A man in France discovered a treasure worth €800,000 while digging a hole for a swimming pool on his property near Lyon. The find included five gold bars and several coins, all carefully wrapped in plastic bags. The unnamed man, who has owned the property for about a year, turned the discovery over to local authorities in the town of Neuville-sur-Saône rather than keeping it for himself. The treasure was classified as such under French law, which defines a “treasure” (trésor) as an object or collection of objects of considerable value that must be hidden or buried, with no one able to prove ownership, and found by chance. According to the Civil Code, dating back to the 19th century, this classification allows the finder or landowner to retain possession unless the treasure is deemed archaeologically valuable, in which case the state may claim it. Authorities informed the regional cultural affairs administration, whose task was to determine whether the treasure had archaeological significance. If it did, the state could take ownership. However, the treasure was ultimately deemed not to have such value, allowing the discoverer to keep it. The gold items were traced back to a refinery near Lyon through engraved identification numbers, confirming they were produced approximately 15 to 20 years ago and not stolen or linked to illegal activities. The court ruled in favor of the discoverer, allowing him to retain the treasure due to its relatively recent origin and proper documentation. The treasure's current estimated value is around €800,000. Despite this, the mystery of why the gold was buried on the property remains unsolved. The previous house owner died before the treasure was discovered, and there is no evidence yet indicating who hid the gold or why. In a separate incident in Belgium, workers renovating a house in a rural village in Eastern Flanders uncovered a hidden chest filled with gold bars and hundreds of coins during plumbing work. The treasure’s current value is estimated at around €9 million. The discovery sparked questions about who would end up owning the treasure, construction workers or the local charitable organization that owns the property. Local police warned the public not to visit the active construction site in search of additional treasure. They stated the house had been “turned upside down,” and all the gold had been moved to a secure location. The construction crew, including an 18-year-old doing summer work, initially thought the items were just one-euro coins until they noticed larger pieces, such as gold medals, realizing the true scale of their find. The head of the construction site, Mario, told Belgian public broadcaster VRT that the amount of coins and bars was so large it would have been nearly impossible to hide, adding that such a theft would be unlikely. Student Kobe, who worked on the project, expressed disbelief and awe upon discovering the treasure, noting he initially thought the items were one-euro coins before realizing the magnitude of the find. The property is currently owned by the CAW Oost-Vlaanderen charity, based in Dendermond, a Flemish community with approximately 47,000 residents. The organization provides social support to individuals. Its director, Geert Hillaert, described his initial reaction as shock and amazement, expressing hope that the treasure might one day be used to support the organization’s work and meet the substantial needs it faces daily. Local police updated their Facebook profile with an image of a golden coin, stating they hoped the discovery would eventually reach the right person and change lives. Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years to claim the treasure. If no one comes forward within that time, civil law dictates that the treasure found on someone else’s property should be divided between the finder and the property owner, assuming it is not connected to criminal activity. The construction workers and the charitable organization may now have to wait up to 1,823 days for the rightful owner to appear. If no one claims the treasure, silence will indeed be worth the gold.
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