A routine construction project in Belgium has turned into an extraordinary treasure hunt after workers discovered gold worth an estimated $10.4 million hidden inside the walls of a property in East Flanders.
The remarkable discovery was made in Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde, around 40 minutes from Brussels, while construction workers were carrying out work to install new sewage pipes at the site.
What initially appeared to be ordinary coins soon turned out to be a much more valuable find.
18-year-old worker makes surprising discovery
An 18-year-old student who was working at the site as part of a summer job described the moment the workers came across the stash.
“Our first reaction was actually disbelief, amazement,” he said.
According to the young worker, the first coins he saw appeared to be ordinary euro coins.
“At first I thought they were €1 coins. But then we also saw a gold nugget lying there. That’s when we realised it was something bigger,” he said.
The discovery quickly attracted the attention of other workers at the site as they continued uncovering more items.
Workers find gold coins and bars
Site manager Mario, who has spent 33 years working in the construction industry, said the scale of the discovery only became clear as the excavation continued.
“I went to look and took the gold in my hands. We kept digging up new coins and bars as well,” he said.
He added that it was only after finding more gold that the workers fully understood what they had uncovered.
“Only then did it really sink in what we had found. That was a crazy feeling,” he said.
The workers subsequently informed police about the discovery and moved the treasure to a secure location.
The estimated value of the hoard is around $10.4 million, making the find an extraordinary discovery for a routine construction project.
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Who owns the treasure?
The property where the gold was discovered belongs to CAW Oost-Vlaanderen, a welfare organisation that provides support to people and communities in the region.
The discovery has also raised questions about who will ultimately be entitled to the valuable hoard.
Under Belgian law, the rightful owner has a period of five years to come forward and claim the treasure.
If no legitimate owner is identified within that period, the treasure will reportedly be divided between the person who discovered it and the owner of the property.
That means the young summer worker and the organisation that owns the building could potentially have a significant financial interest in the discovery if no previous owner can be established.
Police warn treasure hunters
News of the gold discovery has naturally attracted attention, but local police have warned members of the public against visiting the site in search of additional valuables.
Authorities said there was “nothing left to see” and pointed out that the building is being demolished.
The discovery remains an unusual example of how an ordinary renovation project can unexpectedly uncover a hidden piece of history — and potentially a fortune worth millions of dollars.
