Representative AI image
While excavating his garden for a swimming pool in May, a French resident uncovered a valuable treasure, that he ultimately got to keep. The man found a gold treasure valued at $800,000, according to local officials.The discovery, although made in May, was promptly notified the authorities, who subsequently permitted him to retain the valuable find, as it was not from an archaeological site, confirmed the council of Neuville-sur-Saone on Wednesday.”Five gold bars and many coins” were found in plastic bags beneath the soil, according to the local publication Le Progres, as cited by AFP.Police investigations revealed that the gold was legally obtained and had been processed at a local refinery “15 or 20 years ago”.The garden’s previous owner has since passed away, stated the town hall, leaving the origin of the buried treasure an unsolved puzzle.The reports of normal citizens finding gold on their lands is not rare. Earlier this year, Michel Dupont, a 52-year-old farmer from France’s Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, stumbled upon a gold mine estimated to contain 150 tons of pure gold — worth around €4 billion, reported Fox 59 in April. The discovery, one of the most significant in decades, began when Dupont noticed a strange glimmer in the mud of his fields and unearthed walnut-sized gold nuggets. The find set off a media storm and a complex legal battle. Under French law, the state owns all mineral resources beneath private land, meaning Dupont is entitled to only a small share — roughly 0.5 per cent of the total value. Environmental concerns have further fuelled the debate, with experts warning that mining could cause pollution, deforestation, and disruption to local communities despite promises of job creation and economic growth. For Dupont, the discovery has upended his once-quiet life. His farm is now overrun by journalists, lawyers, and curious onlookers.
