Frenchman Finds Nearly $1M U.S. Gold Coins Hidden in Rafters
- Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:30pm by
Becket Adams
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File this under: “Why, God? Why couldn’t it be me?”
A French Champagne producer literally hit gold when workers renovating an old building on his property brought down a shower of U.S. coins hidden in the rafters.
“One of the workers (was) attacking the building’s ceiling with a crowbar when gold coins started to rain down on him, followed by sacks of gold,” Francois Lange, the head of Alexandre Bonnet, in Les Riceys, France, said.
He said the treasure consists of 497 gold coins – with a face value of $20 each – minted between 1851 and 1928 and worth today about $980,000.
“It’s not unusual to hear about treasure hunters combing the ocean’s depth for gold and other precious metals lost at sea, but finding $1 million in your office attic is quite a steal,” writes Eric Pfeiffer of Yahoo! News. “And a valuable one too, given that demand for gold has reached new heights recently. In 2011, just an ounce of gold was valued at $1,920.30.”
As any Blaze reader who follows the our daily Market Recap knows, gold has increased exponentially in value over the last few years due to the frightening volatility of the global economy. Needless to say, Lange is an extraordinarily lucky man.
Lange said that half of the find will go to the workers and he’ll keep the other half for himself. The origin of the treasure is not known, but the building, a former grapedrying facility, used to belong to a wine producer who traded with Britain and the U.S. in the 1930s.
“That may seem like a minor detail for now but don’t be surprised if this ‘buried’ treasure story still has another chapter to be told,” Pfeiffer writes. “After all, what are the odds that $1 million in gold coins will go unclaimed, even if the previous owners are no longer alive. Just look at the recent legal case being argued between Spain and a team of scavengers who in 2008 found more than $500 million worth of gold coins and other treasures in a wreck off the Florida coast.”
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to tear apart our townhouse and hope for the best.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (65)
2theADDLED
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 11:35pmI would have kept it secret and out of the news you know what will happen those OWS type people will start camping on his lawn.
Report Post »SpeckChaser
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:40amYea, it is clear he acquired that money from the backs of the poor.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 10:04ami would have kept it secret too.you know some holocaust survivor is gonna claim it and the whole american media and politicians are gonna threaten world war 3 if they don’t give it to him/her.
Wolf
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 10:09amAbolutely. Keep your mouth shut and be sensible in cashing them out. Trade some for silver in small denominations or quietly buy a sailboat and get the hell away from the E.U. with bundle intact.
Report Post »Pontiac
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 12:40pmIt’s possible something like this has happened before…
Report Post »Only you didn‘t hear about it because they WEREN’T A FLAMING IDIOT!!!
They should learn their lesson after being bumped into a much higher tax bracket. But not likely.
dmerwin
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 7:18pmrose-ellen
Report Post »Only you could come up with such a bigoted comment to this story.
glassbeadlady
Posted on February 19, 2012 at 12:10pmrose-ellen, that was a terrible thing to say. you should be ashamed of your self. God be with you…
Report Post »LauraPZ
Posted on February 20, 2012 at 3:10pmI would have most-certainly, kept quiet about it. Such a windfall would be at least heavily-taxed, if not confiscated. At any rate, lawyers would be involved, until there was no gold left. “Discression is the better part of Valor”. It is at least smart. :)
Report Post »kindling
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:46pmOops….I knew I forgot something!
Report Post »merchantsailor
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:43pmObama and the guvmint will invoke some made up law that taxes are owed on it because it was “smuggled” out of the country.
Report Post »AB5r
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:23pmSeems extremely generous to give half to the workers, what right do they have to it, other than perhaps a large bonus? Maybe he figures they could have tried to keep it all but were honest in showing him what they found.
Report Post »idarusskie
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 1:10amI would have only given 1/2 to the workers if they kept their mouths shut. Most likely he had to share or else they would have run off with it.
Report Post »josh345
Posted on February 19, 2012 at 7:45pmYou know, there are generous people out there…..
Report Post »Maxim Crux
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 8:45pmBetter hide it, Soros and the Nazi’s will be coming for it again
Report Post »FORLORNHOPE
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 8:30pmFrench Jews who hid them before the war and then were sent to camps.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 9:10pmEvery Frenchmen living in a house the belonged to a Jew just before the war will begin tearing down their homes.
Report Post »Trebuchet
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 9:51amCould’ve been part of the OSS and French Underground. When prisoners of war escaped they had safe houses set up where they would be given clothes and money for the trip across Europe to England or Switzerland. The OSS provided gold coins since they could be used anywhere. Maybe this was a safe house that was quickly abandoned and the money left behind.
Report Post »ColoradoMaverick
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:22pmThat’s awesome!
Report Post »mils
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:40pmit really is a windfall….
Report Post »but, he should have kept quiet about it… someone will come and try to claim or steal it somehow..
GOOD to divide with the worders too!
lukerw
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 8:10pm@MILS
Report Post »… and, or, TAX it!
oldironsides
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 8:55pmLUKE – same thing
Report Post »TwoMinuteMan
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:01pmIt’s a good thing those were minted before 1933. Otherwise the fed could confiscate them like they did to some poor woman who “found” some gold coins in her dead husbands safe. They were minted on or after 1933 and the govt confiscated them when she tried to auction them off.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:51pmShe should have committed the crime of melting them down and making gold ingots of them!
