TABLE OF CONTENTS :

1) Choosing a reliable, publicly recognized buyer

 

When it comes to the resale of precious metals, the choice of buyer is crucial. Rather than taking the disproportionate risk of selling "from hand to hand" to a private individual, it is preferable to use a qualified, recognized and certified intermediary.diary whose reliability and seriousness are attested by its experience, reputation and standing with the general public.

In addition to preventing you from being swindled or defrauded, using a serious professional like GODOT & FILS will ensure a secure and rapid transaction.

Recognized professionals must also comply with legal obligations to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism (LCB-FT). This includes implementing measures to prevent and detect such activities.

To sum up, here's how to identify a reliable buyer:

 

Reputation: Don't hesitate to read reviews on Google or on specialized sites such as "Avis-vérifiés". A reputation can't be improvised, and is never built by chance.
The professional's seniority and experience:

Well-established brands with branches all over France prove their reliability over the long term.

For example, GODOT & FILS is one of France's longest-established names in the gold market, with almost a century of existence (founded in 1933) and over 100 branches across France.
Advice and transparent estimates:

A professional buyer of precious metals and numismatics will provide a detailed and transparent estimate.

To do this, he or she will use precise criteria such as weight, official gold price and purity.

As is often the case, an overly tempting or generous offer, without justification, can conceal a scam.
Transaction security: Recognized establishments have the advantage of offering solid guarantees of transaction security.

 

 

2) Make sure the gold you are buying is genuine

 

As with any precious object, whether for resale or subsequent repurchase, it is essential to be able to authenticate the gold involved in the transaction. This reassures both buyers and sellers of bullion, collector's items or even jewellery.

This authenticity is all the more important as it will partly determine the resale price of the gold.

So how can you be sure that your gold is genuine? Several methods can be used:

A visual test by checking the hallmarks. Ingots, collector's items and jewellery have hallmarks indicating their purity (in carats), their origin and their manufacturer. This is one of the primary criteria for authenticating gold.

A distinction must be made between two types of punch:

 

The guarantee hallmark (or official state hallmark) : The master hallmark (or manufacturer's hallmark)

This hallmark is essential, as it guarantees the purity of the gold by clearly indicating its precious metal content.

 

In France, here are the main official hallmarks:

- The seahorse (24-carat gold) for ingots.

- The eagle head for 18-carat (750 thousandths) gold jewelry. This is the most common hallmark.

Examples include rings, wedding bands and necklaces.

- The scallop shell for 14-carat (585 thousandths) gold. Less common in France.

Example: jewelry made abroad.

- The three-leaf clover is used for 9-carat (375 thousandths) gold jewelry. This type of gold is less pure and contains alloys, making it less precious.

Example: costume gold jewelry.

This is a trademark registered by the craftsman or workshop who made the jewel.

The hallmark is usually in the shape of a diamond, and contains the initials or a symbol specific to the manufacturer.

It makes it easy to trace the jewel's precise origin.

 

 

- The use of a professional tool such as a spectrometer. This guarantees rapid analysis of the gold without being invasive or destructive to the golden metal. This type of tool is used because it determines with certainty the composition of the gold offered for sale.

- Acid testing. Here again, this technique should be used by a precious metals professional to avoid any mishandling or misdiagnosis. This test is a highly reliable way of verifying the purity of gold, with rapid results.

 

3) Administrative procedures for selling gold

 

As detailed above, two different tax regimes may apply to the resale of gold. Depending on which one you choose, the administrative procedures involved will differ.

It is also important to distinguish whether the sale is made privately (between private individuals) or via an intermediary such as GODOT & FILS.

 

Declaration without intermediary :
Flat-rate tax on precious metals (TMP): Real capital gains tax :
> This tax is applied by default and requires no special documentation. > This option requires clear proof (invoices by name) of the initial purchase price and date.
> Declaration to be made in the month following the transfer using the tax form (CERFA n°2091-SD). > In this case, complete the specific tax form (CERFA n°2092-SD), attach proof of purchase (invoices, purchase certificates) and declare the capital gain on your annual tax return.

 

 

- Tax form CERFA n°2091-SD

- CERFA n°2092-SD tax form

 

Declaration with intermediary :
Flat-rate tax on precious metals (TMP) : Taxation on actual capital gains:
This tax is deducted directly by the professional intermediary (a precious metals dealer or a bank) at the time of sale and remitted to the tax authorities.
The intermediary will file the CERFA n°2091-SD tax return on behalf of the seller. The intermediary will complete the CERFA n°2092-SD tax declaration on behalf of the seller.

If the intermediary is subject to VAT, he must also mention the transfer:

- As an appendix to his monthly VAT declaration when subject to the standard VAT regime, using CERFA n°3310-A-SD .

- With his annual VAT return if subject to the simplified system, using CERFA n°3517-S-SD.

 

 

- CERFA n°3310-A-SD

- CERFA n°3517-S-SD.

 

4) Selling gold coins without a certificate

 

When you own old gold coins from an inheritance, for example, the holder does not always have official documents such as a certificate of authenticity.

But is it possible to sell gold coins without a certificate? If so, what are the risks involved, the legal implications and the advice you need to follow to ensure a safe transaction?

 

      A certificate of authenticity is useful, but not compulsory

A certificate of authenticity is a document issued by a recognised authority. It can be issued by an auction house, a professional numismatist or a monetary institute.

But this document is not compulsory, because gold has a value in itself (weight, purity), which in no way prevents the purchase or sale of this asset. This is where an expert such as GODOT & FILS comes in, as it can objectively measure certain criteria relating to the quality of the gold and therefore its authenticity.

This is especially true when a professional has to examine a collector's gold coin such as the 20-franc Napoléon, the Louis d'Or or the South African Krugerrand.

 

      The consequences of not having a certificate of authenticity

The absence of a certificate of authenticity will have little impact, in terms of value or liquidity, on fairly standard and common collector coins, since for these it is above all the condition of the coin and its gold weight that come into play.

On the other hand, for more special and rare coins (very old coins, limited editions), the certificate of authenticity is a reassurance for the buyer, who may be more inclined to increase the price. In the absence of such a document, the buyer may be tempted to lower the price.

 

      How best to sell gold without a certificate?

Selling gold without a certificate requires vigilance and preparation. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you seek the assistance of a recognised professional to ensure that you get the best value for your assets and avoid any disappointments such as fraud, scams or any other type of dispute.

With gold professionals like GODOT & FILS, the authenticity of your coins will be examined using a variety of methods, including precision scales, a gold tester and spectrometric analysis.

It is entirely possible to ask for a detailed written estimate. This will serve as an official reference document for the transaction and for tax purposes.

It is also possible to go through specialist online platforms, for which you will need to send the item for verification and certification.