March 20, 2014 – Michael Creusy from ABC Numismatique a Lyon-based coin shop has informed us about a tragic theft. The family, who has been in the coin business for more than forty years, was on their way home from the bi-annual numismatic coin show in Paris on March 15, 2014 when they were robbed their complete merchandise of ancient and modern coins worth over 1 million euros. Allegedly two men are being suspected and also linked to thefts of rare coins at Crinon and Poinsignon during this Paris coin show.
According to Mr Creusy ‘it was one of the largest heists to have ever occurred in the world of numismatics.’
For decades the family has passed on the business from father to son. 65 year old Joel Creusy not only deplores the financial loss but recalls the possibility that the coins and with them ‘thousands of years of history’ may be melted down. He said that ‘an unpublished unique denarius of Galba from Carthage and a Charles IV Salut struck in gold in Paris are just two examples of these many unique and rare pieces that were stolen. Collectors and antiquity dealers fight every year in auctions to buy these pieces.’ ‘Our profession has become one of the most risky in France. The insurance companies no longer provide coverage while the coins are in transit, and as a result it leaves us out of work,’ stated the manager of the coin shop, Michael Creusy, 34 years old, the eldest son. After the theft he is facing bankruptcy.
The Creusy family offers a reward of 80,000 euros for anyone who could help by providing information regarding their collection. ‘All our colleagues in Europe need to keep their eyes and ears open. For those in our profession, we must unite to fight against organized crime’ adds Joel Creusy.
As Michael Creusy points out, it is a situation that has placed people in this particular profession more frequently at risk. These criminals are armed and well-equipped with the latest GPS technology system and would go as far as to track down these merchants on the their way home to steal all their merchandise.
After 40 years in the numismatic profession the Creusy family must now start from scratch. With the hope of recovering their collection they will offer free estimations for the value of the coins to those who contact them. ‘It is truly a rare and unique collection of coins that will take years to recover, we lost 25 years of work’ stated Martine Creusy, a numismatist for 40 years.
You can find more information on the stolen coins on the website of the coin shop.
To contact the family check out the contact section on their website.