A Hidden Numismatic Treasure to Be Auctioned at Drouot: The Incredible Legacy of Paul Narce

A true treasure trove is set to go under the hammer on Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 at the Hôtel Drouot in Paris. One thousand gold coins, spanning centuries of history and valued at around two million euros, will be auctioned by Beaussant Lefèvre. Their origin? A remarkable and unexpected discovery: the lifetime collection of reclusive coin enthusiast Paul Narce, found hidden in a sealed chest in his former home in southwest France.

Born in 1934, Paul Narce was virtually unknown outside a small circle of fellow numismatists. He lived modestly in the village of Castillonnès, in the Lot-et-Garonne region, quietly dedicating his savings to acquiring rare coins. When he passed away in 2024, without any direct heirs, his empty family home appeared to be of little significance. But tipped off by rumors of a secret collection, the notary handling his estate, with help from a team of genealogists, began a meticulous search.

What followed resembled a real-life treasure hunt: in a cluttered storeroom filled with fishing rods and gardening tools, behind an unremarkable needlepoint picture, a sealed chest was finally discovered. Inside were hundreds of carefully labeled coins—alongside ten fabric pouches, each containing 172 twenty-franc gold coins, the equivalent of a gold ingot per pouch.

A Collection of Rare Historical Riches

The collection spans an extraordinary range of eras—from Ancient Greece and Byzantium to the Merovingians and regional coinages from Flanders and Aquitaine, including seven coins issued by the Black Prince. It also features “masterpieces of Gothic art,” such as a splendid parisis d’or minted under King Philippe VI of Valois.

Classical French coinage is richly represented, including a rare louis d’or à la croisette from the reign of Louis XIII and 63 gold coins from Louis XIV, notably a stunning double louis au soleil dated 1712. Other highlights include royal issues from Louis XV and XVI, and constitutional coins minted after the execution of Louis XVI in 1793. One of the rarest items is a five-franc gold coin struck in just 40 examples for the 1889 Paris World’s Fair.

A Major Numismatic Event

“I’ve never had a collection of this magnitude to sell, in either volume or quality,” said expert Thierry Parsy, who is overseeing the auction. He also noted that the gold coin collection of Paul Narce is being auctioned alongside that of his sister Claudette, a fellow collector, who amassed a trove of silver coins from the constitutional period to the Vichy regime.

This extraordinary sale—rich in history, intrigue, and discovery—is being hailed as a landmark moment in the world of numismatics. In Castillonnès, the village mayor Pierre Sicaud told Sud Ouest: “They were very polite, very modest people, living in an ordinary house just steps from the town hall. You’d never have guessed.”