Morez officials discover gold treasure in old house renovation

During the cleaning and renovation of an old house in Morez, Jura, France, local officials discovered a significant cache of gold. The house, which the municipality purchased for 130,000 euros to aid in downtown revitalization, was being cleared out by local leaders and museum officials.

In three glass jam jars hidden behind old belongings, workers found five gold bars weighing approximately 1 kg each, along with over 1,000 gold coins. This initial find was valued at approximately 500,000 euros. Continued cleaning led to the discovery of a hidden safe containing hundreds of additional gold coins worth about 150,000 euros.

Mayor Laurent Petit noted the surprise of the discovery, stating, "All of us were stunned. None of us had ever held real gold before." Following the discovery, the gold now belongs to the local government.