJ’s arranged independent testing in April 2026 using modern calibrated equipment.
In other words, this is not your average “look what I found in the desert” moment.
The nugget was discovered in 1989 near Caborca, Mexico, about 70 miles south of the Arizona border and about 60 miles east of the Sea of Cortez in Sonora. The prospector reportedly found it while searching for gold with a metal detector from Radio Shack, which is exactly the kind of origin story that makes collectors lean forward.
Since then, the Boot of Cortez has earned serious mineral-world celebrity status. It has been exhibited at major destinations including the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
In January 2008, the piece sold at auction for more than $1.3 million, roughly four times the gold spot value at the time. It has remained in a distinguished private collection for nearly two decades. Erik Hoyer, CEO and owner of EJ’s Auction & Appraisal, says the Boot has not changed ownership since that 2008 purchase.
Now, Glendale gets the next chapter.
For those who want a look before bidding gets serious, EJ’s will host a free public preview on Wednesday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at its Glendale auction house. EJ’s is located at 5880 W. Bell Road, on the northeast corner of Bell Road and 59th Avenue. The nugget will be displayed in a glass case on the main gallery floor, because a 26-pound gold boot deserves a little drama.
Insider Takeaways
- The Boot of Cortez will be auctioned Friday, June 12, at 1 p.m. Arizona time through EJ’s Auction & Appraisal in Glendale.
- Bidding is open now at bootofcortez.com, with registration available through June 9. The auction will be held both online and live for qualified bidders.
- The natural gold nugget weighs 383.10 troy ounces, or 26.2 pounds, and is approximately 98% gold. EJ’s arranged updated third-party testing in April 2026 to confirm the Boot’s current weight and purity.
- A free public preview will be held Wednesday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 5880 W. Bell Road in Glendale.
To learn more, visit bootofcortez.com.
