Latest news with #coincollecting
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Reclusive French Collector Hid Nearly $3.48 Million In Rare Gold Coins In The Walls Of His Home
High-end auctions are famous for having rare collectibles, but sometimes the story behind the items up for bid can be as interesting as the item itself. This was the case recently in Paris, where a collection of ultra-rare gold coins was sold for nearly $3.5 million. That part isn't unusual, but the coin's origin story defies belief. They were found hidden in the walls of their former owner's home. Paris-based auction house, Beaussant Lefèvre & Associates, conducted the sale, according to CNN. The more details they provided about the coin's history, the more unbelievable the story became. The coin's original owner was a man named Paul Narce. By all accounts, he was a quiet and unassuming man, and he kept his passion for coin collecting secret from all but a few people in his life. Don't Miss: Named a TIME Best Invention and Backed by 5,000+ Users, Kara's Air-to-Water Pod Cuts Plastic and Costs — Tired of Grid Failures and Charging Deserts? This Startup Has a Solar Fix and $25M+ in Sales — Some of the oldest coins in Narce's collection are from the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia and could date as far back as 323 B.C. Narce also had a complete set of coins from French monarchs, Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI. It's the kind of coin collection you would expect to be owned by a wealthy French businessman who travelled the world to find them, but that was not Narce's story. "Narce, who lived a modest life and didn't see a lot of the world, spent all of his money on his collection," coin expert Thierry Parsy in a public statement advertising the sale. He spent much of his life amassing the collection, which Parsy described as "exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains." Parsy also said that many of Narce's coins were several hundred years old. According to Parsy, Narce died without any heirs, and only a few people in his inner circle knew he collected coins, and Parsy told CNN that none of them had any idea where he kept the coins. Complicating matters further, Narce checked into a managed care facility about a year before he died. His coins "could have remained undiscovered forever," said Parsy. Trending: Maximize saving for your retirement and cut down on taxes: If it weren't for the efforts of an enterprising notary in the small Southwestern French village where Narce lived, Narce's collection may have never been found. According to CNN, the notary searched Narce's former home and found the coin collection in a storeroom. Narce had tucked the coins away in between the walls of the storeroom and behind a painting hanging on the wall. It's quite obvious Narce put a very high premium on security and being secretive. CNN also said that old coins weren't the only currency Narce collected. The notary also found a trove of 20-franc gold coins. Narce may have been a private man, but his instincts about collecting gold coins proved to be spot on. Gold prices have been skyrocketing for much of the year. CNN reported that the $3.5 million final hammer price was significantly higher than pre-auction estimates and the current premium on gold could explain the high price. It's too bad Narce didn't get to enjoy the profits his coin collection generated.. Read Next: Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Can you guess how many retire with a $5,000,000 nest egg? . Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Reclusive French Collector Hid Nearly $3.48 Million In Rare Gold Coins In The Walls Of His Home originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Sun
27-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Can you spot the rare coins worth up to £1,127 – how many do you have in YOUR wallet?
