VIENNA (December 6, 2012)--A city bus driver in Vienna checked a bag left behind by a passenger and got the surprise of his life when he found more than $500,000, in neatly stacked 500-euro bills.

Transit authority spokeswoman Anna-Maria Reich said the driver handed the stash of cash to police who tracked down the owner, an unidentified elderly woman.

But the driver has nothing to show for his honesty beyond praise from superiors.

Weeks later, the owner has not contacted him to offer a reward.

The incident happened last month and Reich confirmed details first reported Thursday by several Austrian tabloids.

It was unclear why the woman was carrying so much cash.