Man Discovers Gold Worth $800K While Digging a Swimming Pool in His Yard

A man found buried treasure while digging a swimming pool in his yard.

The man — who lives in Neuville-sur-Saône, a commune in the Lyon region of France — was beginning the process of putting in a pool earlier this year when he discovered a gold treasure worth 700,000 euros (about $812,000), according to Reuters.

He found five gold bars and numerous gold coins wrapped in plastic bags and buried in the ground. After making the discovery, he informed local officials, who then brought in state officials, including DRAC, the regional arm of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in France.

DRAC was tasked with determining whether the gold had archeological value, per local outlet Le Progrès. If the treasure proved to be a discovery of significance, the state could claim ownership of it.

However, as it turned out, the gold was only about 15 to 20 years old. And since each piece was etched with a unique number that could be traced, police were able to verify that the gold did not come from a burglary or theft committed in the region.

They confirmed that the gold had been melted down by a refinery in the Lyon area and had been acquired legally.

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, was allowed to keep the treasure he found.

Per Le Progrès, France’s 19th-century civil code defines treasure as “any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance.”

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“Ownership of a treasure belongs to the one who finds it on their own property,” the code states.

The man had lived in the home for about a year. The previous owner has died, so why the gold was buried in the ground remains a mystery, per Le Progrès.