Frequently Asked Questions
What's my coin worth?
It's impossible to value a coin without seeing it! Even if you describe the coin and its date, the condition is by far the most important factor. For example, a ten centimes piece struck between 1852 and 1868 is extremely common in a very worn state and worth about €0.50, yet it can be worth as much as €1000 in perfect condition. Our experts will appraise your coins or banknotes free of charge if you are willing to make the effort to show them.
But my coin is over 150 years old, surely it's worth a lot?
The value of a coin depends on three factors, the condition, the rarity and the demand. We sell Roman bronze coins which are over 1500 years old for as little as €2 because they are very common and not much in demand. We also have coins struck less than fifty years ago that are worth thousands of euros because they are very rare and sought after.
I've heard that it's possible to find rare coins in one's pocket. Is this true?
Unfortunately, no! It's impossible to find rare coins among the circulating coinage.
It is true however in the last few years certain coins were struck in very limited quantities, however these coins were struck purely for collectors in order to complete their series in years when no coins were required for circulation. These coins were sold directly to collectors in special plastic sealed packs at high prices. Although these coins appear in catalogues and are identical in appearance to the circulating coins, they never did circulate, so there is no chance you will find one in your pocket.
Certain magazine articles imply that the two franc coin of 1993 is worth €30, however they forget that in 1993 there were two types of two franc coins struck, one with the portrait of Jean Moulin, of which 30 million were minted, and another with the Semeuse design of which only 20,000 were sold to collectors. Every day we are shown sacs of 2F coins Jean Moulin which are worth their weight in metal.
I've heard that with the Euro one should keep the Franc coins as they will become valuable.
Wrong! There are probably less than 10,000 coin collectors in France. If every one of France's 60 million residents keeps a few dozen coins, it's logical that they'll never become rare or in demand.
It is true however that with the arrival of the Euro, some coins have gone up in price, as the demand increased. The same phenomenon was noticed in Australia in 1966 and England in 1971 when those countries converted to the decimal system. The prices rose but then fell quickly a few years later. The same thing will probably happen in France, as collectors switch to collecting Euros rather than francs.
There are some unscrupulous merchants who sell Franc coins at exorbitant prices. They go so far as to publish "Argus catalogues" with so-called market prices that are ten or more times the real prices practiced at other dealers. In our opinion, the only serious catalogue on the market is "Le Franc VIII" published by C.G.F., 36 rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, priced at €29. It shows the prices at which coins change hands between collectors and dealers.
How can I clean my coins?
You should never clean coins. Of course you can make them shine with various cleaning products, but you can't remove the wear and because you remove the patina, which the collectors prefer, you will destroy the coin's value. A quick clean in some soapy water without rubbing or brushing is all that a coin will need. Banknotes should never be ironed, as this flattens the raised ink.
I have some coins in a plastic album and I've noticed that some have gone green. Why is this?
The older coin albums were made with PVC plastic, which after a number of years gives off a corrosive gas that attacks coins and banknotes. It's important to remove the coins from the album and throw it away before the coins are completely ruined.
Should I sell my coins or keep them?
The answer to this question depends entirely upon you. If your coins have a great sentimental value, you should keep them but if not, why not sell them? We are professional numismatic dealers; our role is that of a middleman between the seller and the final buyer. We have seen far too many coins damaged by non-collectors; either by letting the children play with them, by improper storage or by harsh cleaning.
In our opinion, coins and banknotes are better protected in the albums of collectors than in a box in the cupboard of a non-collector.
One keeps a box of coins hoping that one day they'll have a great value, however those coins that increase the most in value are those in perfect condition. Keeping your coins in a tin box will not maintain them in perfect condition!
Most coins are not rare nor in perfect condition, thus they have little value, however they are still of interest to a collector, so if you don't look at them, why not sell them? If you show us a lot of coins and we appraise it at €300, you have to decide if you sell them or if you keep them. Your choice is simple; you can leave with your coins or with €300 in cash. If you leave with your coins, it's exactly the same as if you had come into our shop and bought a load of coins for €300, because you have renounced the opportunity to leave with €300. This is a logical choice if you appreciate your coins a lot, but you must bear in mind that if you don't care much for coins, it's unlikely that you would spend €300 for a load just to store in the cupboard.
Customers often ask us if the value of their coins will rise, however it's impossible for us to reply correctly. Coins and precious metals go up and down in price and no one can say with certainty which way they will go in the future. If we knew, we would have retired rich many years ago. Even if the price of gold or silver rose dramatically next week, would you know about it? And if you did, would you sell, or, like many, would you wait just a bit too long until the price fell again.
In 1960 the French minimum wage was 1.60F per hour, thus a silver five Franc coin represented about three hours of work. Today a five franc silver coin is worth about €1.20, about 11 minutes of work. Not a very good investment…. If you think gold or silver will rise, buy some coins, we sell them. If you think it will go down, sell yours. In any event, it's up to you to decide. If you want to keep your coins, we can show you albums in which you can safely store them.
I'd like to sell my coins and banknotes, how do I go about it?
Visit one of our shops or meet one of our buyers in your region. Don't clean your coins, put them in a paper or plastic bag rolled up in such a way that they don't scratch each other in transit. Do not wrap them up individually in paper or envelopes; it takes far too long for our buyers to unwrap them. There's no need to sort your coins, we can do it much faster than you.
The most valuable coins are those of precious metal, such as platinum, gold or silver, or rare coins. If the coins are neither rare nor in precious metal, for example bronze or aluminium, we still buy them.
We will calculate the value of your coins and you are free to decide if you sell them or not; you can keep some and sell others; it's up to you. The most important thing for us is to meet you and to appraise your coins so that you are aware of their value and so that any rare or valuable coins you may have are protected. You are under no obligation to sell to us; there is no charge for the appraisal.
