Secrets in the Wall—French Hoard Edition
In a quiet French village, a notary uncovered one of Europe’s most extraordinary coin hoards, hidden by a reclusive collector and unknown to even his closest friends.
Some people hang art to brighten up a room. One Frenchman hung art to hide his fortune, so well that almost no one knew it was there.
In a tale worthy of “Treasure Island—Home Edition”, a reclusive French collector named Paul Narce secretly amassed one of the country’s most extraordinary coin collections, then hid it away inside a storeroom wall and behind a painting. When he died at age 89, without heirs and a will, his modest home in the southwestern village of Castillonnès fell to the scrutiny of a local notary who was responsible for inventorying the estate.
And what a find.
A Notary with an Eye for Treasure
According to CNN, the notary uncovered the hidden cache while combing through Narce’s home. Behind a storeroom wall and concealed behind a framed picture, the notary discovered more than a thousand historic gold and silver coins.
The haul included ten cloth bags stuffed with French 20‑franc Napoléon gold pieces, medieval French gold écus, silver coins of the French kings, and ancient coins from Macedon and Rome. This breathtaking sweep of European monetary history was carefully packed and in exceptional condition.
Millions at the Hammer
The hoard was consigned to Paris auction house Beaussant Lefèvre, where it sparked intense international interest. The sale, held at Hôtel Drouot in June 2025, days one and two, was expected to bring between €1.5 million and €2 million. But as the lots crossed the block, spirited bidding drove the total far higher, hammering for more than €3.3 million (about $3.6 million), with some individual coins realizing many times their estimates.
One standout was a pristine gold Philip IV, the Fair (1285-1314) Gros Tournois, which achieved nearly double its pre‑sale estimate—a testament to its rarity and Narce’s keen eye as a collector. Even the more common Napoléon 20‑francs commanded premiums thanks to their superb preservation. See results here and here.
“This was a truly remarkable collection,” said a Beaussant Lefèvre spokesperson. “The quality, the provenance, and the story behind its discovery combined to make it one of the most exciting numismatic auctions of the year.”
A Life of Secrecy
Why Narce chose to squirrel his treasure behind drywall and canvas is anyone’s guess. Locals described him as quiet and solitary, part of a generation that often distrusted banks. Few in his small circle even knew he was a collector at all, and had the notary not been so thorough, the collection might have been missed entirely.
"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.
Narce checked into a managed care facility about a year before he died. His coins "could have remained undiscovered forever," said Parsy.
Hidden Riches, Hard Lesson
For collectors, it’s both inspiring and cautionary. There’s a certain romance to living atop a literal treasure trove, but hiding it so well that no one else knows about it? That’s a gamble—one that saw Narce's treasure nearly lost.
So if you’re going to line your walls with gold, at least leave a note.
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