Man Finds Gold Bars and Coins Worth $147K During Home Clear-Out

A man in Germany struck gold while clearing out a property, when a haul worth an estimated $147,000 was discovered, according to police.

Officers in Heidelberg, southwest Germany, were left "amazed" when a 29-year-old man handed over gold bars and coins to officers at the Heidelberg-Süd station at 10 p.m. on Friday, April 7.

The police statement, translated from German to English, read: "It was a small treasure consisting of gold bars and gold coins worth over 135,000 euros ($147,438).

"The young man had found this during a clearing out in Heidelberg. Who originally owned the valuables is still being determined. If it is not stolen goods, the honest finder can look forward to a handsome finder's reward."

While the age of the gold bars is unknown, police confirmed the coins found in the same haul were made in the 1970s.

A spokesperson for the police in Baden-Württemberg state told Newsweek: "Unfortunately we don't know the age of the gold bars. But we can say, that the minting date of the gold coins, which were also found, is 1978. So far, no one claimed ownership of the gold.

"If it comes out, that the gold was not stolen, it'll move to the 'lost and found office' of the city administration of Heidelberg.

"They will also try to find the owner. If this will not succeed within six months the finder can get back all of the gold and keep it."

Facts About Gold

In the U.S., between one troy kilogram (32.15 oz) and two troy kilograms of pure 24-karat gold is currently valued at $65,834, according to the U.S. Gold Bureau (USGB).

The USGB said the largest known gold nugget was found in 1869 and weighed 158 lbs. It added: "You are more likely to find a five-carat diamond than a single-ounce gold nugget."

Other Gold Hauls in Germany

Last year, a 2,000-year-old hoard of Celtic gold that was unearthed in Brandenburg, Germany, was finally made public. In the academic journal Live Science, Manja Schuele, the minister of culture for Brandenburg, revealed that the 2017 discovery was the largest kind in the state's history.

Schuele said: "There has never been a gold treasure from the Celts in Brandenburg.

"The 41 gold coins that have now been discovered are a sensation, an irreplaceable source of information, and offer a unique glimpse into our past.

"It was a volunteer archaeologist who literally uncovered this important piece of state history."

An additional 31 coins were found near the village of Baitz in the Potsdam-Mittelmark district of Brandenburg in 2017.