I was digging to make a pool. Found 700 thousand euros in gold bars and coins

The treasure was not stolen, and no one claimed it — with the owner being left with the unexpected discovery.

It’s a discovery worthy of a movie. While digging a pool in his garden, a resident of Neuville-sur-Saône, near Lyon, unearthed five gold bars and several dozen gold coins, carefully packed in plastic bags and buried in the ground. The estimated value of the treasure is around 700 thousand euros.

According to the newspaper, the man, who had owned the house for just over a year, immediately reported the discovery to the city council, as required by law.

Local authorities then alerted the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), responsible for assessing the nature and origin of the treasure. If the gold had archaeological or historical interest, the State could have claimed ownership.

However, expert analysis quickly ruled out this possibility. According to police, the gold bars are only between fifteen and twenty years old. As each bar was numbered, the researchers also verified that the gold did not come from theft or trafficking. Checks confirmed its legal origin, as the gold had been melted by a company in the Lyon region.

As a result, the lucky discoverer, who remained anonymous, could keep all the findsbecoming the proud owner of a perfectly legal treasure. This is an extremely rare situation in France, where legislation on discoveries of this type generally stipulates sharing or restitution to the State.

The mystery of who buried these gold bars and coins in the garden remains unsolved. According to initial information, the former owner of the house passed away and no heir claimed the hiding place. The reasons why this fortune was buried remain unknown, perhaps as a precaution in the face of a financial crisis or deliberate concealment.

For the new resident, this unexpected discovery turned his pool project into a real modern fairy tale.