 | The Treasure of Gourdon was unearthed near Gourdon, Saône-et-Loire, France in 1845. The hoard of gold was hidden soon after 524. When it was found, the hoard comprised a chalice and a rectangular paten, together with about a hundred gold coins dating from the reigns of Byzantine emperors Leo I (457–474) through that of Justin I (518–527). The Merovingian king Clovis I converted to Christianity in 496. |  |
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In the sixth century Gourdon was the site of a monastery. The latest date among the coins that were part of the hoard can be fixed at circa 524. The treasure may have been hastily buried in anticipation of a raid. A shepherd girl, Louise Forest, discovered it below a Roman tile engraved with a cross. The treasure was sold at auction in Paris on 20 July 1846 with the paten and chalice acquired by the state. |  |
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