This is a real paradox.
While the health crisis has accelerated the decline in the use of cash as a means of payment, the French have never had so much appetite for collector coins made of precious metals.
Gold coins are by far the most coveted.
In December, a lot of 1,000 coins at 2,500 euros each offered by the Monnaie de Paris went out in just a few days.
"We are witnessing a new gold rush, which had not been seen since the financial crisis of 2008,"
notes Marc Schwartz, CEO of the Monnaie de Paris, which manufactures the coins circulating in the country.
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The trend, very marked in 2020 (+ 15% of sales), is accelerating at the start of the year, sales of gold coins having doubled compared to last year.
"The prints are limited, we sometimes have trouble serving all customers,
regrets the leader of the oldest institution in France.
In this uncertain period, the French are saving more. ”
Hence the craze for gold, perceived since the dawn of time as a safe haven.
To meet the strong demand, the Monnaie de Paris will issue in the coming weeks a new gold coin of 1,000 euros (Laurier collection), which will be followed by a gold coin of 500 euros.
The surge in sales of these pieces allowed the venerable institution to return to positive results in 2020 (800,000 euros).
"They have reinforced the recovery of the economic situation of the Monnaie de Paris"
, confirms Marc Schwartz, who since his arrival in 2018, has simplified the organization of the institution and launched a plan to reduce the workforce by 10%, without a social plan.