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:44pmWhere are the liberals screaming that he must return those coins to the treasury so they can be used on the poor democratic voters. Afterall…having two and three I.D.’s to vote many times …..can be expensive.
Report Post »Brem
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:41pmHow stupid is this guy to tell anyone
Report Post »txjb
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:20pmYeah , I would have paid the workers off , and everyone keep silent about it.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:52pmYEAH! Don’t you just want to find out where this happened, and then figure out how the coins got there and who did it! I’d be THAT story is worth more than the coins!
Report Post »ddg7
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:40pmNow we know why they say your home is your biggest investment.
Report Post »hnuh
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:34pmA golden shower… not only did they not have to pay for it, it paid them!
Report Post »OperationNorthwoods
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:34pmThey might have been hidden from the Nazis.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 7:54pmThe Germans used to bury stuff in their back yards, so the Furher wouldn’t steal it for the war effort! I wonder how much of that is still missing?
Report Post »Cat
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:30pmHelp us out here, some of you war history buffs …
Wasn’t it General George Patton who was accused of raiding a gold stash and hiding it while he was in France and told the governments he had no idea what they were taking about, then somehow died in a Jeep accident?
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 9:42pmNot sure about the gold, but Patton was in his Cadillac staff car when struck by a deuce and a half driven by a drunken NCO. He died a number of days later in Room 214 of the Heidelberg Military Hospital.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 10:52pmRJ >
Recall reading an intriguing book that he was suspected of sneaking a major Nazi stash and stuffed it somewhere but never admitted it, even to his closest allies, because of what happened in Metz, France
The story also said the soldiers hiding the stash would have said something to someone, but the stashers were killed in the upcoming Arrocourt battle
Wish I had the book, but it was lost in a flood in 1962
Thanks for the clarification on his demise
Report Post »Cat
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 11:38pmThat would be a flood in 1972 … not 62
Report Post »BostonHarold
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 12:09amApparently on his deathbed he forgave the poor GI…saying it was an accident and didn’t want the guy living with the guilt of having killed him for the rest of life. It‘s why Patton’s men loved the gruff SOB and would’ve followed him through Hell carrying a gas can.
Report Post »Cat
Posted on February 18, 2012 at 3:13amBoston >
You’re correct, my uncle served under Patton and he would have proudly walked through Hell carrying a gas can, but with Patton … He was one extremely tough, yet cautious individual
What’s intriguing is the author of the book mentioned a gold stash, secretly placed by SS controlled operatives somewhere in France to be used to finance Hitler’s European restructuring.
Patton found out about it, and when the enemy wasn’t looking, had highly trusted artillery soldiers under his command steal it and move the stash to a secret location.
The author’s theory is that Patton realized the Nazis were facing financial instability at home and there would be no way the Nazis would recover after the hydro electric grid destruction by the US secret nighttime air attach on Germany’s dams.
When Patton ‘commandeered‘ the stash of gold, he removed the last source of revenue for Hitler’s grasp on Europe, and, had a tidy sum of revenue for retirement, or to run for political office in the USA, and no one would be the wiser.
This place might be Patton’s secret location
Report Post »Frankley
Posted on February 19, 2012 at 5:12pmWow, thanks guys for that bit of history info. I read a book on Patton but that bit of info was not covered. I will look for this book. Anyone know of one!
Report Post »MrMagoo
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:26pmAmazing!Its a wonderful world:)
Report Post »flatbroke
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:24pmDiy = $$$
Report Post »JP4JOY
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:09pmWe had a case 20 years ago when the widow of a casino owner had her basement stairs demolished to replace them. The workman discovered a stash of 11 million silver dollars that had been hidden by her late husband. Many had values far exceeding face value because they dated into the 1880′s. Also many had the cc (Carson City) mint mark which made them quite valuable. Remodel for fun AND profit.
Report Post »UBETHECHANGE
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:00pmSweet find! I love finding treasures with my Garrett Ace 250!
Report Post »DD313
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:50pmMaybe Obama will put in a claim based upon the theory that these coins reverted to U.S. ownership in 1933 when FDR ordered them to be turned in. Of course, to be generous, he could offer their face value of $9940 ;)
Report Post »bitter clinger
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:49pmIf only frenchie had learned to do his own home repairs he could have it all.
Report Post »Rickfromillinois
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:45pmIf this was in the U.S. the Government would say that all gold coins were supposed to turned in when FDR was in office and confiscate everything.
Report Post »Frankley
Posted on February 19, 2012 at 5:09pmYou are correct. It already has happened.
http://www.volconvo.com/forums/society-rights/6575-u-s-mint-confiscates-10-rare.html
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:41pm…and Handel’s Halleleujah Chorus began playing in the background…
Report Post »PeppermintCrush
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 6:35pmThanks for the good laugh, I needed that! LOL!!
Report Post »Polarized America
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:39pmWHAT !!!….Ive got to go find my crowbar …. cya
Report Post »P C BE DAMNED
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:41pmThere is no way you are tearing apart my property and gold falls out and I give you anything. Damn its my property. Half, did someone write that correct. No way, its stupid.Fool
Report Post »Detroit paperboy
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:37pmNice……But the socialist french government will take 70%…. you know, to spread the wealth….
Report Post »npbreakthrough
Posted on February 17, 2012 at 5:35pmahah……….thats where i left those damn coins………..oh well
Report Post »