CAN you spot these rare coins that could be worth up to £1,127. In the picture below we can all see a range of loose change, but do you know which coins could be worth hundreds of pounds? 7 A coin is usually regarded as rare if a limited amount of the piece was released to the public or if it has an unusual marking or error. These features can drive up demand from sellers, meaning they may be willing to pay a high price for it. What is a rare coin? Coins are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it - but some are rarer than others. This is to do with how many coins have been produced, those with lower mintages are usually worth more money. Error coins - which are ones that have mistakes - are also worth more because they are rare. You can check how rare a coin is by looking at Change Checker's Salacity Index latest scarcity index. The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay or a recent auction. Experts from the coin collecting website recommend looking at "sold listings" to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed. People can list things for any price they like, but it doesn't mean they will sell for that amount. You can scroll to the bottom of the story to see which coins are rare and below we explain each one - and how much they could be worth. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coin Northern Ireland - £29.16 In 2002, four different designs of this £2 coin were created to commemorate the Commonwealth games. But the Northern Irish version is the rarest with research by Change Checker revealing on 485,000 in circulation. To spot this coin, look for a moving figure holding a banner above their head and the flag of Ulster. Finding this rare £2 coin could help you fetch nearly £30. One seller managed to flog the coin for £29.16 in April after 13 bids. 1983 'New Pence' Error 2p 7 This coin minted in 1983 has become extremely valuable due to an error made during its redesign. That year, The Royal Mint had begun transforming the "new pence" coin into the "two pence". But a number of these coins were struck with the old "new pence" inscription. These coins can be found in old commemorative sets, such as the Great British 1983 Coin Collection released by Martini & Rossi. Condiment maker Heinz also released a similar set which included the coin. These sets can sell for hundreds of pounds on eBay. On May 11, one of the sets produced by Martini & Rossi was flogged for £721.25 after 46 bids. Atlantic Salmon 50p - £132 Research by Change Checker found only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. To spot this coin look for a portrait of Charles III on the front, while the back of the coin will show an Atlantic salmon leaping from the waves. The group said only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. And it appears collectors are prepared to pay a pretty penny for one of these coins. On June 22, one of these coins sold for £132.08. Kew Gardens 50p - £140 To spot this coin, look for a leafy fine on the reverse of the coin wrapped around a Chinese pagoda. The front of this design will feature an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II. There will also be the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley. Around 210,000 of these coins are in circulation making you very lucky if you stumble across one. Recently one of these coins was sold on eBay for £140 after 28 bids. 2008 undated 20p coin - £56 7 What you need to look for is a 20p coin that is missing the 2008 date on the "heads" side. Usually coins are dated on the "tails" side but that year, the Royal Mint decided to move the date to the opposite side. A manufacturing error by the Royal Mint in 2008 meant that only around 250,000 coins were printed with this unique error. But spotting this error could help you fetch up to £56, according to recent bidding activity on eBay. 7
The Sun
25-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Exact detail to spot on rare coins that makes them worth over 400 times their value – do you have one in your pocket?
SPOTTING these exact details on rare coins could make them worth up to 416 times their face value. A coin is usually regarded as rare if a limited amount of the piece was put into circulation, meaning fewer people will have one lying around at home. 5 Sometimes, the coin will have an unusual marking, and other times it can feature a familiar character or cartoon on it. These features can drive up demand from collectors. But do bear in mind that coins are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it. The Sun recently found four rare coins that sold for a combined total of £423.59 this June. Atlantic Salmon 50p - £70.59 This coin features a portrait of King Charles III on the front, while the back of the coin depicts an Atlantic salmon leaping from the waves. Research by Change Checker found only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. The group said only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. And it appears collectors are prepared to pay a pretty penny for one of these coins. On Saturday, June 21 a seller managed to flog an Atlantic Salmon coin for £70.59. That makes it 141 times its face value. That was after a fierce bidding war with 18 wannabe buyers. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands Kew Gardens 50p - £127.08 5 The front of this rare coin has an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, with the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley, below. But what makes it special is the reverse, which features a leafy vine wrapped around a Chinese pagoda. It also has the date of the year it was made to commemorate the anniversary. There are around 210,000 of these coins in circulation making it another rare find. Recently one of these coins sold for £127.08 on June 22 after 16 people tried to bid for it. That makes it a whopping 254 times its face value. But in the past, Kew Gardens coins have sold for up to £700. Olympic Football 50p - £17.59 This coin, also known as the Offside Rule 50p, is one of twenty-nine commemorative 2012 Olympic 50ps issued by The Royal Mint. The design was created by Neil Wolfson, a sports journalist and features a diagram to show how the Offside Rule works. Around 1.2million of the Olympic Football 50p's were put into circulation, so you might have a better chance of finding one lying around your house. On June 22, one of these coins sold for £17.59 after eight bids. On this occasion, the coin has sold for over 35 times its face value. But in the past, it has sold for £24 so there is a chance you get more depending on collectors' interest at the time. Blue Peter 50p - £208 This Blue Peter 50p coin was released in 2009 ahead of the London Olympic games in 2012. It features a cartoon of a high jumper on the back, with the design etched by a nine-year-old girl. Over 2.2million of the Blue Peter 50p coins were issued, with most minted in 2011. In the past, this coin has sold for up to £223. On Sunday June 22 The Sun spotted one of these coins sold for £208 after an eight-person bidding war. On this occasion, the Blue Peter coin has sold for 416 times its face value.
