French Gold Rooster Coins 20 Francs

My portfolio's not massive, around $75k in gold, but I've been eyeing some of these smaller European fractional coins for diversification, especially given the current spot price. For those who own them, have you found demand to be as liquid as, say, a standard 1/10th or 1/4th oz American Gold Eagle if I ever needed to sell quickly here in Albuquerque? I'm thinking of smaller local dealers, not just online.

Thought this thread might find it useful – I've been using NGC's coin lookup tool a lot lately for my French Roosters and other European gold. It gives you really detailed info on mintage, history, and grades for specific dates. Helped me spot some subtle differences in my '07 and '09 pieces I wouldn't have caught otherwise. Definitely better than just eyeballing them, especially with the premiums these are commanding now.

I picked up a few of those 20 Franc Roosters back in 2018 when I was diversifying my metals outside of just American Eagles. Bought them through one of the dealers based out of Delaware – if I recall, I got them for about 5% over spot at the time. They're beautiful coins, no doubt, but the premium felt a little high for something that isn't really a 'bullion' coin in the same way a Krugerrand is. Still, they hold their value and look great in the vault.

Honolulu here. I've got a few of those 20 Franc Roosters myself, they're beautiful coins and surprisingly resilient. For anyone debating whether to really go all-in on precious metals vs. traditional equities, I highly recommend checking out that **Gold vs Stocks chart** on the GIRAB site – specifically the 10-year comparison. It really puts things in perspective when you see how gold performs during different market cycles.

Man, these 20 Franc Roosters bring back memories. My grandfather had a couple of them tucked away in a velvet pouch, always talked about how they were "real money" during the Depression. Didn't think much of it until 2008 hit, and suddenly his old stories about currency collapsing felt a whole lot more real. That's when I started looking at these things differently, not just as collectibles, but as something tangible when everything else felt like it was floating away. Fast forward to today, my own humble collection of these is doing *way* better than any of the tech stocks I got talked into during the dot-com bust.

I've always been wary of the smaller fractional foreign coins for the bulk of an IRA allocation, and these French Roosters, while beautiful, strike me as more of a collector's item than a core investment vehicle. My personal strategy, especially for the lion's share of my gold holdings, focuses heavily on readily recognizable and easily liquidated assets like American Eagles or Canadian Maples. Paying higher premiums for numismatic value on something like a 20 Franc coin could really eat into your long-term returns compared to just sticking with bullion. Just my two cents from here in Richmond.

@Jennifer Martinez, that’s really interesting about the 20 Franc Roosters. I’m just getting started with my Gold IRA journey – based in Birmingham, AL, and trying to get my $300k portfolio diversified properly. I actually just took the Gold IRA Quiz – it was super helpful for clarifying what types of metals fit my personal risk profile. Did you ever consider anything other than Eagles or Roosters, like Canadian Maples or Krugerrands, for your non-Eagle holdings, or was it primarily about the smaller fractional size of the Roosters?

@Ronald Morris, that's a cool story about your grandfather. My own grandfather, bless his heart, swore by silver dollars for the same reason. While I appreciate the nostalgic value and historical significance of the Roosters, as a practical IRA investment, I actually lean more towards the larger, more recognizable bullion coins. I bought some Eagles early on for my Gold IRA here in Spokane, and while they don't have the same "story" as your grandfather's Roosters, the premium on them tends to be a bit more predictable for me.

@Ruth Perez Totally agree with your approach, especially with diversifying into fractional coins! I'm sitting on a bit more than your $75k, probably around $300k in my Gold IRA up here in Cleveland, and I’ve been doing the exact same thing with some pre-1933 European fractional pieces. The premium can be a little spicy sometimes, but the historical value and liquidity for smaller transactions just makes sense. If you haven't yet, take the Gold IRA Quiz at https://quiz.goldirablueprint.com/?forum – it actually helped me refine my strategy for these types of coins and match them to my overall retirement goals.

@Ronald Morris Absolutely, man. Your grandfather nailed it – "real money." My great-aunt had a similar stash, though hers were mostly Austrian Coronas. She always drilled into us that when everything else goes sideways, a bit of gold is your lifeboat. Didn't think much of it until I diversified into my Gold IRA a few years back. The peace of mind holding physical gold, especially those historic pieces, is just on another level compared to paper assets. Hearing about those Roosters definitely makes me want to track some down now.

While those French Roosters are certainly beautiful and have a neat history, for pure bullion investment in an IRA, I tend to stick to the more common Eagles or Maples. The premium on those foreign historical pieces, even in gold content, can sometimes eat into the overall value if you're not careful. I'm based out of Boise, and down here, liquidity on something like a Rooster might not be as instant if I ever needed to sell quickly, compared to a ubiquitous 1oz American Gold Eagle.

@Ruth Perez Honestly, the idea of tiny European fractional coins has always piqued my interest. My gold IRA portfolio's a bit smaller than yours – I'm just getting started in Columbus here, sitting around the $30k mark after my initial 401k rollover. I'm focusing on building my core retirement savings with larger bullion mainly for the tax advantages, but I can totally see the appeal of these unique precious metals for diversification once I hit a certain threshold.

The French Gold Rooster 20 Francs are solid. I picked up a few of them back in 2018 when premiums were lower across the board. They're fractional, which I like for liquidity, and their historical significance makes them a bit more interesting than just plain bullion. Just make sure you're buying from a reputable dealer and checking those assays.

French Roosters are cool, sure, but folks are missing the liquidity point. I’m in Phoenix, and finding a buyer for anything less common than an Eagle or a Maple in a pinch can be a real headache. My portfolio's around $180k, and I shifted pretty aggressively towards Eagles after I needed to liquidate a small portion last year. Wish I'd taken the Gold IRA Quiz at https://quiz.goldirablueprint.com/?forum earlier – it really helped me nail down a liquidity-focused strategy.

Man, talking about classics. I stacked a tube of those 20 Franc Roosters back in '17 when I first started moving some of my paper into physical. Got them from a dealer out of Atlanta. Always loved the history behind them, and they feel good in the hand. Smart move if you're looking for fractional European gold that's recognizable.