Construction workers in Belgium unearthed gold worth an estimated $10.4 million while excavating trenches for a sewage system at a former brewery site earlier this month.Workers contacted the authorities immediately after unearthing the treasure, the police in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, a Flemish community outside Brussels, said. The police confirmed that the workers dug up a ‘large amount of gold’ on Tuesday, August 11, during the groundwork, according to their Facebook post. The officers catalogued the treasure and transferred it to a ‘high-security federal government vault’.
Tuesday brought treasure
The police posted a series of pictures of the treasure, which included 49 gold bars laid out on a table and a bucket of gold coins. The gold haul’s estimated worth is $10.4 million.The officials also appreciated the workers for immediately informing the authorities. “Workers found a large amount of gold during groundworks on Van Langenhovestraat and immediately contacted us. In such cases, silence is silver and speaking out is gold!”
Warning to treasure hunters
Police also issued a warning to anyone tempted to explore the site in search of more treasure. They cautioned would-be treasure hunters against visiting the construction site. “Various gold prospectors apparently want to pass by the site again. Golden advice: This really makes no sense,” they said.The construction site is fenced off and also has several dangerous pits, and police stressed that all the gold has already been recovered. “So definitely do not take any unreasonable risks!”They added, “Hope that this treasure ends up in the right place and that this unfortunate discovery can change the lives of many in a positive way!”
Gold bars and coins
Kobe, an 18-year-old worker, was among the first to spot the gold. “Our first reaction was actually disbelief, surprise. Of course, we didn’t expect to find gold,” Kobe told VRT, a Belgian broadcaster.The workers were removing part of a foundation to lay a pipe for the sewerage system when they found the gold. “When we did that, we suddenly saw something lying around,” Kobe said. Initially, he mistook some of the objects for ordinary €1 coins before realising the magnitude of the find.The project leader, Mario, was absolutely stunned. He recalls it was a ‘crazy feeling’. “They shouted, ‘We found gold.’ I went to look and took the gold in my hands. We also continued to dig up new coins and bars. Only then did what we had found really dawn.”Mario said he immediately contacted his supervisor and then the police. The construction site is located at a former villa that once belonged to Theophilus Van Assche, a brewery owner, according to local reports. The property now belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, an organisation that provides welfare support to the Flemish community.So what happens to the treasure now? The construction workers don’t really get to keep the gold. Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has five years from the discovery to claim the gold. If no legitimate owner emerges and authorities determine the treasure is unrelated to criminal activity, Belgian civil law mandates that the hoard be divided between the finder and the property owner. Authorities continue investigating the origin and provenance of the gold as the five-year claim period begins.Has Mario not been tempted to keep some of those gold bars or coins? “It’s about so many coins and bars that it almost wouldn’t be possible. Besides, it would also be theft,” he told VRT.Kobe, also a student, hopes they at least get a finder’s fee. “That would be nice.” The director of the organisation that owns the building said he hoped the gold could be used to help with the ‘enormous need we experience daily’, the BBC reported.The organisation provides social services to the region and operates welfare programmes for vulnerable populations in East Flanders.Meanwhile, this discovery is similar to a recent one in Austria. Two years ago, an Austrian plumber renovating a villa basement uncovered a treasure chest containing 66 pounds of gold coins dated to before World War II, worth an estimated $2.4 million. Under Austrian law, the finder was entitled to share in the haul alongside the property owner.
