Created by sovereign ordinance
The Sovereign Ordinance of 1 May 1907 created an institution in Monaco for loans on movable pledges. The ordinance of 3 May 1907 then entrusted a Monegasque public limited company with the monopoly of this activity, as sole concession holder for fifty years.
The Société Anonyme du Mont-de-Piété de Monaco
An ordinance of 3 July 1907 authorised the Société Anonyme du Mont-de-Piété de Monaco. The 1937 Journal de Monaco recalls this chronology, which makes it possible to trace its stages from an official source of the Principality.
1921: a new name, a new concession
On 8 February 1921, an ordinance changed the company's name and set a twenty-year concession. In 1937, the business appears in the official gazette under the name Société du Crédit Mobilier de Monaco, together with the words Mont-de-Piété.
The 1937 refoundation
On 23 October 1937, a ministerial order approved the early dissolution of this company. A new entity, with capital of 1,000,000 francs, took over under a concession running until 3 May 1977, seventy years after the first ordinance.
What the articles of association allowed as pledges
The articles published in 1937 describe a pawnbroking institution operated under exclusive concession, accepting in particular jewellery, precious metals, furniture and listed securities. Including financial securities sets this model apart from French institutions, which are limited to tangible movable goods.
Profits shared with the Trésor Princier
Article 7 of the articles of association reserved 20% of net profit for the Trésor Princier, and directors were appointed with the Government's approval. The Monegasque Mont-de-Piété therefore operated as a state-supervised private concession, not as a municipal service.
An unchanging address in Monte-Carlo
The 1937 Journal de Monaco places the head office at 15 avenue de Grande-Bretagne, Monte-Carlo. The same address appears in 2010 in a notice from the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco, Mont de piété department, a sign of long continuity at the same premises.
The September 2010 auction
The notice of 17 September 2010 announced the sale of expired pledges on Wednesday 22 September, from 9.15 am to 12 noon and from 2.15 pm to 5 pm, after a viewing the day before. The principle recalls the auction of pledged items in France.
Current activity: not verified
No official Monegasque source after 2010 could be consulted. We therefore do not know whether the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco still lends against pledges in 2026, at what rate or for how long. These points should be confirmed directly with the institution.
French institutions on the Côte d'Azur
The joint Crédit Municipal website mentions service points in Menton and Nice, towns neighbouring the Principality. Verified contact details for the Nice Mont-de-Piété remain incomplete, however, as its official website could not be read.
Living in the Principality and borrowing in France
French institutions require proof of address, and the Crédit Municipal de Paris specifies that it must be an address in France. A Monaco resident should therefore check, before travelling, that the chosen Riviera institution accepts their address.
Vocabulary specific to Monaco
Monegasque texts speak of loans on movable pledges, Crédit Mobilier and expired pledges (nantissements échus). Current French usage, detailed on our page about the Mont-de-Piété in France, prefers Crédit Municipal, redemption and surplus (boni).
Documented Monegasque institutions
- Crédit Mobilier de Monaco, service Mont de piété: Institution at 15 avenue de Grande-Bretagne; last verified auction held on 22 September 2010.
- Société Anonyme du Mont-de-Piété de Monaco: Historic holder of the pawn loan monopoly, authorised in 1907 and refounded in 1937.
- Trésor Princier: Recipient of 20% of the Mont-de-Piété's net profit under article 7 of the 1937 articles of association.
Making enquiries about a pledge in Monaco
- Contact the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco at its historic avenue de Grande-Bretagne address to find out whether the pawn loan service still operates.
- Ask in writing for the current terms: items accepted, rate, fees, term and arrangements for selling expired pledges.
- If there is no offer, ask the French institutions in Menton or Nice whether they accept a Monaco address.
- Prepare ID, proof of address and the item's documents, then have it valued on the spot.
- Read the contract before signing and note the due date, so that the item does not end up at auction.
Official reference points on Monegasque pledges
| Reference point | Official information | Date of source |
|---|---|---|
| Creation of the monopoly | Sovereign Ordinance of 1 May 1907 | Journal de Monaco, 1937 |
| Capital of the refounded company | 1,000,000 francs | Journal de Monaco, 1937 |
| State share | 20% of net profit to the Trésor Princier | 1937 articles of association, article 7 |
| Last verified auction | 22 September 2010 | Journal de Monaco of 17 September 2010 |
| Current rates and fees | According to the institution's schedule, not verified | No source after 2010 |
Documents to prepare for an enquiry
- Valid ID
- Proof of address in Monaco
- The item to be pledged and any invoice
- Certificates of authenticity for jewellery or artworks
- Written terms supplied by the institution
Misconceptions about Monaco's Mont-de-Piété
- Relying on rates or opening hours found in directories: no current terms of the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco have been confirmed by an official source.
- Believing French Crédit Municipal law applies in Monaco, whereas the Principality organised pledges through an exclusive concession.
- Going to an institution in Nice or Menton without checking that it accepts an address in the Principality.
- Ignoring notices in the Journal de Monaco, which announce the sale of expired pledges and the viewing date.
Pledges in Monaco in four questions
Is there a Mont-de-Piété in Monaco?
Historically, yes: a monopoly on loans against movable pledges was created in 1907, then operated by the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco, 15 avenue de Grande-Bretagne. The last verified activity is an auction in September 2010; the current situation is not confirmed.
Who operated pawn lending in Monaco?
A public limited company acting as sole concession holder, authorised in 1907 as the Société Anonyme du Mont-de-Piété de Monaco, later known as the Crédit Mobilier de Monaco. Its directors were appointed with Government approval, and the Trésor Princier received 20% of net profit.
Which items could be pledged in Monaco?
The articles of association published in the Journal de Monaco in 1937 list jewellery, precious metals, furniture and listed securities, among others. The categories accepted today, if the service still operates, are not confirmed by any recent official source.
Where is there a Crédit Municipal near Monaco?
The joint Crédit Municipal website lists service points in Menton and Nice. Their access conditions for a Monaco resident, notably the proof of address required, should be checked directly with the institution concerned.
Official sources
Journal de Monaco, 1907journaldemonaco.gouv.mc
Coordonnées des caisses de crédit municipalpretsurgage.fr
General information, up to date as of October 2026 and non-contractual: always check the terms with the Crédit Municipal or the institution concerned.