He took a secret to his grave — and left 1,000 gold coins hidden behind a wall
image: iStock
When Paul Narce passed away quietly at the age of 89 in Castillonnes, France, no one knew he'd been guarding a hidden treasure. Living modestly and largely out of public view, Narce spent his life quietly amassing a breathtaking collection of historic gold coins—many of them centuries old.
The stash, tucked away behind a wall in his home, remained a mystery until after his death, when a notary acting on a tip from villagers uncovered it. That long-hidden cache, now revealed, has stunned collectors and historians alike, eventually fetching nearly $4 million at auction.
A modest life with a million-dollar secret of 1,000 gold coins
Narce wasn't a well-known figure. He didn't travel much, had no children, and lived a quiet life with his sister Claudette, who passed away a year before him.
But behind that modesty was a lifelong passion for numismatics—the study and collection of currency. Every coin he owned was meticulously labeled and preserved, with some dating back to ancient Macedonia (336–323 BC), and others from the reigns of Louis XIV to Louis XVI.
Paul Narce's collections of antique and exclusive coins
The real discovery happened only after an extensive search of his estate. In a storage room, hidden behind a wall-mounted picture, investigators found the treasure: over 1,000 rare coins, including entire cloth pouches filled with gold 'Napoleons' (20 franc coins).
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Coin expert Thierry Parsy, who handled the auction, remarked that the collection could have been lost forever had Narce's hobby not been mentioned by locals.
A goldmine of historical riches
The collection included gold coins from the First French Empire and masterpieces of Gothic numismatic art. Parsy described it as one of the most significant private collections ever brought to market in both quality and quantity. It was auctioned at the Beaussant Lefevre house in Paris, pulling in a staggering $3.8 million—far exceeding the original estimate of $2.3 million.
A legacy without a clear successor
With no immediate heirs, the windfall from the sale is expected to go to distant cousins. Meanwhile, another set of coins—valued at $115,650—will be auctioned off separately. What remains is not just a fortune in gold, but a legacy of quiet passion, meticulous dedication, and the thrilling reminder that some of history's greatest secrets lie just behind the walls.
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