Man Unearths $800,000 in Gold While Digging Pool in France
A homeowner in eastern france made a stunning discovery while excavating his garden for a swimming pool: gold bars worth an estimated $800,000. The find, made earlier this week in the town of Retord, has sparked intrigue as authorities investigate how the precious metal ended up buried on the property.
The gold,consisting of bars and coins,was found by the homeowner on November 5th,according to local reports. Initial concerns about the gold’s origins were quickly allayed after police determined the metal had been legally acquired and melted down approximately 15 to 20 years ago at a nearby refinery.Unique identifying numbers on the bars allowed investigators to trace thier history and confirm they were not stolen.
Under France’s 19th-century civil code, the homeowner is legally entitled to the treasure. The code defines treasure as “any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance,” and stipulates ownership belongs to the finder on their own property. The previous owner of the garden is deceased, adding to the mystery surrounding the gold’s concealment.
The discovery comes amid a recent string of similar finds across Europe and the United States. In 2024, a Northern California couple unearthed $10 million in rare gold coins on their property, while a man in Germany discovered $150,000 in gold bars and coins hidden in his apartment in 2023. A British couple also sold gold coins found beneath their kitchen floor for nearly $1 million in 2022. As of Thursday, the price of gold is $2,017.33 per ounce, according to American Hartford Gold.
