Lost treasure of gold coins surfaces in France, shocking auction world

A hidden treasure trove of gold coins has emerged in France to astonish collectors and experts alike. 

A remarkable stash of historic gold coins, discovered hidden inside the wall of a French house after the owner’s death, has fetched more than 3 million euros ($3.48 million) at auction, Caliber.Az reports per CNN.

Beaussant Lefèvre and Associates, the auction house handling the sale, said that the entire collection was sold this week in Paris, exceeding expectations.

The coins were collected by Paul Narce, a resident of a small southwestern French village who passed away in 2024. According to the auction house, Narce “lived a modest life and didn’t see a lot of the world, [but] spent all of his money on his collection,” said coin expert Thierry Parsy ahead of the auction.

Over the years, Narce amassed an “exceptional” collection of over 1,000 gold coins, including rare pieces dating back centuries.

Highlights include ancient coins from the Kingdom of Macedonia, dating to 336-323 BC, as well as nearly complete sets of coins from the reigns of French monarchs Louis XIV, Louis XV, and Louis XVI.

Narce left no direct heirs, and few people knew about his hobby. The location of the collection remained a mystery and, as Parsy explained, “could have remained undiscovered forever” if not for a notary tasked with finding the coins after the house stood empty for a year following Narce’s move into a care facility.

The notary eventually uncovered the coins hidden in a small wall cavity behind a painting in a storage room.

In addition to the carefully cataloged collection, ten packages containing 172 gold 20 franc coins each—essentially gold ingots—were also found.

The auction’s final total far surpassed the pre-sale estimate of 2 million euros ($2.43 million), highlighting the collection’s extraordinary value.

By Naila Huseynova