In April of 1993, a French writer and puzzle designer known by the pseudonym Max Valentin buried la chouette d’or (the golden owl), sparking an ongoing treasure hunt to uncover the owl statue. Valentin published a book titled Sur la Trace de la Chouette d’Or (On the Trail of the Golden Owl) that contains 11 clues that lead to the location of the owl, which is buried somewhere in France.
Each clue within the book includes a title, text, and an illustration by Michael Becker, who also designed the golden owl statue. Valentin spent approximately 450 hours designing the riddles, and he predicted that the treasure hunt would take between 8 and 14 months to solve. But it remains a mystery.
The golden owl statue weighs 33 lbs and is made of gold and silver, with a diamond-encrusted head. It’s estimated value is one million francs. The buried owl is actually made of bronze, but this replica can be exchanged for the original once it’s found.
Many people have tried to complete the La Chouette d’Or treasure hunt, some even going to extreme measures. Some have smashed up concrete looking for the owl, and one person burned down a chapel believing the treasure to be buried beneath it. Others offered Valentin exorbitant amounts of money for extra clues, which were never given. The people participating in the hunt are known as Chouetteurs and there’s an online community where they can talk and support each other.
Valentin noted that at one point, the ground near the owl’s location had been disturbed. That was the one and only time that a Chouetteur had come so close to uncovering the treasure.
In 2009, Valentin died in a car crash before the owl could be found. And yet the hunt goes on. Valentin created over 20 treasure hunts, all of which were solved except La Chouette d’Or. The quest for the golden owl will continue until someone is able to uncover the statue and claim the prize, just as Valentin wished.
In the spirit of the golden owl, we recommend checking out the Silver Great Horned Owl coin, which is part of the Royal Canadian Mint’s Birds of Prey series.
Have you ever participated in a treasure hunt? We’d love to hear about any experiences you may have had in the comments section below.
It works very well for me