Coins travel further than their owners. Since 18 February 2012, old French francs have only collector value: only gold pieces (such as the 20-franc "Napoléons") keep value from their metal. French records concern gold coins from the Ancien Régime, such as Louis XIII's large gold Louis, while world records are American.
Sources : Synonyme du mot · Achat Or et Argent
The first dollar coin struck by the United States. It sold for about $10 million in 2013, a record for a coin at the time, before being surpassed by an American gold coin sold at Sotheby's.
Source : Flux de connaissances · January 2013 sale
Struck by the New York goldsmith Ephraim Brasher, one of the seven known copies sold for $9.36 million (about 8 million euros) in Dallas. According to the article cited, it is the most expensive coin ever bought at auction outside the United States.
Source : Seneweb · January sale in Dallas
Considered the most expensive French coin ever sold, it went for €298,750 at the Hôtel Drouot. This gold piece, 66.87 g and 4.4 cm in diameter, is the largest French gold coin. According to the sources cited, only about twenty copies exist.
Sources : Synonyme du mot · Achat Or et Argent · November 2014 sale, Hôtel Drouot
Sold at auction in Cannes for €210,000, this 1640 Quadruple Louis was presented at the time as the most expensive French gold coin ever.
Source : Achat Or et Argent · late March 2012 sale, Cannes
Prices found in the press and on marketplaces during our research of Oct 4, 2026. These are isolated sales, or asking prices where stated: they are not a price guide. Amounts are in their original currency.