Complex sentence: In 1802, however, a jeweler in Fayetteville identified the rock as a gold nugget and bought it from the unwitting John Reed for $3.50; the nugget's true value was, in all likelihood, over $3000.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1802, a jeweler in Fayetteville identified the rock as a gold nugget and purchased it from John Reed for $3.50. The nugget's true value was, in all likelihood, over $3000.