A remarkable collection of ancient gold coins discovered concealed within the walls of a French house has fetched nearly £3million at auction.
The historic hoard, comprising more than 1,000 pieces, was sold by Beaussant Lefevre and Associates in Paris this week for more than €3million.
The coins belonged to Paul Narce, who died in 2024 after dedicating his life to amassing the extraordinary collection.
The treasure trove remained hidden until a notary discovered it behind a painting in a storeroom, tucked away in a small cavity within the wall of Narce's former home in south-west France.
A coin featuring a bust of Francois II sold for almost €30,000
BEAUSSANT LEFEVRE
"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 said.
Despite his unassuming lifestyle, Narce assembled what Parsy described as a collection "exceptional both in number, with more than 1,000 pieces, as well as the rarities it contains".
The collector had no direct descendants, and though a few people knew about his hobby, nobody was aware of where he stored his precious hoard.
MORE HISTORICAL HOARDS:
Some of Narce's coins dated back to the reign of Alexander the Great
BEAUSSANT LEFEVRE
The collection spans over two millennia of history, featuring ancient coins from the Kingdom of Macedonia dating as far back as 336-323 BC.
Among the most significant pieces are near-complete series of coins from the reigns of French monarchs Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI.
The notary's search proved fruitful when the coins were eventually located in the empty house, which had stood vacant since Narce moved to a care home a year before his death.
The discovery prevented the loss of a hoard which Parsy warned "could have remained undiscovered forever".
Beyond the meticulously labelled collection, the notary uncovered ten packages, each containing 172 gold 20-franc coins, equivalent to a gold ingot.
The auction results significantly surpassed expectations, with the final sale reaching more than €3million against a pre-auction estimate of €2million.
Every coin found a buyer.
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