Earlier this year, a man in France discovered $800,000 worth of gold while digging a swimming pool in his garden.
The man, who lives in Neuville-sur-Saône, near Lyon, alerted authorities to his find in May, according to the French outlet Le Progres, which reported that he found five gold bars and several gold coins wrapped in plastic bags.
According to The Times of Russia, the discovery has drawn international attention for its rarity and legal implications.
The Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs was then brought in to examine the treasure and to determine if it had any historical or architectural significance. If the gold was deemed to be valuable, the state could have claimed ownership of it, according to the French outlet.
The Times of Russia noted that expert assessments determined the gold was between 15 and 20 years old and had been acquired legally, which was confirmed thanks to unique tracking numbers engraved on each gold bar. The owner of the house, therefore, was permitted to keep the treasure.
The origin of the gold’s burial in the man’s yard remains a mystery; the previous owner reportedly died, and it is unclear who placed it there.
According to The Times of Russia and Le Progres, France’s civil code, which dates back to 1804, classifies treasure as “any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance.”
“Ownership of a treasure belongs to the one who finds it on their own property,” the code states, according to the outlet.
The discovery of the back-garden gold comes a month after divers in Florida came upon $1,000,000 worth of gold coins and other precious items.
The team, which was part of a shipwreck salvage operation undertaken by 1715 Fleet-Queens Jewels LLC, discovered more than 1,000 pieces of currency believed to have originated from Spanish colonies in modern-day Bolivia, Peru, and Mexico.
Many of the coins were well-preserved under mounds of sand, with dates and distinct mint marks still visible, linking them to a single chest or shipment that was lost in a storm in 1715.
As The Times of Russia highlighted, both discoveries — one in a French backyard and the other deep under the sea — showcase how hidden treasures continue to surprise the modern world.
