Latest news with #BeaussantLefèvreandAssociates
New York Post
11 hours ago
- New York Post
Gold coin collection discovered behind a wall after owner's death sells — for nearly $4 million
All in all, it was hiding behind just another brick in the wall. A collection of rare gold coins nearly lost to history after its owner passed away has fetched nearly $4 million at auction. The gilded stash had been amassed over a lifetime by numismatist Paul Narce, who lived in Castillonnès, France, until his death last year at 89, the Times of London reported. Unknown collector Paul Narce managed to amass a top-notch cache of gold coins that was only discovered after his death. Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates 'I have never seen such a major collection go on sale from the point of view of quantity and quality,' coin expert Thierry Parsy said in a statement ahead of the sale, which went down at the Beaussant Lefèvre auction house in Paris, CNN reported. 'Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection,' said Parsy. His rare prizes were meticulously labeled — the collection reportedly numbered more than a thousand pieces, some dating back centuries. These included pieces from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC, and nearly complete sets of coins exchanged during the reigns of French Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI — including some minted just before the latter's execution by guillotine in 1793. 'Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection,' said Thierry Parsy. Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates Parsy said that Narce clearly 'knew what he was buying,' which seemed unusual given that he was an unknown. In fact, the coin expert said that the treasure trove 'could have remained undiscovered forever' — had the notary in charge of the deceased's estate not heard of Narce's unique hobby from local villagers. The elderly collector had no children or heirs and had moved to a nursing home after his sister Claudette, with whom he collected the coins, passed away a year prior. Along with the aforementioned collection, they found 'masterpieces of gothic art' and ten cloth pouches, each containing 172 'Napoléons' (golden 20 franc coins) — amounting to an ingot of gold. After an extensive search of the property, the notary finally located the treasure chest — hidden behind the picture on the wall of a storage room. The coin collection went under the gavel for an eye-popping $3.8 million, far exceeding the pre-auction estimate of around $2.3 million. Meanwhile, the francs, valued at around $115,650, will be auctioned off separately. The money will reportedly go to distant cousins of Narce. Pierre Sicaud, mayor of Castillonnès, couldn't believe that the senior and his sister had amassed such an incredible collection under the radar. 'They were very polite, very modest people who lived in an ordinary house,' he explained.
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- General
- Newsweek
Gold Coins Found in Walls of Home Sell for $3 Million
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Gold coins found in the wall of a house in France have been sold for millions of euros at an auction. Auction house Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates told CNN that the discovered coins had sold for $3.48 million. Why It Matters The discovery of the coins was both significant in terms of their monetary value and rarity. What To Know The coins were found in a house in a small village called Castillonnès in southwest France, about 15 miles south of the town of Bergerac, and had been collected by Paul Narce, who lived in the house and died in August 2024, aged 89. Gold coins. Exceptional auction by Agrasc in partnership with the National Directorate of State Property Interventions. Gold coins. Exceptional auction by Agrasc in partnership with the National Directorate of State Property Interventions. Sipa via AP Images/ Credit:ROMUALD MEIGNEUX/SIPA/2501291749 No one knew where he kept the collection, and he had no direct descendants. A notary in charge of his estate went to discover them after Narce died having heard rumors from villagers that Narce had collected them. Narce had moved into a care home the year before his death after his sister died. The coins had been hidden in a small space in the wall behind a painting in a store room. They had been labeled. The notary found 10 packages that each contained 172 gold 20 franc coins. Some of the coins in the collection were from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC. There was also a near complete series of coins used during the reigns of French Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. They had initially been valued at 2 million euros ($2.43 million) but sold for far more at the auction. What People Are Saying In a statement previewing the sale, coin expert Thierry Parsy said: ""Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection." He added that some of the coins date back centuries and that the collection was "exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains." The collection "could have remained undiscovered forever," Parsy added. "I have never seen such a major collection go on sale from the point of view of quantity and quality," he said. Narce "knew what he was buying," he added. Pierre Sicaud, the village mayor, said people in the village had not imagined that Narce and his sister had collected such a valuable lot of coins. "They were very polite, very modest people who lived in an ordinary house a stone's throw from the mairie," he told the Sud Ouest newspaper.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Huge coin collection found hidden in house's walls sells for nearly $3.5 million
