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More Than A Thousand Gold Coins, Some Over Two Thousand Years Old, Were Found Behind A Wall And Surprised Even The Experts
An Impressive Collection Of Rare Gold Coins Was Discovered By Chance After Its Owner’s Death In France. The Collection, Hidden Behind A Wall, Was Auctioned For Nearly US$ 4 Million, The Equivalent Of R$ 22.18 Million, In An Auction Held In Paris.
The Owner Of The Collection Was Paul Narce, A Numismatist Who Lived In Castillonnès Until He Passed Away At 89 Years Old. He Lived With His Sister Claudette, Who Died A Year Earlier.
Without Children Or Close Heirs, He Moved To A Nursing Home In His Last Years. The Discovery Only Happened Because Local Residents Told The Notary About The Elderly Man’s Hobby.
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Surprising Discovery
While Investigating The Residence, The Notary Found The True Treasure Hidden Behind A Photograph On The Wall Of A Storage Room. There Were More Than A Thousand Coins, Many Of Them Carefully Labeled. Some Pieces Dated Back To The Era Of The Kingdom Of Macedonia, Between 336 And 323 B.C.
The Specialist Thierry Parsy Classified The Collection As One Of The Largest Ever Sold In Terms Of Quantity And Quality. He Said That Narce Was Unknown, But Clearly Knew What He Was Doing. According To Parsy, He Spent All His Money Throughout His Life On The Collection.
Among The Highlights Were Coins Minted During The Reigns Of Louis XIV, Louis XV, And Louis XVI. Some Of These Were Made Just Before The Execution Of Louis XVI In 1793.
Ten Fabric Bags Containing 172 Coins Of 20 Francs Each—Called “Napoléons”—Equating To A Gold Bar Were Also Found.
Gold Coins: Million-Dollar Auction
In Addition To The Coins, The Estate Included Works Described As “True Masterpieces Of Gothic Art.” The Final Sale Price Surprised Even The Organizers. The Initial Estimate Was US$ 2.3 Million. However, The Collection Reached US$ 3.8 Million.
The Proceeds Will Be Directed To Narce’s Distant Cousins. The Napoléons, Valued At About US$ 115,650, Will Still Be Auctioned Separately.
Simple Life And Revealed Mystery
Pierre Sicaud, Mayor Of Castillonnès, Expressed Surprise At The Case. He Stated That The Sibling Couple Lived A Simple And Discreet Life, Without Anyone Imagining The Size Of The Collection Hidden In The House. “They Were Very Educated, Very Modest People Who Lived In An Ordinary House,” Said The Mayor.
The Story Highlights The Contrast Between Paul Narce’s Reserved Life And The Historical Value Of The Treasure He Kept In Silence For Decades.
With Information From The New York Post.
