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PHIDIAS
552
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552. SABLONS Catalogue of the sale of the Gaulish Treasure o…
See original version (French)
552
-
552. SABLONS Catalogue of the sale of the Gaulish Treasure o…
See original version (French)
Estimate €45 - €50
Voluntary lot
Description
552. SABLONS
Catalogue of the sale of the Gaulish Treasure of Le Mans. Les Sablons. Paris, Hôtel Drouot 27 March 2001. (with results).
Extensively illustrated paperback catalogue, including two magnificent colour plates. The other plates are in black and white. 42 pages (weight 200 g)
Book by Antoine Béguin*: Le trésor gaulois du Mans, du rêve au cauchemar. Published by Cheminement, 2003.
Two books.
Good condition.
Ex Libris JRC de M
The Trésor des Sablons (Sablons Treasure) is a fortuitous discovery made between 1991 and 1997 in the Sablons district (Le Mans commune) in the Sarthe region of France, of a large collection of Gaulish gold staters dating from the 1st century BC and associated with the Cenoman people.
The Le Mans treasure trove contains some 152 Armorican Gaulish gold staters. It is without doubt the largest discovery of Armorican gold coins ever made.
"A resident of a working-class district of Le Mans named Marie brings a Gaulish gold coin to the astonished journalists of the France 3 Maine radio station. Thus begins one of the most fabulous treasure stories ever told: that of the Gallic Treasure of Le Mans. According to specialists, this treasure, discovered by an unemployed couple on RMI, is the largest deposit of Armorican coins ever found in France. The one hundred and fifty-two coins in it were valued at nearly 4 million francs. In the hours following the official announcement of the discovery, the media seized on this modern fairytale. The story was almost too good to be true. A few weeks went by and no one heard from the inventors again. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they were living happily away from prying eyes. That's when Antoine Béguin, a young lawyer, is called in by the couple - he has developed particular expertise in the field of treasure and archaeological discoveries - and learns that the beautiful fairy tale is in fact hiding real difficulties in which the inventors are getting a little more bogged down every day. The obstacle course begins for Stéphane and Marie, supported first by *Antoine Béguin and then by a lawyer. Over the next four years, the case took one twist and another. In the end, everything turned out to be very complicated: the town of Le Mans, which claimed to be the owner of the land but wasn't; the actual owner of the land, who didn't want to share any more; the archaeologists, who had taken possession of the coins and refused to part with them; the discoverers, who had concealed vital information... This story tells just how difficult it can be to find a treasure. Although, after many difficulties, the treasure was finally shared between the owner of the land and the inventors, this was the only moment of satisfaction for the protagonists. The couple could not resist the pressure they had been under for years, and the story ended in tragedy. Today, everyone who has been close to this treasure regrets that it has come to light. This book is not only an opportunity to reveal unknown details about the Le Mans treasure, but also to deal with many other treasure cases, to point out the current malfunctions in this area and to consider the necessary legislative changes.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
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PHIDIAS
See original version (French)
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