A German woman was astonished to find deutschemark banknotes and account savings books worth €100 000 (R821 000) tucked in the lining of an old washing basket she bought at a flea market.
The woman, from Bavaria, bought the basket for just €7 (R57), but decided to remove the material because it smelled.
Inside she found 30 000 deutschemarks (about €15 300) in banknotes and two savings books for accounts containing €170 000 deutschemarks (about €87 000), said a police spokesperson in the town of Grafenau on Tuesday.
Deutschemarks were abandoned in favour of the euro in January 2002, but can still be exchanged for the new currency.
The woman decided honesty was the best policy and decided to turn her find over to the police, who contacted the owners of the money.
“She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night,” the police spokesperson said.
The woman is likely to receive a reward. — AFP