552. SABLONS - Lot 552

552. SABLONS Catalog of the sale of the Gaulish Treasure of Le Mans. Les Sablons. Paris, Hôtel Drouot March 27, 2001. (with results). Extensively illustrated paperback catalog, including two magnificent color 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. Édition Cheminement, 2003. Two books. Good condition. Ex Libris JRC de M The Trésor des Sablons is a fortuitous discovery made between 1991 and 1997 in the Sablons district of Le Mans, 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 contains some 152 gold Gallic Armorican 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 France 3 Maine. Thus begins one of the most fabulous treasure stories ever told: that of the Gallic Treasure of Le Mans. This treasure, discovered by an unemployed couple on RMI, is, according to specialists, the largest deposit of Armorican coins ever found in France. At the time, the one hundred and fifty-two coins were valued at nearly 4 million francs. In the hours following the official declaration of the discovery, the media seized on this modern fairy tale. The story was almost too good to be true. A few weeks pass and no one hears from the inventors again. In everyone's mind, there's no doubt that they're living happily away from prying eyes. That's when Antoine Béguin, a young lawyer, is called in by the couple - he has developed a particular expertise in the field of treasure and archaeological discoveries - and learns that the fairy tale in fact hides 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 story would unfold in a series of twists and turns. 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 authentic 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 the discovery of treasure can be. If, after many difficulties, the treasure was finally shared between the landowner 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, all those who came into close contact with this treasure regret 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 the field and to envisage the necessary legislative changes".