A huge collection of historic gold coins, recovered from the wall of a house in France after their owner passed away, has been sold for millions of euros at auction. Auction house Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates told CNN on Thursday that all of the coins had sold in Paris this week, fetching more than 3 million euros ($3.48 million) in total. The coins were collected by Paul Narce, who lived in a small village in south-west France until his death in 2024, according to Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates. 'Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection,' said coin expert Thierry Parsy in a statement previewing the sale. Over the years, he built up a collection of gold coins 'exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains,' said Parsy. Many of the coins date back centuries, according to Parsy. Among them are ancient coins from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC, as well as almost complete series of coins used during the reigns of French Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. Narce had no direct descendants and only a few people knew of his hobby. However, no one knew where he kept his collection, which 'could have remained undiscovered forever,' said Parsy, were it not for a notary who set out to find the coins in the house, which had been empty since Narce moved into a care home a year before he died. The notary eventually found the coins in a small space in the wall, hidden behind a painting in a store room. In addition to the carefully labelled collection, the notary also found 10 packages, each containing 172 gold 20 franc coins, equivalent to an ingot of gold. The final sale far exceeded the pre-auction estimate of 2 million euros ($2.43 million).
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Huge coin collection found hidden in house's walls sells for nearly $3.5 million
A huge collection of historic gold coins, recovered from the wall of a house in France after their owner passed away, has been sold for millions of euros at auction. Auction house Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates told CNN on Thursday that all of the coins had sold in Paris this week, fetching more than 3 million euros ($3.48 million) in total. The coins were collected by Paul Narce, who lived in a small village in south-west France until his death in 2024, according to Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates. 'Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection,' said coin expert Thierry Parsy in a statement previewing the sale. Over the years, he built up a collection of gold coins 'exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains,' said Parsy. Many of the coins date back centuries, according to Parsy. Among them are ancient coins from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC, as well as almost complete series of coins used during the reigns of French Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. Narce had no direct descendants and only a few people knew of his hobby. However, no one knew where he kept his collection, which 'could have remained undiscovered forever,' said Parsy, were it not for a notary who set out to find the coins in the house, which had been empty since Narce moved into a care home a year before he died. The notary eventually found the coins in a small space in the wall, hidden behind a painting in a store room. In addition to the carefully labelled collection, the notary also found 10 packages, each containing 172 gold 20 franc coins, equivalent to an ingot of gold. The final sale far exceeded the pre-auction estimate of 2 million euros ($2.43 million).
CNN
2 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Huge coin collection found hidden in house's walls sells for nearly $3.5 million
A huge collection of historic gold coins, recovered from the wall of a house in France after their owner passed away, has been sold for millions of euros at auction. Auction house Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates told CNN on Thursday that all of the coins had sold in Paris this week, fetching more than 3 million euros ($3.48 million) in total. The coins were collected by Paul Narce, who lived in a small village in south-west France until his death in 2024, according to Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates. 'Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection,' said coin expert Thierry Parsy in a statement previewing the sale. Over the years, he built up a collection of gold coins 'exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains,' said Parsy. Many of the coins date back centuries, according to Parsy. Among them are ancient coins from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC, as well as almost complete series of coins used during the reigns of French Kings Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. Narce had no direct descendants and only a few people knew of his hobby. However, no one knew where he kept his collection, which 'could have remained undiscovered forever,' said Parsy, were it not for a notary who set out to find the coins in the house, which had been empty since Narce moved into a care home a year before he died. The notary eventually found the coins in a small space in the wall, hidden behind a painting in a store room. In addition to the carefully labelled collection, the notary also found 10 packages, each containing 172 gold 20 franc coins, equivalent to an ingot of gold. The final sale far exceeded the pre-auction estimate of 2 million euros ($2.43 million).
