Two hours in line, from 6:30 a.m.
Never has the annual collectors' fair in Isle (Haute-Vienne) seen such a turnout.
This Sunday, February 11, hundreds of people had to be patient to obtain a 0 euro collector's note, sold for 3 euros each.
Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of France, these banknotes, published in 3,000 copies by Oberthur Fiduciaire, the printer of the Banque de France, were originally reserved for members of the organizing association, Billets-touristiques.com .
But this Sunday, 342 remaining copies were sold on a “first come, first served” basis.
Seeing collectors from Marseille, Biarritz and Strasbourg arrive, some of whom in campervans on Friday to sleep in front of the community hall, the organizers understood that the event was going to exceed their expectations.
“It’s unheard of,” admitted Stéphane Sibot, president of the association.
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“Usually, I collect coins but here, I wanted to obtain this limited edition ticket,” says Jacques Noto, who came with his partner Danielle Gatineau from Poitiers (Vienna).
Others like Jimmy Carbognani, 24, recognize a purely speculative interest in the approach.
“I arrived from Brittany the day before and I was able to acquire ticket number 002798. I am an investor in cryptocurrencies and the stock market.
I hope to resell my copy in twenty years, for the centenary of the Liberation, for between 5,000 and 20,000 euros.
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Some didn't have the same patience as Jimmy.
On Ebay, the ticket displaying the very symbolic number, 001944, has already been priced for 605 euros.