The Sun
22-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Top nine rarest and most valuable foreign coins you might find on your summer holiday worth up to £275k
YOU could end up back home with more than a tan after your summer holiday this year. Find a rare foreign coin in your spare change and you might fetch thousands or potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds for it. 10 But don't know what you're looking for? Gregory Edmund, senior coin specialist at auction house Spink and Son, has revealed the top nine you need to look out for, and how much they're worth. He told The Sun: "Whilst coin use is rapidly in decline around the world, the age-old pastime of checking your change is as exciting as it has ever been. "With some of the world's most celebrated coin rarities resulting from unexpected discoveries in people's pockets from America to Italy and the Isle of Man to Australia, you may well just find something that will cover your getaway and then some." Of course, you're never guaranteed to be quids in - but it's still worth keeping an eye on your holiday change. Just remember any coin is only worth how much someone else is willing to pay for it. US and Canadian coins West Point Quarter - £14.75 Over 20million West Point quarters ($0.25) were struck and put into general circulation by the Federal Mint in 2019 and 2020. The Federal Mint is the body that makes coins in the US, like the Royal Mint in the UK. But those that come with a "W" mint mark behind George Washington 's head on the obverse side of the coin can be worth up to $20 (£14.75). Meanwhile, sets of 10 of these coins can sell for as much as $250 (£184.45). 1955 Cent - Doubled Die Obverse - £17,712 The 1955 Cent Doubled Die Obverse coin was first struck in 1955. But an error in the manufacturing process led to some of the one cents showing a doubling of the date and wording on the head's side. The error is known in collector circles as a "doubled die". Despite the coin's face value only being one cent, it has been known to sell for up to $24,000 (£17,712) in auctions previously. US 'Cheerios' 2000 Sacagawea Dollar - £22,070 10 In 2000, "Sacagawea" dollar coins were struck and put into circulation as part of a marketing promotion with cereal company General Mills. The pieces were added to boxes of Cheerios cereal. However, in 2005 it was discovered that around 5,500 of the coins were early strikes with "experimental" tail feathers on one side, different to those ultimately issued for general circulation. One of the coins has been known to sell for $30,000 (£22,175) previously. 1943 Copper Cent - £275,182 Branded the "Holy Grail" of rare circulated coins, the 1943 "Wheat Cent" is worth a small fortune. The coin was originally designed to be made out of steel, but around 40 were struck on copper blanks for the Federal Mints in Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver. Since their release, some have turned up in cafeterias and bubblegum machines. One of the coins was previously priced at $500 (£369.86) but the record sale for one of these pieces is a staggering $372,000 (£275,182). 2000 P25 Cents - £18,500 The 2000 Canadian nickel-plated "P" Caribou coin has been known to sell for as much as $25,000 (£18,500). Only around three to five of these coins were put into circulation due to their unique P lettering underneath Queen Elizabeth's head. This is instead of the standard mint mark applied to the vast majority of these coins. Europe Italy, One Cent / Two Cent, 2002 'Mole Antonelliana' Error – £1,278 - £1,705 A rare Euro coin might crop up in your spare change on holiday to Italy this summer. As the Euro coin first came into production in 2002, a small number of two cent pieces were struck with a one cent head's side. Only around 7,000 of these were struck before the mistake was spotted. Some of these coins have sold for up to €2,000 (£1,705) previously. Monaco, 2007 'Grace Kelly' 2 Euros – £1,279 Monaco released around 20,000 special two euro coins to commemorate Princess Grace Kelly's death in 2007. But because so few of them were entered into general circulation, they have been known to sell for big sums. One previously sold for as much as €2,000 (£1,706). Isle of Man Tosha Cat £2 - £200 Take a trip to the Isle of Man and you might stumble across this rare £2 piece. The Tosha Cat coin was struck in 2011 to mark