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Workers find €9m gold hoard in Belgium
A renovation crew uncovered gold hidden in a Belgian cellar wall, leaving police to determine who owns it.
What happened
Workers renovating a building in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, Belgium, found a chest of gold bars and old coins sealed in a cellar wall. They alerted police, who removed the hoard and began investigating its origin and ownership. The building is owned by a welfare organisation. The discovery came during foundation work.
Numbers
- €9mEstimated value of the hoard
- 4,000Old coins found in chest — At least
- More than 40Gold bars found in chest
- Five yearsPeriod for owner to claim
Questions
- Where has the gold gone?
- Police removed the bars and coins from the property and placed them in secure storage after visitors began searching the site.
- Who could receive the hoard?
- Belgian law gives an original owner a period to claim it; otherwise, the value could be shared between the owner and finders.
- What would the charity do?
- If it is awarded the hoard, the welfare organisation says it would use proceeds for additional accommodation for homeless people in East Flanders.
- Why did police warn visitors away?
- Police warned treasure hunters away because the building had been searched, while investigators worked to account for all the gold.
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The catch
The reporting does not identify who hid the gold, its lawful owner, or whether any criminal link exists.