Frenchman finds $800,000 in gold bars and coins in his garden

PARIS: A man has discovered around 700,000 euros ($800,000) worth of gold bars and coins while digging a swimming pool in his garden in France, local authorities said on Thursday.

The man, who has not been named, found the hoard in his home in the town of Neuville-sur-Saone outside Lyon in May, and reported it to the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs.

Officials there had just ruled he could keep it, as there was no sign it was archaeological treasure, a spokesperson for the Neuville-sur-Saone local authority said.

There were no clues on how it got there and the previous owner of the land had died, the spokesperson added.

The five bars and many coins were found in plastic bags, regional newspaper Le Progres reported.