A man in France who discovered a cache of gold worth more than $800,000 this year will be allowed to keep it.
The man, a resident of Neuville-sur-Saone about 280 miles southeast of Paris, found the gold while digging in his garden to prepare to put in a swimming pool in May. The town council confirmed Wednesday that the man will be allowed to keep the gold he found, according to French news agency Agence France-Presse.
The hoard consisted of five gold bars and a large amount of gold coins, wrapped in plastic bags, sources told the local Le Progres newspaper. The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported the find to the local council.
French archaeological officials and law enforcement then got involved to determine if the gold had archaeological significance, in which case it could be considered state property, or if it was stolen from somewhere.
The gold bars had unique identification numbers. Law enforcement determined the gold was not stolen and that the bars were only 15 to 20 years old, having been made at an area refinery before being legally acquired, according to Le Progres.
It is not known how the gold got into the garden. The previous owner of the property is dead, the Neuville-sur-Saone town council said, according to Agence France-Presse.
