French Man Hits Jackpot While Digging His Pool
Who knows what's in your own backyard. (Getty Images/Liudmila Chernetska)
A man in France got the surprise of a lifetime while digging a swimming pool in his backyard, unearthing a hidden treasure worth an estimated $800,000.
According to CBS News, the resident of Neuville-sur-Saone, a small town near Lyon, discovered five gold bars and a collection of coins wrapped in plastic bags buried just below the surface. He promptly reported the find to local cultural authorities, who confirmed that the gold was legally acquired—not stolen—and likely refined 15 to 20 years ago at a nearby facility, per Reuters.
Officials determined that because the treasure was not part of an archaeological site and no prior owner could be identified, the man is entitled to keep the gold under French civil law. The French code specifies that any hidden or buried object discovered by chance, without a proven owner, belongs to the finder if it’s located on their own property. The property’s previous owner has passed away, leaving the origins of the gold a mystery.
With gold prices now surpassing $4,000 an ounce, according to American Hartford Gold, the discovery couldn’t have come at a better time. Similar unexpected windfalls have made headlines in recent years—including a California couple who unearthed rare coins worth $10 million, and other finds across Germany and Britain, where everyday citizens stumbled upon long-forgotten treasures while renovating or cleaning up.
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