A homeowner in Neuville-sur-Saône, a town in France’s Lyon region, uncovered a surprising fortune earlier this year while preparing to install a swimming pool.
According to Reuters, the man discovered five gold bars and numerous gold coins sealed inside plastic bags and buried beneath his garden — a trove valued at roughly €700,000 (about $812,000).
He immediately alerted local authorities, who called in state officials from DRAC, the regional branch of France’s Ministry of Cultural Affairs. Their job was to determine whether the treasure held any archaeological significance — in which case, the state could have claimed ownership.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/gold-bars-and-coins-111425-f773af224d4847f5b65df045da67dd46.jpg)
After examining the find, officials concluded the gold wasn’t ancient at all. The pieces were around 15 to 20 years old, each stamped with a serial number that enabled police to confirm the gold had not been stolen and had originally been legally melted and acquired through a local refinery.
With no criminal or historical ties, the homeowner — who asked not to be identified — was granted legal ownership of the entire stash.
French civil code dating back to the 19th century defines treasure as any intentionally hidden item whose owner cannot be identified and is discovered by chance. In such cases, “ownership of a treasure belongs to the one who finds it on their own property.”
The man had only lived in the home for about a year, and the previous owner is deceased — leaving the motive behind the hidden gold a lingering mystery.