the Commonwealth Youth Games being held on the island for the first time. It has been known to sell for upwards of £200 on eBay before so is well worth looking out for in your spare change. It may even turn up in your spare change in the UK too, because the Isle of Man £2 coin is the same size and specifications as mainland British currency. Australia "Mob of Roos" Dollar Coin - £4,819 In 1992, the Australian government reported striking 8,000 Dollar coins featuring five kangaroos on the tails side. However, these pieces never actually surfaced with mintage records believed to be wrong. It is thought only one of this type of coin has ever surfaced making it worth a hefty amount. The last time this unique coin sold was for more than AU$10,000 (£4,819). How to sell a rare coin You've got three main options: in auction, on eBay or on Facebook Marketplace. The safest way to sell a rare coin is more than likely at auction. If you are selling on eBay, make sure you list the coin's price accurately. You can do this by checking how much other sellers have sold the same piece for. Finally, you can sell on Facebook Marketplace, but be wary of scammers trying to get you to transfer money to dodgy accounts. It can be easier to meet buyers in person and get cash for your coin, but only in daylight and in a public place. In any case, if you're selling on eBay or Facebook, decent pictures will help the coin sell for the best price.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rare 10 cent coin worth up to 70 times more: 'Keep your eyes out for this'
Australians rifling through their spare change have been urged to "keep their eyes out" for a 10 cent coin that can be worth a decent amount of money. Coins can fetch a pretty price at auction if they're particularly rare or if there was an error during the minting process. This is the case for the 2019 10c coin, as it had a rare deviation from the normal portrait used for Queen Elizabeth II. Coin expert Michael McCauley said they can be tricky to find due to its low mintage rate. "They didn't make many of these coins and for that reason, coin collectors pay more than 10 cents... in fact, they pay between $1.30 and $7 currently for them," he said. 'Extremely rare' 10 cent coin worth up to $3,300 Gen Z worker reveals $4,732 cost-of-living drain facing millions FIFO worker on $250,000 reveals how Aussies can get into mining industry Paying up to 70 times more than face value is due to only two million of these coins being minted in 2019. While that might sound like a lot, it pales in comparison to mintage rates of other years. The Royal Australian Mint produced a whopping 22.8 million 10 cent coins in 2021 alone, along with 23.2 million the year revealed the 10 cent coin very rarely deviates in its design for the obverse side showing the reigning monarch. However, in 2019, Jody Clark redesigned the portrait of Her Majesty to have the Victorian Coronation Necklace. You can also see a tiny JC imprinted onto the side of the portrait on the coin to honour Clark's work. According to collection website Numista, this version of the 10 cent coin was issued in bags of 20 at Royal Australian Mint pop-up shops across the country in 2019. It was also available in regular coins and Aussies might have stumbled across it in their spare change. Getting $7 off a 10 cent coin might sound like a huge win, but you can get even more money out of some 10c coins. There were only 1.7 million standard-issue 10 cent coins minted in 2011, and they can fetch upwards of $50 at auction. 'Don't sleep on the 10 cent coins. One of the best ones to look for are the 2011 standard issue 10 cent coins,' McCauley said. "[It's] the lowest mintage 10 cent coin that was produced for circulation.' Other low-mintage 10 cent coins include 1985 coins, which had a mintage of 2 million. Aside from that, Downies Collectables said it can be worth looking out for collector coins from 1976, 1987, 1995, 1996 and 2003. The Royal Mint did not issue standard 10 cent coins during these years so any coins you find with those dates would be from mint sets. There's an extremely rare 10 cent piece known as the 'double lyrebird' because it doesn't have a portrait of the Queen on it due to a mintage error. That can fetch up to $3,300 if you are lucky enough to get your hands on in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
