Frenchman finds Rs 7 crore worth of gold treasure buried in his yard, allowed to keep it

A man in France was shocked to find gold bars and coins in his yard earlier this year. He was digging up to build a swimming pool when he struck gold, literally. He came across a treasure that turned out to be worth 700,000 euros, or Rs 7 crore. It was the find of a lifetime, which the authorities have allowed him to keep. The man had been living in the house for only a year when he decided to build a swimming pool. He lives in Neuville-sur-Saône, a commune in the Lyon region of France, Reuters reported. Someone had wrapped five gold bars and numerous gold coins in plastic bags and buried them in the ground. He fulfilled his duty as a citizen and notified the local authorities about the treasure. The DRAC, the regional arm of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs in France, and other state officials were also told about the treasure. Also Read: 'My dog shot me': Pennsylvania man claims his dog caused his shotgun to go off

Local outlet Le Progrès reported that they all paid a visit to his home to ascertain the value of the find. They also needed to understand the significance of the treasure and whether it had any historical links. In this case, the state could have claimed ownership over the entire thing. However, all the gold bars and coins had a unique number on them that could be traced. This helped them verify that it wasn't stolen and was acquired legally by whoever owned it. It was only about 15 to 20 years old. The officials confirmed that the gold had been melted down by a refinery in the Lyon area. Also Read: You can buy a 10-ton pile of rope for $1.3mn at a London exhibition. Interested?

Who buried the gold?

The unnamed owner of the house was allowed to keep the treasure, as per the law. Le Progrès reported that France's 19th-century civil code defines treasure as "any hidden or buried thing over which no one can prove their ownership, and which is discovered purely by chance." The code states that anyone who finds it on their own property has the right to keep it. Meanwhile, who buried the gold might remain a mystery forever since the previous owner of the house has passed away.