A treasure hunt that began over 30 years ago has now ended, with the buried 10-kilogram (22-pound) diamond-encrusted “Golden Owl” finally being located.
In 1993, Régis Hauser and Michel Becker created the treasure hunt, burying the owl, estimated to be worth around €150,000 (~164,000 USD) somewhere in France. There are published clues to the owl’s whereabouts in the book Sur la trace de la chouette d’or’ or On the trail of the golden owl, which thousands of treasure hunters have attempted to decode. The book contains just 11 puzzles combining images and words, though they are of course complicated enough to keep people guessing for three decades.
“When, in Carusburc, you have Albion at your back, look for the opening that reveals the celestial light,” one such head-scratching clue reads. Several clues have of course been solved over the years, with people posting the solutions to the Internet.
As well as these cryptic clues, Régis Hauser – aka Max Valentin – published more clues relating to the owl’s location over the years, adding to the confusion and, perhaps, providing help to the person/s who eventually found the owl.
Now, the hunt is over. Though Valentin died in 2009, Becker – who illustrated the book – confirmed in a message posted to Discord that the treasure has been claimed.
“Good evening everyone,” he wrote on Thursday, “I confirm the discovery of the Owl and I have a lot more to tell you.”
While it is nice to imagine that someone out there dug up and found a literal golden owl, in fact, they located a “countermark”, or replica of the owl, which can then be traded up for the one covered in diamonds.
“Don’t go digging! We confirm that the Golden Owl countermark was unearthed last night,” Becker added to other treasure hunters, per Le Monde. “We are verifying the validity of the proposed solution.”
While the treasure has been found, no details about who found it, where, or how, have been released to the public. Further information from Becker may be forthcoming now that the treasure has been found, including the solutions to the fiendish clues.
