There are different ways to invest in material gold:

- Going to the bank.

It is an easy and secure method. You simply ask your banker what you want, and he will take care of making your GOLD or your SILVER available. He will probably advise you not to or wouln’t find any point in it, but don’t listen to him. A banker doesn’t earn a living via commissions on the products he sells. He has no use with your savings, and prefers seing short term Interest…

- Buying from an intermediate.

Many stores have specialised in the purchase and sale of GOLD. It is very easy to go in and buy coins. Of course some coins are worth more than others. If you’re only looking to invest, stick to the stantard coins where only the weight is interesting. A 20 Franc Napoleon weighs 5.85 grams of gold, most are traded according to the gold prices. Others, more rare, have a higher price… But if one day you really need to buy food with your Napoleons, the rarity of the coin would not be important…

- On the Internet.

Many auction and ad sites sell coins. It is a very practical method where you can get good deals. Of course you have to be careful, but having bought these types of products hundreds of times on ebay, i have never had a single problem. Beware, some sell fake coins ( Marianne COQ 1915 were sold although the making stopped in … 1914).

- At fleemarkets / garage sale

It is quite common to see coins at fleemarkets. There are mostly SILVER coins, Hercule or “semeuse”, and the highlight is that mainly the peolpe selling don’t necessarily know the real price of the coins. Of course you need to get up really earlier to make the most of these good deals because they go very fast in general.

Whatever your choice if you have coins or ingots, you need to keep your GOLD safe. The bank seems to be the ideal solution, they have vaults and reinforced security. If you bought them legally from your bank, it seems wise because practical. But lets not forget that 60 years ago the possession of gold was prohibited in France, and the GOLD stocked in banks was ceased ( ceased isn’t the correct term as it was bought at market price).

So, I would advocate you to take your GOLD or SILVER stock and bury it deep or hide it in some strategic place in the house. Only tell your wife or children so that in case anything happens this investment isn’t lost. This method can get around certain succession taxes (but then again, it depends on how you got it).