Pledge or buy-back: two opposite operations
A gold-buying counter purchases the gold and melts it down or resells it: the transaction is final. At the Crédit Municipal, the gold is merely deposited as security and becomes available again as soon as the loan is repaid. The choice depends on the need: temporary cash or disposal.
The legal four-fifths ceiling
Article D514-8 of the Code monétaire et financier limits a loan on platinum, gold or silver to four fifths of the value estimated by weight. Other goods, such as a diamond or a painting, remain capped at two thirds.
Weight and carats in the Paris simulator
The Crédit Municipal de Paris simulator asks for the weight in grams and the carat content, chosen from 9, 14, 18 and 24. It covers loans from €30 to five million euros, paid out in under an hour according to the institution.
The per-gram price shown in Nantes
When consulted on 9 October 2026, the Crédit Municipal de Nantes showed a loan of €42 per gram of 18 carat gold. The amount is undated on the page and tracks the metal price: it must be rechecked before any visit.
Worked example for a gold chain
Using the Nantes benchmark, a 20-gram chain in 18 carat gold would allow borrowing of about €840. The calculation is only indicative: the official weighing, the condition of the piece and the price on the day of deposit determine the actual amount granted.
Hallmarking fees in Bordeaux
The Bordeaux tariff sheet of 15 November 2022 charges the borrower hallmarking fees: €6 for gold, €4 for silver and €9 for platinum. These fees come on top of the interest and the half-yearly storage fees.
Interest on small sums
For €300 borrowed for a year at the Paris APR of 4.25%, interest comes to around €12.75. In 2022 Bordeaux displayed a zero APR up to €100, then 14.81% up to €3,000. Compare the pawn loan interest rate.
Toulouse and Montauban: gold counters
The Crédit Municipal de Toulouse receives gold on rue des Lois, on weekdays from 8.15 am to 4.30 pm, and caps loans agreed between 1 pm and 2 pm at €1,000. Montauban, on boulevard Garrisson, also carries out appraisals.
Coins and bars: check with the institution
The Paris list simply mentions gold next to jewellery in gold, platinum or signed silver. For coins or a bar, the arrangements are not detailed in the sources consulted: ask the institution before travelling with such valuables.
Cash or transfer at payout
Since 1 December 2024, the Crédit Municipal de Paris pays out up to €3,000 in cash and transfers the remainder. Decree no. 2016-1985 of 30 December 2016 regulates the cash payment of loans against physical pledges.
Price movements during the loan
On renewal, Paris may revalue the pledge: if the gold price has dropped, the borrower repays the part of the loan exceeding the new valuation. Renewal creates a new contract on the day's terms, so its amount may change.
Maximum terms by institution
Bordeaux lends for six months, renewable online up to three times, making twenty-four months in total; Nîmes also stops at two years. Paris grants one renewable year, with early repayment calculated pro rata temporis and no penalty.
Municipal pawnbroking institutions for gold
- Crédit Municipal de Paris: Simulator based on weight and carats, loans from €30 to five million euros in under an hour.
- Crédit Municipal de Nantes: Shows an amount lent of €42 per gram of 18 carat gold, varying with the market price.
- Crédit Municipal de Bordeaux: Lends up to four fifths of the valuation on gold by weight, with a €6 hallmarking fee in 2022.
- Crédit Municipal de Toulouse: Branch on rue des Lois and gold appraisal in Montauban, €1,000 cap between 1 pm and 2 pm.
Getting a loan on your gold
- Weigh your gold at home and look for the fineness hallmark to estimate the order of magnitude with the institution's simulator.
- Go to the counter with the gold, identification, proof of address and current account bank details.
- The appraiser weighs it, tests the fineness and has it hallmarked if necessary, then announces the valuation and the possible loan.
- Choose the amount, possibly below the maximum, to limit the interest you will have to repay.
- Receive the funds in cash up to €3,000 in Paris, by transfer beyond that, and keep the pawn ticket.
- Repay at maturity or earlier to collect your gold, or renew by settling the accrued interest.
Published scales for a gold loan
| Item | Amount | Institution and date |
|---|---|---|
| Loan per gram of 18 ct gold | €42 | Nantes, consulted 09/10/2026 |
| Ceiling on metal by weight | 4/5 of the valuation | Art. D514-8 CMF |
| Gold hallmarking | €6 | Bordeaux, 15/11/2022 |
| APR from €30 to €500 | 4.25% | Paris, rates page |
| APR from €100 to €3,000 | 14.81% | Bordeaux, 15/11/2022 |
| Cash payout | Up to €3,000 | Paris, since 01/12/2024 |
Documents to bring with your gold
- Photo identification
- Proof of address in France
- Current account bank details
- Proof of income from €10,000
- Tax notice in Nîmes above €7,500
What to avoid with pledged gold
- Confusing a gold-buying counter, which acquires the metal permanently, with a municipal pawnbroking institution that merely holds it as security.
- Trusting a per-gram price read online without checking its date, when the amount lent follows the metal price.
- Borrowing the maximum out of habit, which increases the interest and the risk of being unable to redeem the gold at maturity.
- Forgetting that a drop in the price may require, on a Paris renewal, partial repayment of the principal already received.
- Arriving in Toulouse between 1 pm and 2 pm for a large loan, when the cap there is set at €1,000 during that slot.
Frequent questions about pawned gold
How much does the Crédit Municipal lend per gram of gold?
There is no national price. Nantes showed €42 per gram of 18 carat gold when we checked in October 2026, an undated amount tied to the market price. Paris offers a simulator based on weight and carats, with the final sum set at the counter.
What is the maximum loan on gold?
The regulations cap the loan at four fifths of the value estimated by weight. The Paris simulator accepts amounts up to five million euros, and proof of income is requested in Paris for any loan of €10,000 or more.
Can 9 carat gold be pawned?
The Crédit Municipal de Paris simulator does offer 9 carat fineness, alongside 14, 18 and 24 carats. The lower fine metal content simply reduces the valuation and therefore the amount lent per gram.
Is pledged gold insured during the loan?
In Paris, the general terms of 1 May 2026 provide, in the event of loss, compensation equal to the valuation at deposit plus 25%, after deducting the sums owed. The other institutions publish their own conditions.
Is an appointment needed to pawn gold in Paris?
Not in the morning: the Crédit Municipal de Paris receives gold and jewellery without an appointment in the morning, and by appointment in the afternoon, at 55 rue des Francs-Bourgeois in the fourth arrondissement.
Official sources
Légifrance – Décret n° 2016-1985 du 30 décembre 2016legifrance.gouv.fr
Crédit Municipal de Paris – Les étapes du prêt sur gagecreditmunicipal.fr
Crédit Municipal de Paris – Liste des objets acceptés en gagecreditmunicipal.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.